Sustainability

We focus on achieving sustainable progress by responsibly growing the business and contributing to the UAE’s economic development. We aim to integrate sustainability across all our operations to enable a connected world, add value to our society, be an employer of choice, support employee health and well-being, and protect the environment.

To achieve these goals, we have developed the ‘Sustainability Wheel’, a strategic framework designed to ensure a holistic view of our operations. This framework revolves around three interconnected themes that enable us to deliver our vision: Guests, People, and Business. It underscores the importance of delivering exceptional guest experiences, fostering a supportive work environment, and enhancing organisational efficiency for sustainability and continual improvement.

Our immediate priority is on the environment, particularly managing carbon emissions to address climate change contributing to the country’s zero carbon emissions goals by 2050. We value the importance of connection and collaboration to tackle climate change effectively in the aviation industry, believing that being connected makes us smarter, more resilient, and better equipped to transform airports and the aviation sector faster.

We believe sustainability needs to be addressed with the same urgency as safety. The aviation industry has deeply embedded safety into its core through technological investments, global cooperation with governments to set universal standards, and a proactive approach. Similarly, a significant change in mindset is imperative towards sustainability to ensure a secure, conscientious, and efficient environment. The only way forward is by working in unison – creating a better tomorrow, together!

Our primary focus is taking decisive action on climate change, achieved by reducing the consumption of vital resources like energy and water, to minimising waste, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. We implement this through our strategic partnerships and the integration of innovative technologies for effective measurement and impact at scale.

ACI accreditation
Dubai Airports has led various environmental sustainability initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint; strategic initiatives such as renewable energy, energy-efficient lighting, and a comprehensive waste management system.

Recent partnerships with Etihad ESCO to retrofit and expand our solar panels at DXB and DWC, and our partnership with BEEAH, which ensures that DXB continues to divert waste-to-landfill, and will continue to significantly contribute to our emission reduction efforts.  We’ve also successfully achieved a Level 3 accreditation, in the Airport Council’s International, Carbon Accreditation programme.

The ACI accreditation programme is the only airport specific, globally recognised carbon management standard that is designed to help airports map, measure and manage their carbon footprint all the way to net zero by 2050. Not only does the programme align with our mission to become the best airport in the world, it is the only standard that is aligned with the UAE’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement.