Nabra Al Busaidi, Senior Manager, Community and Sustainability at CAFU

Nabra is the Senior Manager of Community and Sustainability at CAFU. Her fundamental role includes focusing on developing CAFU’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) journey, targets, and Net Zero Roadmap, overseeing CAFU’s efforts to support resilient communities, and promoting economic opportunity and global sustainability throughout the regions in which CAFU operates.

Prior to joining CAFU, Nabra has gained experience of several years in ESG strategy and project management. She has worked across the private and government sector including the PMO and Executive Office. Driven by her passion and commitment, Nabra strives to develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the MENA Region. She is a mentor in the MIT Sloan Entrepreneurship Program, One Young World Ambassador, and a United Nations Global Compact Member, in addition to serving on the boards of several Gulf Cooperation Council NGOs, that focus on sustainability, community development and human rights.

Nabra has a Master of Laws from the University of Law in London, a Bachelor of Laws from University of Westminster and is a qualified Lawyer in England and Wales having earned the Legal Practice Course certification in 2015.

THOUGHTS ON THE INDUSTRY IN 2024

Women in Sustainability: The sustainability field and area of expertise offer great potential to women, particularly considering the amount of investment that is being placed in the industry in today’s day and age.Women, as leaders and key stakeholders, have a lot of strong beliefs about sustainable development, and their contribution towards sustainability is truly unparalleled. A lot of the international organizations that I interact with are led by exemplary women, whose ideas and efforts have contributed greatly to the global community through capacity building, social entrepreneurship, and strong partnerships. Women, therefore, are one of the strongest ambassadors of sustainability.

Being an environmental professional, I have a responsibility to influence technical decision-making, striking the right conversations with our peers and industry leaders, and spread awareness in the industry. This is the key focus of my work at CAFU.

Community outreach: Despite recent progress with women leading in the sustainability field, there is still a long way to go. A recent study by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2019 revealed that Energy is one of the least gender diverse sectors of the global economy today and only 16% of the energy sector’s employees are women, despite making up nearly 40% of global employment. Levelling the playing field is vital to ensure the most innovative and inclusive solutions are found to the energy and climate challenges. We are going to be a huge force in the solution for the growth of sustainable living for the society and the future generation.

Opportunities and predictions for the year: I believe the global pandemic in 2019 is a clear indicator showing us that the way we live is not sustainable. This has made us reexamine what is important and forced us to think sustainably in terms of making a distinction between what we need and what we want. How we deal with climate change must change; the way we eat, travel, live, and everything in between – all these habits need to be reconsidered if we are to be strong advocates that continually push for bold action in the fight against climate change.

Speaking of action, UAE has recently had the honor of hosting COP28, which has had a strong positive effect in the region and has led to a lot of dialogue and partnership in the ESG space. It has opened doors for us all to participate in – not just on a governmental level, but within the private sector too. We are anticipating the regulatorylandscape will change and legislation will come into effect soon that could shift how we conduct business. The UAE is pivoting in this space and will be leading by example.

Furthermore, to include more women within the field of sustainability, education is key. The UAE has made significant additions to the local school curriculum to incorporate topics around sustainability. CAFU over the years has partnered with several educational institutes to drive the sustainability agenda amongst the youth, particularly with CAFU Creates – a program we created in 2020 alongside notable partners such as Microsoft and Mastercard, where we worked with hundreds of students to build their entrepreneurial spirit by assisting them to think holistically and develop solutions that will helpcombat climate change.