Over AED 2 million raised through CSR initiatives implemented across Group properties with more than 1,100 tonnes of recyclable waste diverted from landfill and 9% water savings and 3% energy savings achieved.

Rotana has published its Sustainability Report for the calendar year 2014 as part of the Group’s commitment to addressing environmental, social and economic priority areas and measuring the progress and performance of CSR and sustainability initiatives undertaken within the framework of its landmark “Rotana Earth”, the company’s Global Corporate Sustainability Platform.

The report provides a definitive record of the progress made by Rotana in achieving sustainability goals envisioned under “Rotana Earth”. Over the course of 2014, Rotana undertook a total of 273 CSR activities across its 50 properties in the region, raising the equivalent of AED 2 million through cash and in-kind contributions as well as employee volunteering and fundraising. The CSR initiatives covered a diverse range of areas including society, economy, health, education, environment and more.

Rotana also achieved a combined saving of AED 3 million in 2014 from waste management and recycling programs executed across Group properties �" over 1,100 tonnes of recyclable was diverted from landfill and 74,064 litres of used oil were recycled.

Omer Kaddouri, President and CEO of Rotana, said,“Rotana is focused on developing innovative solutions to reduce our environmental impact and operating costs. We believe protecting the environment is everybody’s responsibility, and at Rotana our commitment to sustainability extends beyond our own wide-ranging green initiatives to engaging and educating various stakeholders �" including guests at our properties �"on sustainability topics in order to bring about awareness and inspire action.”

He added, “In linking sustainability to strategy, ‘Rotana Earth’ provides a practical guide to achieving our business goals without sacrificing the environment and the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and it gives us immense satisfaction that we were able to exceed targets and expectations in the very first year of the program’s implementation. ‘Rotana Earth’ will continue to set the guiding principles for the Group as we press ahead with our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and integrate green practices into our operations across the value chain to build a more sustainable future for everyone.”

In keeping with the fundamental values embedded in “Rotana Earth”, Rotana has lined uptwo major sustainability initiatives for the coming two years. The first of these involves building on Rotana’s commitment to “Responsible Procurement” by developing a responsible procurement code. This would require Rotana properties to continue meeting their needs for goods, services, and utilities in a way that optimizes product life-cycle value by cutting long term procurement costs, averting sustainability risks, and reducing operating costs.

Rotana will also implement a “Stakeholder Engagement Plan” �" through surveys and targeted interactions �" to actively engage with its stakeholders by listening to them and responding to their concerns in a mutually beneficial way, thus building better relationships with the societies in which the Group operates, ultimately resulting in improved business planning and performance and reduced impact on the Earth’s resources.