UAE: Want to plant a tree? Open a bank account

As UAE marks 2023 as the Year of Sustainability, companies in the UAE are coming up with novel ideas to contribute to efforts combating global warming.

As sustainability takes centre stage ahead of COP28 in Dubai, UAE residents can also contribute by planting a tree by merely opening a bank account with a local bank.

Leading Shariah-compliant lender Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) on Monday said it would plant one tree for every new customer who opens a bank account to support community initiatives, especially those related to the environment.

Interestingly, customers will receive specific information on the trees dedicated to them.

As the UAE marks 2023 as the Year of Sustainability, companies in the UAE are increasingly coming up with novel ideas to contribute to efforts to deal with global warming.

Recently, the Dubai-based Rove Hotels said it would plant at least 28,000 trees by the end of this year by planting one tree for each room booked during the COP28. Rove hotels are enjoying a very high occupancy level during the conference, some of them already reaching full occupancy.

The 28th edition of the global conference on climate change will be held at Expo City 2020 from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The conference will be one of the largest and most important international gatherings in 2023 with over 70,000 delegates including heads of state and world leaders from 198 countries, the European Union, and thousands of non-government organizations, companies, youth groups, and other stakeholders converging onto Dubai.

Dr Adnan Chilwan, group CEO at DIB, said

“The One Tree for Everyone” initiative is the commitment and strategic intent towards sustainability and climate change.

“We believe that as the largest Islamic financial institution in the UAE, and amongst the most influential around the world, our responsibility is to not just align ourselves through reducing the Group’s own carbon footprint but to also play a pivotal role in influencing, transforming and deliberately changing the way our customers and the wider community view climate action and sustainability.”

The project will run in partnership with two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Emirates Environmental Group and The Storey Group, and will include both trees on land as well as mangrove forest. As part of the initiative, customers will receive specific information on the trees dedicated to them.

News Source: Khaleej Times