Why UAE organisations must empower conscious consumers to give back to nature this #festiveseason and beyond

Earlier this month we celebrated the UAE’s golden jubilee. It is vital now that we all come together – individuals, businesses and government – with the shared purpose to shape the next 50 years.

Global and local research consistently demonstrates that people want to contribute to a better, sustainable future in which humanity and nature take top priority. The Covid-19 pandemic has heightened this sentiment, bringing about a large increase in conscious consumers who are here to stay. Sixty-five percent of UAE consumers have reaffirmed their preparedness to incorporate more sustainable actions into their daily lives (Boston Consulting Group Middle East, 2021).

With the festive season around the corner, now is the time for businesses to commit to building a greener future for people and planet by adapting their models to meet consumer demands – and leverage the opportunities that come with it.

The rise in conscious consumerism

The majority of conscious consumers are Millennials and Generation Z, the world’s most powerful consumer base. These demographics care deeply about being environmentally friendly and socially engaged, far more than any other (GlobeScan report, 2020).

These conscious consumers are concerned about the socio-environmental impact of their actions and purchases and are moving away from shopping at brands they perceive as unsustainable. More and more, they are choosing brands that are making a positive impact on the planet.

These individuals want to do more to ensure a sustainable and resilient planet – and expect brands to play their part. Eighty-one percent of global respondents of a recent Nielsen survey said they want businesses to take action to help improve the environment.

Businesses must act before it’s too late

With public interest in sustainable goods and services increasing, businesses can find potential growth opportunities – as long as they adapt their go-to-market strategies to more effectively cater to consumers’ changing demands.

In fact, many businesses are realising the value of integrating sustainability into their operations and products. Between 2013 and 2020, companies with consistently high ratings for environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance outperformed their peers, achieving operating margins 3.7x higher than lower ESG performers and generating 2.6x higher annual total returns to shareholders. (Accenture, 2021).

At Emirates Nature-WWF, we’ve introduced the ‘Open for Tomorrow’ plug and play fundraising solution to make it easy for businesses to integrate conscious consumerism into their online and brick and mortar stores.

The platform empowers the customers of participating businesses to give back to nature and keep our planet #OpenforTomorrow. They can contribute to a better future either by donating at checkout, donating loyalty points, providing a percentage of their product range or shopping during select periods.

The contributions from customers will support our local conservation programmes to restore nature, support climate action, and build a sustainable UAE.

Director general of Emirates Nature-WWF, Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, says of the programme: “It has been inspiring to see that significant change can be achieved in a short amount of time when we all unite for a common goal. Now more than ever, we need a nature-positive future to ensure that our communities, businesses and planet can stay ‘Open for Tomorrow’ and we call on all businesses both traditional and e-commerce based, to advance this shared goal as we embark onto the festive season and beyond.”

Sustainable businesses will shape a greener next 50 years

Our fantastic Open for Tomorrow partners are achieving real impact in helping the nation shift towards a greener tomorrow. The plug and play mechanism has not only enabled them to contribute to critical environmental issues in the UAE, but also cater to their predominately conscious consumers, and shift the behaviours of others.

Beauty Binge, one of our Open for Tomorrow partners is a real-life example. Their conscious executive officer, Minal Siyal, says: “An action-oriented mindset lies at the crux of any change that we aspire to make. With concerns like the climate change dawning upon us, as well as deforestation that is nearing an irreversible impact to our ecosystem; it is time for us to incorporate practices that have a wider positive bearing.

“As a conscious business, our goal since launch has been to empower all those looking to make a mindful and sustainable shift in their daily lives. From hand-picking brands that serve a larger purpose, to adopting sustainable packaging whilst reducing our carbon footprint, and partnering with platforms like ‘Open for Tomorrow’, it is imperative that we not only talk about this positive change but also be a conscious catalyst for the same.

“Having spaces that enable our conscious community to partake in donations that are acquainted with genuine causes and support a sustainable vision, allows us to create a multi-channel system whereby we all can work towards a common goal through means that are relatable and achievable for all.”

We are capable of immense change when we collaborate as a society. By coming together, we have the power to prevent future pandemics and reduce the negative impacts of climate change.

Businesses have the opportunity to engage with their customers around this shared purpose of ensuring a better future for people and planet, and Open for Tomorrow is here to nurture that purpose.

Huma Qureshi, senior strategic & corporate partnerships manager, Emirates Nature-WWF