Dubai South, the largest single-urban master development focusing on aviation, logistics and real estate, recorded several achievements by applying different sustainability practices across its operations at its headquarters and other buildings.

In 2022, Dubai South successfully diverted 622 tonnes of solid waste from landfills, equivalent to 29 percent of the total waste generated that year. This effort resulted in an offset of 0.63 tCO2 emissions through a combination of direct recycling and the implementation of material recovery facility (MRF) services through waste contract services. Prior to this, from January 2014 to January 2021, a total of 4,244 tonnes of waste, constituting 22 percent of the total waste generated during that period, were diverted from landfills through direct recycling, resulting in an offset of 3.87 tCO2 emissions.

South Energy, the leading energy provider, succeeded in generating renewable energy via its solar plant projects, with over 5,644 MWh of clean energy generated from March 2020 until July 2023, equivalent to more than 40,048 planted trees, offsetting 54 percent in electricity demand. As well as achieving savings of 1,127,247 kWh of energy at the HQ building and Business Park in 2021, offsetting 519 tCO2 across different projects.

Dubai South also completed its LED Energy Retrofits in 2020 at its HQ, Business Park’ common areas, and four other buildings, resulting in 733,408 kWh of annual energy saving and offsetting 322 tCO2 footprint. Additionally, 4,458,445 kWh energy annual savings were recorded upon the completion of the project in 2020 for the street lights at Dubai South. Since the completion of the project, South Energy’s district cooling plants have achieved impressive results related to energy retrofits, recording 6.5 million kWh of energy savings, AED 2.9 million in energy cost savings, and a significant reduction of over 2.9 million kilogrammes in CO2 footprint.

Regarding water recycling, in 2022, Dubai South Treatment Plant (STP) treated 1,009,470 cubic meters (m3) of sewage to treated sewage effluent (TSE), from Dubai South and customers’ connected buildings that collectively produced an offset of 2,471 tCO2 emissions. Whereas, from 2017 to 2021, the STP treated and produced 2,262,316 m3 of TSE, leading to an impressive offset of 5,539 tCO2 emissions.

Moreover, from 2018 to 2020, a water retrofit project, across Dubai South HQ, 10 buildings at Sakany, 10 buildings at the Business Park, and the VIP Terminal in MBRAH, collectively achieved an annual water savings of 16,984,611 gallons. This accomplishment resulted in an offset of 222 tCO3 emissions.

In his comments on the company’s sustainability achievements, Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South, said, “As the UAE gears up to host COP28, we are pleased to see our sustainability approach yielding results since we embarked on this journey. At Dubai South, we are proud to be aligned with the government’s long-term vision and sustainability strategies for a better future and generations to come, and we will spare no effort to continue to contribute and apply different practices across Dubai South and its different buildings.”

Dubai South is Dubai’s largest single urban master development focusing on an aviation and logistics ecosystem that houses the world’s largest airport when fully operational, complemented by a multi-modal transport infrastructure connecting air, land and sea. Dubai South aims to create a vibrant living and working community by leveraging its unique aviation, logistics, and real-estate products and services and world-class infrastructure solutions.