The Hero Dubai Desert Traditional (HDDC) has turn out to be the primary golf occasion within the Center East and first inside the DP World Tour Rolex Collection to attain GEO Licensed® Match standing, demonstrating the occasion’s management amongst sustainable golf occasions.
The excellence is awarded and guaranteed by the worldwide non-profit GEO Basis for Sustainable Golf, and relies on the power of dedication, breadth and depth of motion, and vary of tangible measured impacts throughout a broad sustainability agenda.
Acquiring GEO Licensed® standing has turn out to be a notable achievement showcased by most of the world’s most famous golf venues and occasions.
Commenting on the achievement, Simon Corkill, Govt Match Director for the Hero Dubai Desert Traditional stated, ‘We’re delighted that the Dubai Desert Traditional is the primary golf occasion within the Center East to attain this vital distinction, and milestone. It speaks to our sturdy dedication to tackling precedence environmental and social points, as we try to ship significant web constructive impacts by way of the occasion. With the extensive attain that the match has, we hope this achievement will assist to boost consciousness and encourage different occasions, companies, and people throughout the area and past.”
Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Institution (DFRE) at Dubai Division of Financial system and Tourism (DET), commented: ‘With 2023 being the Yr of Sustainability within the UAE, and because the nation prepares to host COP28, the UN Local weather Change Convention in Dubai, the Dubai Desert Traditional’s certification is a laudable achievement and a significant step in direction of reaching the broader, nationwide Internet Zero goals. We congratulate them on their inspiring dedication to useful resource effectivity and local weather motion. This accomplishment units an distinctive instance of sustainable greatest apply inside such high-profile international mass occasions, additional reinforcing the town’s place as a global occasions hub in step with the Dubai Financial Agenda 2033 launched by our visionary management to additional consolidate Dubai’s standing as one of many prime three international cities.”
The factors for the certification of tournaments spans a variety of precedence sustainability themes and motion areas; supported by detailed greatest practices; that are in flip weighted and scored. A minimal variety of factors are required to attain certification. These are verified by an accredited, third get together and knowledgeable verifier, who visits throughout occasion week to look at practices, initiatives, and different activations on web site. A verifier report is then submitted to the GEO Certification Ltd workforce, a subsidiary of the GEO Basis. If the standards are met, certification is then awarded accompanied by key Continuous Enchancment Factors.
Andrew Lynch, Head of Sustainability for the European Tour group stated: ‘It’s great to see occasions throughout the DP World Tour schedule leaning into sustainability on this means. Making it integral to the best way they’re deliberate, staged, and promoted. It aligns totally with our personal Inexperienced Drive technique, and management actions we’re taking throughout our personal operations and our owned and staged occasions. We encourage all of our valued match promoters to hitch the Hero Dubai Desert Traditional in making their tournaments a real showcase for sustainability.”
Highlights from the Hero Dubai Desert Traditional included:
- Vast use of solar energy with the Media Centre and 80% of the fan space between eleventh and fifteenth holes powered by photo voltaic
- Free water refill factors have helped divert 80,000 single-use plastic bottles from landfill since 2022
- 100% biofuel utilized in short-term turbines all through the occasion serving to speed up in direction of Dubai’s Clear Power Technique 2050, with as much as 92% much less carbon emissions in comparison with conventional diesel turbines
- Spectators actively inspired by way of campaigns and low cost codes to make use of public transport or automotive share as extra sustainable transport choices
- Park and Plant – for many who did journey by automotive, there was a cost of 50AED for parking on web site and the occasion planted three timber for every automotive
- Digital ticketing and programme lowered paper waste
- In depth recycling and composting initiatives to cut back waste to landfill
- Together with actions to cut back carbon emissions, credibly offsetting unavoidable emissions by way of the Rolex Collection portfolio with the Gold Normal, supporting the Central Mozambique protected water programme, alongside native Mangrove ecosystem restoration mission
- PVC and vinyl from occasion infrastructure re-used or became laptop computer luggage and different merchandise
- 2000 native Ghaf tree seeds planted throughout Dubai Emirates Golf Membership
- Help for Heroes of Hope, introducing folks of dedication to golf by way of organised clinics with the Academy at Emirates Golf Membership.
- Renewable power occasion associate Aggreko gained ‘greatest sustainability initiative’ award for its involvement in Dubai Desert Traditional 2022 and 2023 at Center East Occasion Awards June 2023
Jonathan Smith, Govt Director of GEO Basis for Sustainable Golf, stated: “Credit score to the management and workforce at Falcon Golf. During the last three years they’ve progressively constructed out a complete sustainability technique; after which with dedication, creativity and collaboration taken this out throughout the staging, legacies, and communications across the occasion. This has been complimented by the longstanding work undertaken by the host venue, Emirates Golf Membership. We stay up for seeing the place their Continuous Enchancment Factors can take them over the approaching 12 months and the years past”.
The Hero Dubai Deserts Traditional’s GEO certification serves as a proud testomony to Dubai’s place as a worldwide chief in its unwavering dedication to a greener future. Together with its function as host of COP28, the town strives to encourage constructive change and set a precedent for others worldwide.
