KUWAIT CITY: With presence in more than 100 countries in the world, logistics provider, Agility, has the local knowledge and the facilities to reach relief supplies to disaster-hit zones in most parts of the world, says Mariam Al Foudery, the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Vice-President. Mariam was talking at a press conference arranged at the company's head office in Sulaibiya Sunday. The VP recounted the company's activities in Myanmar during the category 4 cyclone that struck in May last year, killing 30,000 people and displacing over 2 million others.
"Agility and partners, UPS and TNT, were mobilized by Global Logistics Cluster, comprised of major UN agencies and International NGOs, to support relief operations. "The three companies, including Agility and its partners, conduct relief operations by sending Rapid Response Teams to disaster zones. Through our efforts in Myanmar we were able to reach 1.3 million people." About Agility's CSR programs, Mariam said, "it's our way of giving back to our communities and the planet." She explained how the company follows an inclusive policy of motivating its employees to be not just passive partners in community work, but active initiators on this front and make a difference in places where they live.
Agility's CSR has three parts: humanitarian relief that provides services at disaster zones like in Myanmar, Community Investment Program that offers social programs addressing some of the core issues in the local communities. In Kuwait, Agility, recently carried out business training programs for the youth, "as the company saw that more than 60 percent of the citizens in the country are below 21 years which would create massive pressure on the job market. In the latest such program over 200 students from high schools were provided courses on entrepreneurship.
"Since 2006, we have seen over 120 community projects being implemented in over 40 countries worldwide, helping 286,000 people on the ground, and mobilizing about 15 percent of our workforce as volunteers." Mariam made some interesting observations about the third part of the company's CSR programs, which is environmental sustainability. She said the company in Kuwait saved up to KD 84,000 in two years by investing on energy saving measures such as timers for electrical appliances.
Consumption
The VP noted that electricity consumption in Agility expends more carbon than its trucks. "Agility is working with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to identify best practices in reducing carbon in the supply chain, actively engaging employees on how to reduce our own company's carbon footprint, and working towards helping customers understands the environmental implications of their purchasing decisions."
Mariam said Agility is the first carbon neutral company in New Zealand. When asked about carbon neutrality, she explained that it is about balancing the carbon output of a company with measures that qualify green house gas emissions such as reforestation and so on. The company keeps track of its carbon footprint based on criteria given by Greenhouse Gas Protocol and tries to minimize emissions at every stage of its operations.
In 2008 in Kuwait, compared to 2007, Agility cut its carbon emission by 4,500 metric tons, "which is the equivalent of electricity usage in as many homes per year." The VP also gave an interesting example on how a rethink on packaging, with bottles replaced by sachets, helped save wastage "as bottles need more storage space and require more cartons." Agility is a strategic partner in WEF, alongside companies like Microsoft and IBM, and Agility's chairman, Tareq Sultan, chairs the board of logistics companies in the forum, Mariam said. Further she added that WEF has industry clusters to deal with issues related to specific industries.
The VP, emphasizing the importance Agility attaches to CSR programs, said the company will not be rolling back its fund for CSR activities despite global recession. Explaining the decision, Mariam said it makes better business sense "as it boosts the morale of our employees worldwide and helps in motivating them during these tough times." About the company's relief efforts in Iraq, where Agility has many projects, Mariam said "we are rebuilding a school with complete infrastructure including playgrounds, classrooms, bathrooms, educational supplies etc. "We are also supporting international aid agencies with logistics in reaching medical and other essential supplies to refugees and children."
By Valiya S. Sajjad
© Arab Times 2009
