Environmental and community focus will define way forward for supply chain industry

DP World CEO Mohammed Sharaf said today that the supply chain industry must embrace sustainable business practices if it is going to continue to grow in the future.

In his keynote address to the 4th Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management Strategy Summit 2011 in Dubai, Mr. Sharaf said customers and stakeholders are increasingly demanding sustainability from the industry, including better environment protection. The way forward for the industry, he said, would be through growth strategies driven by operational efficiencies, green technology, community involvement, and a forward-looking leadership.

“We at DP World accept our responsibility to the community and future generations as a participant and leader in this industry when it comes to environmental management”, Mohammed Sharaf, Chief Executive Officer, DP World said, adding that alongside the environment protection policy, DP World adopts an overarching sustainability program that includes actively engaging with and benefiting communities.

The summit, organised by the Supply Chain & Logistics Group (SCLG), with the theme “Lean-Green-Lead” was attended by decision makers, representing industry segments like logistics service providers, carriers, manufacturing, trading, retail and free zones.

DP World was the first global marine terminal operator to join the Carbon Disclosure Project, which reports on the greenhouse gas emissions of major corporations internationally. Mr. Sharaf stressed that DP World is focused on managing its carbon footprint with measurable initiatives, and called on other industry leaders to work together on achieving their collective sustainability goals.

“We believe that all parties is the supply chain will be looking for partners with matching sustainability goals, and given the primary role terminals play in the supply chain, their sustainability goals are now more important than ever,” he said.

Participating in a panel discussion on “The impact of oil price on regional and global supply chain: Outlook for year 2011 and in the next 3 years”, Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, said:

“The uncertainties in global oil prices have a direct impact on the shipping and supply chain industry. The answer is to focus on increasing efficiency to achieve savings in energy and costs. The increasing use of modern mega ships is also paramount in the efforts to cut shipping costs per TEU .At DP World, UAE Region we follow this strategy, particularly at our flagship Jebel Ali Port where we have introduced initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency in handling ships as well as the entry and exist of trucks through automation.”

Dirk Van Den Bosch, Chief Commercial Officer, DP World, UAE Region, made a presentation on the readiness of ports infrastructure to meet future global growth and challenges.