Dubai, UAE, December 12 2023 – Emirates Steel Arkan and IBM announced today on the sidelines of COP28 that the Group will be leveraging the advanced capabilities of IBM Envizi ESG Suite software to streamline the sustainability reporting process through revolutionized data utilization and insights as part of its digitization strategy to capture value and increase productivity and efficiencies. Collaborating seamlessly with IBM's business partner, Gulf Business Machines (GBM), this strategic implementation of Envizi marks a pivotal moment for Emirates Steel Arkan do drive its digital infrastructure modernization efforts forward using the power of digital capabilities to make data-driven decisions and reporting.

Aligned with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) and the UAE's "Year of Sustainability," this initiative underscores Emirates Steel Arkan's commitment to operationalizing sustainability, advancing environmental goals, and realizing its decarbonization ambitions in line with UAE’s net zero by 2050 strategic initiative. The IBM Envizi ESG Suite software establishes a robust data foundation, simplifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculation and reporting while significantly reducing reporting time.

Saeed Alghafri, CEO of Emirates Steel, an Emirates Steel Arkan company, said: “As one of the region’s leading steel and building materials groups, we have always emphasized and remained committed to innovation and sustainability. We are on a continued quest to boost our accountability and transparency and proactively working to enhance our ESG reporting process to give us a clear picture of where we stand, and how far we still must go to achieve our ambitious decarbonization goals. The IBM software will enable the Group to harness the transformative power of data analytics to deliver faster and more accurate results that will inform effective ESG strategies and action plans.”

He added, “This partnership aligns with our broader decarbonization goals, and other crucial projects already in progress, towards achieving these objectives.”

ESA embarked on a three-year digitization strategy that aims to modernize business models with digital capabilities, and reduce the Group’s CO2 footprint by employing cost-effective, material-efficient, and energy-saving technologies.

"At IBM, we are committed to contributing to the UAE's Green Agenda – 2030,” said Hande Akdede Erbay, Sustainability Software Leader for IBM in Middle East & Africa. “We are working closely with our clients and partners to address key sustainability challenges of concern to companies in the region when it comes to ESG data collection, analysis, and reporting. We have designed IBM Envizi to empower expansive enterprises like Emirates Steel Arkan to take control of their data to underpin their journey towards sustainability. Serving as a single repository for ESG data, the platform has been proven to create significant positive shifts in sustainability engagement across organizations in the region.”

Miguel Khouri, General Manager at GBM Abu Dhabi said: “We are proud of our pivotal role as a strategic technology partner for Emirates Steel Arkan in its transformative initiative. GBM’s unwavering commitment is reflected in our dedication to leveraging cutting-edge capabilities, to drive not only impactful environmental outcomes but also catalyze operational shifts that redefine industry standards. We are excited to help support Emirates Steel Arkan contribute to the UAE's industrial strategy ‘Operation 300 billion’ with state-of-the-art sustainability solutions. This collaboration seamlessly aligns with our mission of supporting organizations in the region on their journey towards a digitally empowered future."

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