Some 17 per cent of Aster's water consumption comes from recycled and rainwater sources
Some 17 per cent of Aster's water consumption comes from recycled and rainwater sources
Some 17 per cent of Aster's water consumption comes from recycled and rainwater sources
Some 17 per cent of Aster's water consumption comes from recycled and rainwater sources

Aster achieves reduction of 6,824 tCO2e in net emissions in 2023



Aster DM Healthcare, a leading integrated healthcare provider in the GCC and India, has released its annual ESG Report, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability, ambitious targets and a proven record of positive impact.

The company aligns its ESG practice with 10 key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), emphasising its dedication to global objectives.

In pursuit of a greener tomorrow, Aster has strategically integrated renewable energy sources, optimising water utilisation, waste management and sustainable transport management practises into its day-to-day operations.

With the integration of renewable energy sources including 3,679,200 KWh of solar energy, 2,300,000 KWh of wind energy, and 3,569,298 KWh of hydro energy, the company achieved a noteworthy reduction of 6,824 tCO2e reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions, despite significant operational expansion. Decarbonisation initiatives continued across five hospitals, with a new solar plant of 650 kWp commissioned at Aster Wayanad Specialty Hospital in Kerala – poised to reduce 460 tCO2e a year.

Water conservation efforts have seen a 17 per cent reduction in consumption across operations, with 85,515 KL water savings achieved through innovative practices, including recycling and rainwater harvesting. Aster's commitment to responsible waste management has resulted in the recycling of 423,806 kilograms of waste, emphasising the organisation's holistic approach to sustainability.

Commenting on the ESG practice, Dr Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, said: "At Aster, our commitment to ESG principles is woven into the fabric of our corporate culture. We actively integrate sustainable practices across every vertical of our operations, recognising that our dedication to environmental, social and governance considerations is a fundamental ethos guiding our journey towards a more sustainable and responsible future.

Aster's journey to a low carbon and sustainable future
Aster's journey to a low carbon and sustainable future

"Notably, we hold the highest ESG ranking among listed healthcare companies in India, earning a ‘strong’ rating from CRISIL, alongside multiple awards and recognition from different industry bodies in GCC. Looking ahead, we remain committed to further elevating our ESG standards by targeting a low-carbon and sustainable future.

"We envision setting new benchmarks for environmental stewardship and social impact. Our goal is not just to meet current standards but to continuously raise the bar for excellence in ESG performance."

Beyond operations, Aster's corporate social initiatives, including the Aster Volunteers programme, impacted 4 million-plus lives through healthcare outreach to the underprivileged in the past year.

Initiatives such as planting more than 2,000 saplings, aiding 10,000 beneficiaries through programmes such as Aid for Assam and building 250 homes for victims of the Kerala floods, reflect Aster's role as a catalyst for positive change. Governance practices at Aster DM Healthcare align robustly with sustainability goals, ensuring ethical and responsible conduct.

Looking ahead, Aster remains committed to advancing its environmental agenda through the launch of a three-year plan. The organisation has emphasised climate change mitigation with a targeted reduction of 2,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in GCC and India. It also aims to reduce paper usage by two-thirds across the GCC and India, with the ambitious goal of planting 3,500 trees in these regions. Aster also plans to build a large-scale solar plant spread across 22 hectares in Kasargod which would power seven hospitals in Kerala.

By 2025, the organisation plans to reduce overall electricity consumption by 5 per cent throughout GCC and India, contributing to a more sustainable energy profile. In tandem, a parallel commitment to a 5 per cent overall reduction in water usage across these regions by fiscal year 2025 underscores dedication to responsible and efficient water management practices. Measures such as solar-powered lights across Aster Hospitals, solar car charging stations are set to be introduced.

The Aid Programme will expand disaster support to two additional regions in 2024, complementing the four regions in 2023. Simultaneously, plans include establishing five tele-med centres in the same fiscal year. Aster Volunteers Mobile Medical Services will see an expansion from 32 to 41 units in fiscal year 2024, covering diverse regions. Volunteer engagement targets an 18 per cent increase in registered Aster Volunteers in 2024, with external partnerships playing a pivotal role in achieving these objectives.

These initiatives collectively underscore Aster DM Healthcare’s comprehensive approach to environmental and social stewardship, affirming its commitment to building a more sustainable and resilient future.

The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler

Price, base: Dh132,000

Engine: 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm

Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km

Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi

From: Dara

To: Team@

Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT

Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East

Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.

Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.

I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.

This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.

It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.

Uber on,

Dara

Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
SAUDI RESULTS

Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)

Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),

G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)

WTL%20SCHEDULE
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SPECS
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20750hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20800Nm%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%207%20Speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20332kph%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012.2L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYear%20end%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1%2C430%2C000%20(coupe)%3B%20From%20Dh1%2C566%2C000%20(Spider)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

Rating: 4/5

Terminator: Dark Fate

Director: Tim Miller

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis 

Rating: 3/5

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

Haemoglobin disorders explained

Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.

Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.

The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.

The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.

A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Updated: December 11, 2023, 6:12 AM