Action Declaration: Aster ramps up sustainable ethos

DUBAI: Aster DM Healthcare, one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in India and GCC joined hands with 50 of the world’s largest corporations to sign the Action Declaration on Climate Policy Engagement at the recently concluded COP27 summit in Sharm el-sheikh, Egypt. These 50 global companies who have come forward to sign the Corporate Knights Action Declaration on climate policy support the climate action needed in accordance with the Paris Agreement and will work closely with policymakers to build a climatesensitive organization. The Paris Accords is one of the most important climate change policy document adopted in 2015` by 194 members of members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC). The goal of the agreement is to keep the rise in mean global temperature well below 2 degree Celsius and preferably keep the rise limited to 1.5 degrees.

The Action Declaration aims to close the say–do gap on countries’ emissions reductions by:

Supporting climate action aligned with the Paris Agreement when engaging with policymakers

Working with their major industry/trade associations to advance alignment with the Paris Agreement

Monitoring and disclosing climate policy alignment for their companies and their major industry/trade associations

Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare said, “Aster is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with other large corporates with heart and soul on sustainability to be part of the Action Declaration. We are also actively involved with the policymakers to focus on climate change which is an existential threat to the world.

In an effort towards building a sustainable future, we commit our efforts to atain the UN SDGS. With the highest level of ESG rating that we achieved among the world’s large corporations through best practices in healthcare sustainability is a long-term strategic imperative for us. Apart from the organisation level, we are involved very deeply in community connect through the Aster Volunteers program in India, GCC and African countries. To monitor and facilitate our ESG commitments, we are seting up a task force to bring any issues to the topmost level for immediate action.”

Aster being an environment-conscious organisation has integrated 11 UNSDGS (United Nations Sustainable development goals) into its esg policies, which includes Climate Action. As an example, two of its hospitals in Karnataka state in India, have consumed major sources of electrical energy from alternate and renewable sources, and many hospitals are managing efficient water consumption, sewage process and bio-waste management.