The Centre for Responsible Business – part of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce – reported a record 58% growth in the number of participants joining its activities in the first half of 2022, with a total of 6,017 individuals taking part in 16 different events, up from 3,819 in the same period last year.

The numbers reflect the growing role that the Centre plays in promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and responsible practices in the private sector across the emirate.

On the same note, members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Network grew to 79 in the first half of 2022, and in the same period, the Centre for Responsible Business received 44 applications for the Dubai Chamber of Commerce CSR Label, granting 23 new ones, all of which were smart digital Labels that covered the Workplace, Marketplace, Community and Environment impact areas. The Dubai Chamber of Commerce CSR Label recognises responsible and sustainable practices by companies operating in Dubai, and the wider region, in a bid to support their growth and their role in enhancing economic, social and environmental wellbeing.

H.E. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, said: “The figures issued by the Centre for Responsible Business reflect the tremendous efforts on the part of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce to promote the concept of giving back to the community and encourage companies operating in Dubai to play a more responsible role towards society, strive to have a positive impact, and upskill their employees.”

“TheChambers is committed to supporting the business environment in Dubai,” H.E. added. “To that end, we continue to launch creative initiatives that enable companies to more easily implement CSR programmes, as well as sustainable and responsible practices, to serve the Chambers’ strategies and reaffirm Dubai’s position as a global centre for trade.”

In the first half of 2022, the Centre launched the ‘Give and Gain 2022’ campaign, as part of its efforts to promote a culture of CSR in the emirate. The campaign aimed to support volunteer programmes for 26 community partners and 42 corporate members. The 95 volunteering activities supported by the campaign brought together over 4,800 employees this year, who collected donations of books, stationery, clothes, and furniture, among others.

Participants also led efforts to recycle electronic waste, paper, plastic, and metals, in addition to providing meals and hygiene supplies for construction workers and families in need.Additionally, the campaign included organising training courses and workshops in collaboration with schools and universities across the country.

For more than 17 years, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce’s Centre for Responsible Business has been working to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the concept of giving back to the community in the UAE. The Centre enlists some of the best international experts to assist companies operating in Dubai in implementing responsible practices that enhance their performance and competitiveness. It also organises prominent events and provides research, training, evaluation, and advisory services designed to promote CSR.