Can you introduce yourself and explain how sustainability became a core part of your life?
My name is Fatma Al Bastaki, an Emirati who’s passionate about sustainability and making a positive environmental impact wherever I go. It’s been a journey for me, which began when I was a child who enjoyed learning the science and the interconnectivity between humans and the environment. Back then, the term “sustainability” was never mentioned, despite it being existential. “Environment” meant the desert and palm trees in the UAE, but nothing beyond that. Although I never really planned to do environmental sciences and sustainability in university, but then I thought – why not? As I write this, I’ve done my Bachelor’s, Master’s, Diploma’s, and have my career together in the field of environmental sustainability. I chose it, it chose me, and I found myself in it.
How do you keep yourself updated on the latest information and developments in climate change and sustainability?
With all the tools and platforms that we have within our reach, it has become really easy to stay up to date with developments in sustainability nowadays. I prefer to stay updated through LinkedIn, and connecting with like-minded people in local sustainability groups. For example, if I spot news on an updated ESG standard, I would then look it up and get an in-depth understanding of it. I believe sustainability – as a broad field – is continuously evolving and a sustainability professional would risk falling behind if they do not keep themselves updated.
Which Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) do you resonate with the most, and why?
The two SDG’s that resonate with me as Fatma are SDG #14 on Life Below Water, and SDG #15 on Life on Land. In the UAE, there has been a big focus on the UN SDG’s, and the latest SDG Index Report 2024 has shown that major challenges remain hindering the achievement of these two SDG’s, among others. I do see myself contributing to an impact – even at a small scale – within these two SDG’s, especially that the UAE has a rich biodiversity both on land and underwater that can be further protected and restored despite the harsh desert climate.
What are your thoughts on climate change and the four key categories of individual emissions? How do you calculate your individual emissions?
I think climate change is one of the biggest issues facing the globe, and without solid action at governments, corporates and individuals’ level, the effects will continue to exacerbate. Calculating the four categories of emissions is an effective way that helps us understand the nature of our emissions, most vs least sources, source reduction solutions, and the avoided emissions.
My preferred footprint calculator that is specific to carbon is the Carbon Footprint Calculator. There are several other calculators available online, but I like this one as it considers the country’s per capita carbon consumption and is specific with the questions thus providing a more reasonable calculation. However, I always bear in mind that these calculators provide us a generic understanding of our carbon emissions, and approximate calculations. Also, per capita carbon footprint varies depending on consumption trends, income, and whether an individual resides in a developing/developed country. Not all available online calculators account for these factors. Also, avoided or scope 4 emissions are usually missed out on in these individual calculators.
What innovations or unique practices have you introduced in your daily life that have helped reduce your environmental footprint?
I would not call them “innovations” but rather small, practical shifts in my daily life that contribute to a better environmental footprint. The first and most impactful shift for me is to replace disposables with reusables, and wherever not possible, ensure that disposables are recyclable and are sent for recycling. With the local regulations in the UAE on gradually banning single-use plastics, this shift became simple and easy to implement at an individual level. Shift Eco is an exemplary local business that provides reusable items to make the move from disposables to reusables easy. Another really helpful step was becoming part of My Sustainable Living Programme of DEWA, which provides monthly insights on electricity and water consumption relative to other similar efficient homes within my neighborhood. This helps me keep track of consumption using a benchmarking approach, which tends to be beneficial in understanding how and where improvements can be made. If we simply look around us, we’ll find many useful resources, programs and solutions that we can utilize and reduce our negative environmental footprint.
In what ways do you balance sustainability with your personal or professional goals?
I truly believe that if sustainability is part of one’s personal and professional goals, then we wouldn’t need to balance it out. In my case, sustainability has been part of my studies and qualifications, career, and mindset thus it really comes naturally!
Could you share a particularly challenging moment you faced while pursuing sustainability and how you overcame it?
The mindset and approach to sustainability around me, coupled with the limited knowledge on what it actually means, especially when I first began studying this field has been a challenge. I still remember being asked when I started studying environmental sustainability on whether I’ll work in planting and greening Dubai’s streets J. I’m glad to see that this mindset and level of awareness has drastically improved at the collective level, and that’s due to efforts of the government which then drives individual efforts.
What causes are you most passionate about, and how do you actively contribute to them?
The two main causes that I’m passionate about are marine conservation and animal welfare (I’m an animal lover!). Both are related to environmental sustainability, just from different angles. I’ve been and continue to be a Board Member of local NGO’s that serve these causes. Comparatively, marine conservation is an area where bigger efforts have been made to enhance and protect the local waters. However, animal welfare is a field that still requires more enforced laws and regulations, and individual efforts to improve the current practices within our communities. These are two animal welfare issues that I continue to contribute to.
How do you involve your friends, family, or community in your sustainability efforts?
I follow a simple approach when it comes to encouraging my network to adopt sustainability practices – that is, I start with myself and I find them following suit. In many cases, this happens organically without me having to actually motivate them. As they say, always walk the talk!
As you move forward, what new sustainability goals do you have in mind for the future?
The main goal I have in mind is to continue making a difference and a positive environmental impact. Throughout my career, I’ve worked within the sustainability field in different sectors including the public and private sectors as well as NGO’s. I’ve seen that every experience within each sector provides a unique opportunity to achieve sustainability goals. The public sector can help drive influence at the government level, while the private sector can implement sustainability projects that create an impact. NGO’s can always act as lobbyists and support the wider government agenda. Individuals can work around the small sustainability actions. Personally, I’ve got the chance to seize these opportunities at different levels and with unique perspectives, and I aim to continue pursuing different sustainability goals within these sectors.