Tell us a little about yourself and what sparked your passion for sustainability.
I am Maya Mehdi, a mom of an 11- & 10-years old girls. Settled in Dubai since more than 13 years now. I come from a business Tourism management background and have worked in the aviation, tourism and events industry. My journey in sustainability started off by chance. I was new to this world; but it soon captivated me. I wanted to better root my knowledge in Sustainability so aimed for a certification from Oxford Said Business School in Corporate Sustainability, followed by several certifications from Climate change & Carbon Literacy to ISO 20121 internal auditing. I soon got more interested in integrating sustainability into events and worked on tackling the right set of metrics to achieve that. I have to say, we still have a lot to do on that front and that’s what still interests me most. I’m driven by a passion for continuous growth—both personally and professionally.
How do you keep yourself updated on the latest information and developments in climate change and sustainability?
Just like any other topic; to evolve and improve you need knowledge! With Sustainability, sourcing the right information is essential! There is a lot of propaganda around this topic these days; I always try to stick to reliable sources. To stay up to date with local news & legislations I look at announcements from Ministry of climate change, Ministry of Economy & Tourism and Dubai Economy and Tourism council (DET).
For global developments, I keep an eye on reports by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Annual GRI reports published by key organisations, studies & statistics on Sustainable events by ISLA. I am also subscribed to newsletters such as UK-based ‘Sustainability Magazine’. Nevertheless, Linked-in remains a good hub to check studies, surveys and latest developments as well.
Which Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) do you resonate with the most, and why?
All SDG goals are interconnected, the ones that resonate most to me are the social goals that often get less attention! I believe that without the fundamentals of well-being, gender equality, decent and inclusive work and quality education; communities and cities cannot thrive and cannot be sustainable! Humans are linked to their environment whether it’s nature or the workspace. Sustaining adequate living conditions will enable us to take care more of our surroundings.
What are your thoughts on climate change and the four key categories of individual emissions? How do you calculate your individual emissions?
We are the problem and might have solutions for climate change. By WE, I am referring to humans, as it all starts with our actions that have a direct impact on environment! I believe, we need to start by understanding this concept and being able to know what our individual emissions are, how they effect the climate and what can we do to tackle and reduce this impact. Climate change results are becoming more dominant; with the adverse weather conditions various parts of the world are facing yearly.
The 4 main individual emissions of home energy & water use, waste consumption, and transportation can be monitored and reduced if we take accountability for it. Personally, I track my water and energy consumption, luckily DEWA has its green statements that allow to compare your monthly consumption. Another quick win would be food waste, cooking or ordering reasonable quantities based on consumption to avoid food surplus.
In what ways do you balance sustainability with your personal or professional goals?
I find there are some common objectives between sustainability and personal life. Sustainability is all about integrating right practices to enhance economic, social, and environmental values; similarly, our personal priorities should direct us towards creating this balance in a way that supports long-term well-being.
I try to weave practices into my daily life, that enable me to achieve financial savings, give back to the community and reduce environmental impact simultaneously. Here are few examples:
– I try to monitor my house electricity usage; so I can save on bills and reduce carbon emissions.
– Giving my old unwanted garments a second life by donating them or
sending them to be recycled through KISWA
– Choosing a daily healthy food menu and avoiding surplus quantities. I reduce my meat intake as it has greater emissions and try to opt for vegan/vegetarian options
Could you share a particularly challenging moment you faced while pursuing sustainability and how you overcame it?
I think the main challenge remains lack of awareness. For Sustainability in specific it might be even more. Making the wider internal and external audience understand the importance of the social and economic value of achieving sustainable environments remains a challenge; and finding the right methodologies and tools to tackle this will also remain an ongoing journey. It’s hard when integrating Sustainability faces a bit of resistance at first, but it’s so rewarding when you see like-minded people come together and work towards one objective eventually. With communication and targeted messaging, I managed to create a Sustainability champions group that soon took the lead and started driving change from within.
What causes are you most passionate about, and how do you actively contribute to them?
I see my Sustainability as a loud call to action! Whether it’s through implementing responsible sourcing practices, driving carbon reduction, or engaging stakeholders around climate resilience, I strive to ensure that sustainability is not just a goal, but a mindset and a decision that leads to a change in actions!
How do you involve your friends, family, or community in your sustainability efforts?
I try to influence my family and friends through practice and making them realise the value of their actions. I always involve my kids and check their knowledge on topics like circularity and waste. We do some challenges at home with waste segregation so they can learn through play. Additionally, I extend invites to my friends to participate in Sustainability talks and voluntary work. I always share articles and incites with them to spread the knowledge.
As you move forward, what new sustainability goals do you have in mind for the future?
Sustainability requires diverse insights, passionate ideas, and leadership. I would love to collaborate more with industry enthusiasts and professionals to work on meaningful projects. A personal goal I am looking forward to achieving, is tailoring workshops and trainings to specific corporations and suppliers to help them integrate Sustainability into their workplace and events in specific.