A Dubai-based trading company has become the first UAE organisation to be shortlisted for a global green award for environmentally-focused investment work carried out from its Middle East headquarters.
Carbon Credit brokerage, Advanced Global Trading (AGT), will attend the 6th International Green Awards™ ceremony next month in London, hoping to receive the title of Best Sustainable Investment.
Operating for 18 months, AGT's commitment to both Carbon Credit trading for individuals and encouraging companies to retire Carbon Credits as part of their CSR programmes, has helped it quickly become a global industry leader.
AGT's Dubai headquarters, which opened early 2011, has grown dramatically and includes a corporate team established to approach corporations, government bodies and even entire Gulf countries to spread the green message across the world's worst polluting region per capita.
Regarding the Best Sustainable Investment category, a spokesperson from the International Green Awards™, says: "Traditional investments are not always sustainable, thus risk models need to be realigned against a new ethical code of conduct and transparency. This category sets out to recognise organisations who offer investment with sustainability values incorporated.
"Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) are not new disciplines. However, the popularity of the sustainable investment sector is slow on the up take, illustrated by the fact that only a fraction of the money that is invested in traditional investments is being invested in SRI and ESG funds.
"The focus now should be to create more sustainable investments and integrate these into mainstream investing. This award will recognise leading financial services industry thinking that has gone beyond traditional investment to make a real difference to shareholder value - offering sustainable and financial returns. The winning company will have showcased how this investment has made a step change and illustrated a new model for others to implement in their sustainable investment portfolio."
AGT Director, Charles Stephenson says: "We entered this award as we've been working intensively this year to drive both the trading side of the business and also - on the corporate side - educating organisations operating in CO2 polluting industries here in the UAE to reduce and offset their emissions. Through streamlining the trading process and driving the demand in the market, we have managed to provide returns of over 20 per cent to our clients since launching our Middle East headquarters.
"Being shortlisted for this award has coincided with our expansion, with the October 2011 launch of the Spanish office and plans to open offices in Switzerland and South Africa before the end of the year. These are exciting times for AGT and it's great to get some recognition for the hard work the team has put in - with significant inroads being made into a new market for this type of commodity here in the UAE."
AGT offsets its own emissions for all its global offices and is heavily involved in CSR from a company perspective. Sponsorship of the 2011 GCC under 17 World Youth Football Championship demonstrates its interest in delivering the environmental message to a younger audience and AGT also sponsored the 2011 Asian Carbon Forum in Singapore.
Stephenson adds: "AGT is not merely reliant on investors buying from other investors or pure market speculation, as it also targets the end consumer, which in this market are corporations, such as Samsung, Google and HSBC, who all purchase VCS credits, so by offering a corporate division of the company - annually driving millions of units of 'credit retiring', this is reflected in real demand.
"Once the credits are bought by the organisations, they are taken out of the market - removing supply and increasing demand above supply - benefiting investors in terms of prices. Because of this unique setup, AGT is effectively a 'market maker', driving demand from within.
"We've established and are fully committed to our programme of travelling to key influencers in all countries - currently targeting the Middle East - giving advice on how to reduce carbon emissions. We're continuously in talks, educating and encouraging organisations and even entire country leaders to consider sustainable investment and we have some key announcements planned over the next twelve months."
The spokesperson for the awards team adds: "The winner will show evidence of positive financial returns coupled with a positive difference to the environment and society, thus leading to sustainable outcomes - also the existence of environmental values in the organisational practice, beyond investments alone."
The International Green Awards will take place in London at a green tie gala dinner, dubbed the 'Green Oscars', at the Natural History Museum, London, on Thursday November 24, 2011.
www.advancedglobaltrading.com
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© Press Release 2011
