Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has announced the results of its 2025 ESG Pulse Survey.
The survey evaluates the level of awareness and adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards among the local business community, as well as the extent to which companies are implementing related initiatives.
The survey results, conducted by the Centre for Responsible Business, revealed a growing awareness among Dubai’s business community about the importance of ESG standards. A total of 72 percent of participating companies indicated they are familiar with ESG standards and related initiatives, while 50 percent confirmed they are actively implementing ESG-related initiatives.
In addition, 35 percent of companies reported that they prepare specific reports on the initiatives they have adopted.
Corporate values and institutional goals ranked as the primary motivation for implementing ESG initiatives, followed by regulatory compliance, corporate reputation, innovation and growth, competitiveness, customer expectations, and investor demands.
Among the companies participating in the survey, 87 percent of the large companies reported implementing ESG initiatives, compared to 83 percent of multinational corporations and 46 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In terms of sectors, 55 percent of surveyed companies in the professional, scientific, and technical activities sector reported implementing ESG initiatives, representing the highest rate among all sectors. This was followed by the insurance, financial services, and real estate sector, with 52 percent, and the transport and storage sector at 50 percent.
In terms of environmental sustainability initiatives, waste management ranked first, followed by pollution reduction, climate change practices, and sustainable procurement.
For social initiatives, transparency and communication practices came first, followed by employee relations, customer relations, and community engagement.
For governance-related initiatives, business ethics and compliance ranked first, followed by leadership and strategy, risk management, and then impact on businesses and stakeholders.
The survey findings also highlighted that advanced recycling and waste reduction strategies are the top approaches adopted under companies’ circular economy strategies. This is followed by collaboration with external stakeholders to implement circular economy projects and the development of sustainable products using recycled materials.