ESG

Approach to Sustainability

In the pursuit of operational excellence, mitigating climate change and improving internal systems, Burjeel Holdings has made a strategic commitment to integrating sustainability principles across all its operations. The Group is keenly aware of the importance of sustainable growth as a crucial enabler of excellent patient outcomes, partnerships, and improved shareholder value.

Sustainability management system

Implementing a comprehensive sustainability management system ensures efficient resource utilization, reduces environmental impact, and enhances public health outcomes. In order to promote positive sustainable practices, the Board of Directors and Executive Management play a key role in determining the strategic areas of the Group’s sustainability activities and overseeing their results.

Business Development and Sustainability Committee

In response to the growing importance of sustainability to Burjeel Holding’s operations, the Group has elected to establish the Business Development and Sustainability Committee which serves as a strategic hub, providing oversight to the integration of various sustainability initiatives into the Company’s broader sustainability framework.

Executive ESG Committee

Burjeel’s Executive ESG Committee serves as a crucial driver for overseeing the successful implementation of the Group’s ambitious sustainability goals. Through the inclusion of various executive level members in dedicated discussion about sustainability issues, Burjeel Holdings demonstrates its commitment to long-term resilience, responsible leadership, and the overall well-being of its stakeholders.

Material Topics

Understanding materiality is a key aspect of the Groups approach to handling sustainability issues, as it enables the Group to prioritize the most significant environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues pertinent to its operations and stakeholders. Through a comprehensive internal and external assessment, Burjeel Holdings has determined the topics which are of the highest priority across all stakeholder groups.

ESG Framework

The Group’s long-term ESG strategy aims to position Burjeel Holdings as an ethical leader in the healthcare industry with strong commitments to service and operational excellence, ensuring the best patient care while promoting a sustainable and healthy work environment for its employees.  

Burjeel Holdings’ ESG framework is a strategic imperative for its long-term success, centered on the following pillars:  

  • Healthy Environment – Promoting overall well-being by ensuring a clean environment, enhancing sustainable living, and positively impacting health while preserving natural resources for future generations. 
  • Healthy Community – Fostering the community’s well-being and resilience through efforts to provide accessible healthcare and inclusive environments. 
  • Healthy Governance – Establishing transparent, accountable and participatory decision-making processes which promote equitable and sustainable management. 
  • Healthy System – Maintaining a healthy system by optimizing safety, adaptability and efficiency to ensure the safety of all stakeholders and positive outcomes across all Burjeel systems.

ESG Targets

Burjeel Holdings recognizes the importance of a sustainable and ethical future, in pursuit of which, the Group has made a commitment to outline our ambitious targets for the coming years. By reducing our environmental impact, as well as enhancing our social and governance practices, Burjeel Holdings is set to continue positively contributing to the well-being of all its stakeholders.

Healthy System

  • Increase the representation of women in leadership roles[1] to 30% or higher by 2030
  • Sustain a balanced workforce by maintaining a 50:50 gender ratio by 2030
  • Train 100% of active employees on health and safety standards by 2025
  • Ensure 100% of hospitals are JCI accredited permanently
  • Achieve an employee satisfaction score of 95% in the annual employee engagement survey by 2026
  • Achieve a reduction in turnover rate of 15% by 2026
  • Ensure 100% compliance of suppliers with ethical labor practices through regular audit by 2026

([1]) The leadership team includes key corporate employees and doctors.

Healthy Community

  • To positively affect >7 million lives per year by 2026
  • Encourage 30% of corporate employees to participate in at least one community volunteer activity each year from 2025
  • Implement patient education programs for 70% of active patients with chronic conditions by 2026
  • Conduct regular patient satisfaction surveys to ensure patient satisfaction rate[1] of 85% or higher
  • Ensure 100% of healthcare staff[2]complete patient safety training annually by 2026

([1]) Based on the Abu Dhabi Department of Health assessment for inpatient experience survey across Burjeel hospitals (weighted score). 

([2]) Based only on doctors and nurses dealing with patients.

Healthy Governance

  • Maintain a high percentage of independent directors on the board (>50%)
  • Ensure 100% completion of ethics and compliance training for all active employees by 2026
  • Ensure 100% of hospitals in Abu Dhabi are ADHICS[1]accredited and achieve 100% of remaining hospitals becoming ISO 27001 certified by 2027
  • Ensure 100% of active employees complete data privacy and security training annually by 2026

([1]) Abu Dhabi Healthcare Information and Cyber Security Standard.

Healthy Environment

  • Achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
  • Develop mid-term targets for a reduction in combined Scope 1 and 2 Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 2024
  • Develop a strategy for accounting for Scope 3 carbon emissions by 2025
  • Achieve zero waste to landfill by 2040
  • Reduce water consumption by 10% by 2030 and ensure that 5% of total water consumed will be reused each year

For a full review of Burjeel’s ESG performance in 2023 and details on the new strategy, please refer to the 2023 Sustainability Report and ESG Data Book.