Emissions-fighting moves by Agility’s Menzies Aviation, Tristar units cited
ABU DHABI – – Forbes Middle East has named Agility, a supply chain services, infrastructure and innovation company, as one of the region’s top leaders in sustainability for the second consecutive year.
Agility is the No. 3 sustainability leader in the region’s Transport & Logistics sector, according to Forbes’ 2024 Middle East Sustainability 100 list. Agility is one of only five Kuwait-based organizations on the Forbes list.
Forbes cited work by Agility’s UK-based Menzies Aviation business, the world’s largest aviation services provider. Menzies, which has committed to net zero by 2045, aims to convert 25% of its motorized ground support equipment to electric power by next year. The company also is working with industry partners to prepare for the transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs).
In addition, Agility’s Tristar business, a global fuels and liquid logistics specialist, was singled out for investment in solar energy at its Dubai headquarters and in the UAE’s first hybrid-powered fuel bunker barge.
In 2023, Forbes recognized Agility for pioneering use of sustainable materials, designs and systems in development of industrial infrastructure in the Middle East and Africa. A warehouse at the Agility Logistics Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was the first warehousing facility in the Middle East and North Africa to receive EDGE Advanced “green building” certification. The company’s warehousing complex in Cote d’Ivoire is the first in West Africa to receive EDGE Advanced certification, an IFC-backed standard for buildings that at least more 40% energy-efficient than the market.
Agility Vice Chairman Tarek Sultan said: “Sustainability has underpinned our business strategy and success. It continues to be core to how we operate. That’s only possible if we maintain a focus on long-term investments, supply chain innovation, and building a diverse workforce with the skills to deliver cleaner, safer more efficient services and infrastructure.”
The company’s venture capital arm, Agility Ventures, has invested in startups and technology companies with innovations or disruptive business models that have a primary focus or quantifiable positive impact on the environment and social conditions. Among the technologies it has invested in: EV charging networks and infrastructure; efficiency-enhancing load-matching platforms for the trucking industry; clean-energy generators for transport, marine or stationary use; and solar thermal energy systems.
In addition to environmental sustainability, Agility invests in the communities where it operates. Over the past decade, its programs have reached more than 2.3 million people in need by deploying resources in the aftermath of natural disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies, and investing in youth education, entrepreneurship, employment, and digital skilling. Agility supports education and training initiatives for young people in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, India, and Egypt, among other countries.
Agility has assisted more than 12,000 refugees through its eight-year partnership with UNHCR, and an estimated 50,000 refugees’ total. In addition, the company has partnered with the World Food Program for 15 years. Over the past year, Agility’s support for the WFP has enabled the organization to provide more than one million meals to people in Gaza and the West Bank.
Forbes recognized Agility and others leader at the Forbes Middle East Sustainability Leaders’ Summit 2024 held Oct. 17-18 in Abu Dhabi.
