Dubai Municipality & Accor Hotels engage SynergY youth members in the biggest National tree planting effort

Dubai, UAE, 7th November 2015: Director of Waste Management Department, Dubai Municipality applauds youth for planting 400 Ghaf Trees at landfill for Environmental sustainability.  The planting took place at Dubai Municipality’s Al Qusais Landfill site as part of the continued Plant for the Planet Program 

Dubai Municipality in its' active role of supporting the activities and green initiatives, time-honored close to sixty young SynergY members along with volunteers from Accor Hotels in their efforts of planting 400 Ghaf trees at the DM’s Al Qusais landfill site.

Accor Hotels, the world’s leading hotel operator, continues in its stride to give back to the community by progressing in its goal of planting 100,000 trees in the UAE over the next decade, as a commitment taken in April 2015.

As part of a continued and active collaboration with the Director of the Waste Management Department, Dubai Municipality, Goumbook for the Give a Ghaf Tree Planting Program and SynergY, an environmental activist youth group founded by Simran Vedvyas who is also the Sustainability Ambassador Dubai Municipality, the French hospitality group Accor Hotels have played a significant role in bringing together many youngsters to the biggest tree planting at a landfill site, aiming towards a long term reforestation.

Eng. Abdul Majeed Saifaie, Director of Waste Management Department, Dubai Municipality, applauded the aspiration of this team and is highly appreciative of the community coming together to plant the native trees to the land in United Arab Emirates. Congratulating the youngsters, who most definitely have different interests and experiences but “one great goal of sustainability for the climate action”, he endorsed the “green vision of Dubai rulers and Dubai Municipality towards sustainability”.

Accor Hotels' VP for Sustainable Development, Arnaud Herrmann said: “The Plant for the Planet program is unique as we see 1,900 of Accor Hotels’ properties donating half of their laundry savings to finance reforestation projects in 24 countries. For the UAE, we have selected to partner with Goumbook for the Give a Ghaf Tree Planting project to accompany us towards our goal of planting 100,000 trees within the next 10 years.”

Eng. Sadin Al Falasi, Head of Treatment Systems Unit and Eng. Mukesh Sajwan, Principal officer, Waste Treatment graced the event by their presence at the landfill during the planting.

Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Managing Director of Goumbook and founder of the Give a Ghaf Tree Planting Programcomments “The Ghaf trees planted in the landfill will aid vegetation and conservation within the fragmented landscape to maintain and improve the broader ecosystem across the area and support the green vision of the UAE government”.  Give a Ghaf Tree Planting Program launched by Goumbook in 2010 has been instrumental in raising awareness about the UAE’s national tree and the incredible biodiversity present in the desert.

Christophe Landais, “it is a privilege to have the strong support of Dubai Municipality towards this initiative and seeing the enthusiasm of these volunteers from Accor Hotels and SynergY, we will no doubt be able to accomplish our goals”.

Taking the lead to unify the young brigade as Plant for the Planet Ambassador and Sustainability Ambassador Dubai Municipality Simran Vedvyas, founder of the youth group SynergY stays wishful that their efforts of conservation and planting Ghaf trees will enrich the environment as ‘The Ghaf’, also known as the ‘tree of the dunes’ is a solution to desertification. Simran continues to say " SynergY engages and encourages everyone to be a part of the Global Goals in making the world a better place for everyone. The younger you start at, the more you can contribute to"                   

SynergY youth group has actively supported over sixty youth led events and campaigns in UAE and is branching for more global partnerships.