Environment

There is no escaping the serious supply and logistical challenges of operating in remote and underdeveloped parts of the world. By focusing on whole-life project costs and showcasing our success stories, we want to demonstrate that companies in our industry can be competitive and profitable while operating sustainably.

Emissions

RA is committed to the Paris Agreement of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. As a business, we believe it’s our responsibility to reduce emissions and contribute to the fight against climate change. In 2018, we began tracking the carbon footprint of our primary operations, and every year since then, we’ve added more countries and Scope 3 emissions data as it has become available.

In 2023, we moved our carbon accounting to a cloud-based system aligned with the GHG Protocol. Using this technology has enabled us to account for and report on our full company Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and we are working towards a complete inventory of Scope 3 emissions. We are currently accounting for and reporting all upstream Scope 3 emissions.

In 2020, we set Science-Based Target initiative (“SBTi”) aligned reduction plans for Scope 1 and 2 emissions at our Mogadishu compound, one of our most established locations. We plan to set company-wide science-based targets once we've ensured our Scope 3 emissions data collection is comprehensive and accurate.

For more information on our carbon footprint, please refer to our 2023 Sustainability Report.

Key Actions & Achievements

  • Our Mogadishu operations have achieved a significant milestone. We have successfully met our 2025 SBTi target of a 21% reduction in emissions, three years ahead of schedule.
  • We are varying the types of protein available on our menus in Mogadishu, reducing emissions from meat by 13%.
  • In Libya, we are pioneering a hydroponics pilot project. This initiative involves growing fresh produce on-site, thereby reducing the environmental costs associated with cold storage and transport of produce from distant locations.
  • As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability, we disclose our carbon emissions data through the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and The Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Energy Consumption

RA aims to improve energy efficiency across our operations, increase the percentage of energy generated by renewable resources and foster energy-conscious behaviour amongst our staff and clients. When our equipment needs replacing at our facilities, we will always attempt to exchange these for more energy-efficient options. We also ensure renewable energy options are included in any client bids involving energy infrastructure.

Key Actions & Achievements

  • Solar panels installed in our Mogadishu camp have reduced our reliance on diesel generators and help us avoid around 10 tonnes of CO2e emissions monthly.
  • We have installed inverter air conditioning units in Somalia and South Sudan, reducing energy consumption by these units by approximately 30%.
  • Investments have been made in energy-efficient and water-efficient washing and drying machines, solar water heaters, and solar water pumps.

Water and Effluents

Water scarcity is a challenge in many of the locations where we work, and we often must extract water via boreholes or purchase from third parties using water bowsers. Our main approaches to dealing with water involve improving our water use efficiency, increasing the percentage of water we recycle, and fostering responsible behaviour towards water use.

Key Actions & Achievements

  • We completed a water and sanitation facilities upgrade in Mogadishu – part of this involved making a reliable and sustainable water management system in which an average of 16% of treated wastewater is recycled.
  • We have built and installed multiple reverse osmosis (“RO”) plants across our operations. These plants produce water in our taps that meets the WHO potable water standards and is on par with and often better than the bottled water we find in our locations.
  • We have introduced a water filtration and re-use system in three of our laundries, reducing the water footprint of this system by 50%.
  • In some locations, we use heat exchangers in our incinerators for waste. These produce 1,600 litres of hot water an hour, which can be used for our laundries, showers, and other areas where we consume hot water.

Waste

Navigating waste management in our remote operations poses challenges due to often limited facilities and infrastructure. Therefore, we aim to reduce the waste our operations can generate from the outset. To do this, we prioritise sustainable procurement choices, such as selecting products and materials that produce less waste or are recyclable. We always work hard to improve and increase recycling and composting on-site.

We use recycling partners where they exist, and in locations where recycling infrastructure isn’t present, we work with reputable waste management companies to ensure waste is either going to landfills or is incinerated.

Key Actions & Achievements

  • Improvements in water and sanitation facilities mean water can be enjoyed straight from the tap in our compounds. This has allowed us to replace 200,000 litres of water that would otherwise have been supplied in plastic bottles.
  • We commission composting systems in our operations and use this compost for on-site landscaping initiatives.
  • We provide our suppliers with reusable crates for use when providing us with fresh produce. We also use biodegradable packaging where we can.
  • We are getting closer to becoming a paperless business; the recycled paper waste in our Dubai office decreased from 1,647kg in 2020 to 309 kg in 2023.
  • We began measuring all waste as it exits our operations in 2023 – having this data will enable us to understand our waste impact on local ecosystems and set targets and strategies to minimise what waste we produce.

Materials

RA takes a whole-life cycle approach to materials. Our objective is to minimise the overall use of materials, especially those with high carbon emissions, while enhancing material longevity. We seek and test reliable, sustainable alternatives to materials where they exist, utilising factory-made products such as expanded concrete, wood fibre, and polyurethane. We always seek opportunities to offer our clients sustainable options and alternatives where this is feasible and practical.

Key Actions & Achievements

  • Through strategic planning, we have managed to reduce the amount of concrete we use during projects by up to 25%
  • Optimising the design of our electrical systems, reducing the amount of copper we use.
  • Replacing metal manhole covers and drainage systems with fibreglass-reinforced plastic, which is more durable and requires less maintenance.
  • Our camps are designed for reusability and relocation, minimising environmental impact.
  • We recycle and donate materials and infrastructure if an old site needs dismantling. This recycled material has contributed to an extensive runway repair project in East Africa in the past.