Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, will purchase carbon offsets to neutralise all of the CO2 emissions generated by its widebody 787-10 'Greenliner' aircraft next year.
The initative marks the first step of the airline's journey to cut its CO2 emissions to 50 per cent of last year's levels by 2035 and to reach full net zero emissions by 2050, which is a first for any major airline in the Gulf, it said. It will also roll out an additional voluntary programme offering flyers the chance to offset their own carbon emissions via its website.
“It’s encouraging to end a difficult year with such a positive move for the sustainable future of aviation," said Etihad chief executive, Tony Douglas. "While the year brought many challenges, sustainability has remained at the top of our agenda, and the work hasn’t stopped."
The company's offset programme has been sourced through Respira, a carbon offset finance business that specialises in creating tailored offsetting projects. Etihad's scheme will see it buy 80,000 tonnes of CO2 offsets that will fund a Tanzanaian forestry project.
The Makame Savannah Redd project is aimed at curbing deforestation and better managing local resources across 100,000 hectares of the Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem, the airline said.
London-based Respira is also setting up operations within Abu Dhabi Global Market, the emirate's financial free zone, to support Etihad's sustainability efforts and bring its offset expertise to the region, the company said.
“Respira offers a fresh approach to the carbon market by aligning the interests of project developers, buyers and capital providers," Ana Haurie, the company's chief executive, said.
"It is a privilege to work with Etihad, which has shown real commitment to its sustainability goals through what is a challenging period for the airline industry,” she added.
Etihad's offsetting programme is being verified and certified by carbon offset assurance body Verra.
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Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
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MATCH INFO
Iceland 0 England 1 (Sterling pen 90 1)
Man of the match Kari Arnason (Iceland)
Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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