Following the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, Agility provided support to a number of humanitarian partners.

Clean energy initiatives will include one of the largest solar-roof developments in the region

In November of 2020, Agility announced solar projects in Dubai and Jordan that will eventually cut the company’s carbon footprint in the region by 5%.

At Agility’s regional headquarters in Dubai, the solar photovoltaic (PV) plant involves the installation of 17,500 panels at three sites with the capacity to generate nearly 8 megawatts of power at peak. The installation will include a 5.45 MW system at two sites in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), and a 2.6 MW system at the Dubai Investment Park. Once complete, Agility’s solar PV system will generate enough electricity to cover 60% of the energy requirements at the sites and save an estimated 8,838 tons of CO2 each year, roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by trucking 18,000 fully-loaded containers from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

In Jordan, the solar photovoltaic plant will encompass 1,945 panels at Agility’s warehouse in Aqaba, with a capacity of 788 kilowatt peak. The solar plant will generate enough electricity to cover 100% of the energy requirements and save an estimated 900 tons of CO2 each year.

In both locations, the high-efficiency solar PV panels are designed to optimize energy generation in hot desert climates. The panel systems incorporate robotic cleaning and are waterproof.

“Globally, Agility’s goal is to reduce its carbon footprint by 25% by 2050. Our investment in solar is a huge step in the right direction and will cut the company’s global emissions by 3%. We are hopeful that it encourages other companies in the region to do the same. We know that greening operations is good for business and good for the planet,” says Elias Monem, CEO Middle East & Africa, Agility GIL.

The project is consistent with the goals of the UAE’s Shams Solar Policy, a local initiative for distributed solar plants in the United Arab Emirates. In both Dubai and Jordan, Clenergize Solar Consultants was appointed to handle the engineering specifications, tendering, contract management, design reviews, and project management.

The Middle East, where we have our largest operational footprint, is a climate hotspot. Cheap, abundant fossil fuels means electricity consumed there typically generates more carbon-equivalent emissions per kilowatt hour than in other regions. Summer temperatures are projected to rise twice as fast as the global average, with temperatures above 46°C more than five times as likely by 2050.

Fortunately, Agility Dubai makes progress each year in greening our operations to cool our people and our customers’ cargo. New lighting solutions at one facility will achieve energy savings of up to 77%, while upgrades to the lighting system at a second facility will reduce usage by over 50%. These improvements stand to reduce Agility’s carbon footprint in the United Arab Emirates by more than 7%, and help the business achieve a target of 25% reduction of our carbon footprint.

Investments to reduce water usage, and further efforts to reduce electricity usage are coming in Dubai and other operating regions in the near future.

For the second year in a row, Agility provided humanitarian fleet operations training to 25 representatives from 13 different humanitarian partners in Beirut, Lebanon. This training helps humanitarian partners better manage transportation fleets so more humanitarian cargo can be safely and more efficiently delivered to people in need. It also helps humanitarians reduce their operating costs and deliver more assistance when people most need it.

Agility and its portfolio company, United Projects for Aviation Services Company (UPAC), have teamed up to run a charitable meal program during Ramadan. In coordination with the Kuwait Food Bank, 17 volunteers from Agility and UPAC donated their time to help feed more than 20,000 individuals through a daily Iftar meal program and a Machla donation box distribution.

As part of UNHCR’s Ramadan campaign, Agility ran an internal fundraising drive. Employees in six Middle Eastern countries donated to UNHCR, ultimately supporting 14 refugee families (or approximately 70 individuals) during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The funds raised were channeled through UNHCR’s Cash Assistance program, which enables refugees to procure the food and life support essentials they need to survive. UNHCR cash assistance also contributes to the local economy and reduces refugee exploitation through forced & child labor, sex trafficking, family separation and forced marriage.

A global electronics leader challenged Agility with how to address reduce the carbon footprint of their shipments while managing growth in the dynamic Middle East market. Agility analyzed the shipments and products to see which were well-suited to switch from air freight to ocean freight. Switching from air to ocean increased shipment time significantly, but can reduce costs and emissions by over 90%, depending on the trade lane. Agility’s proposed solution for one trade lane would increase travel time from one day to 22 days, but reduce cost and emissions by more than 98%. For a second trade lane, the Agility solution increased travel time from 1 to 24 days, but reduced cost by 65% and emissions by 78%

Agility, a leading global logistics provider, is the first logistics company in Abu Dhabi to operate double-trailer trucks, which will improve operational efficiencies for its customers and reduce emissions by cutting the number of trips made.

Agility operates an extensive fleet of trailers in Abu Dhabi. About 50 of those are now double-trailer trucks. Double trailers significantly reduce the number of trips required to haul cargo, decreasing overall wear and tear on tires and vehicles. In the first six months of operation, Agility’s fleet management data demonstrates that double trailers reduce fuel use by 26% per container, eliminating about 2,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Houssam Mahmoud, Chief Executive Officer for Agility Abu Dhabi, said: “In addition to being environmentally friendly, the double trailers will positively impact productivity – and that’s good for both Agility and our customers. We are able to pass a lot of this benefits to our customer by providing greater flexibility and a significant reduction in the number of required trips.”

Acquiring the permit to operate double-trailer trucks took six months of proposals, trials, accident simulations, and safety demonstrations. Agility worked together with a local automotive distributor to develop the safest possible solution for the market, including Active Brake Assist 4, proximity control, and lane assist. Agility conducted a transport route survey to identify any routes that might be risky or challenging for drivers. Agility insisted on lane assist capability for the vehicles, and proposed it to the supplier after determining that drivers would need help to navigate sharp round-a-bouts.

In the United Arab Emirates, Agility has an industry-leading safety record, linking driver incentive pay to safety, rather than speed of operations, and has voluntarily provided extensive third-party training on double trailers to ensure it maintains its excellent record.