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A UAE-based Out-of-Home media company committed to achieving absolute carbon neutrality by 2026 required support to offset the residual emissions identified through their annual sustainability report. Having completed a full GHG assessment across Scope 1, 2, and 3, they needed a credible carbon credit procurement strategy — one that reflected their environmental commitments and their company's values.
The Client and Their Sustainability Commitment
The client is a specialist Out-of-Home media company headquartered in the United Arab Emirates with offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, known for an innovative approach and a firm commitment to sustainability. Their 2026 carbon neutrality goal is supported by a series of active initiatives: recycling of advertising hoardings, improved energy efficiency solutions for digital advertising units, and green energy supply. After completing their annual sustainability report, including a comprehensive GHG assessment covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, the client required specialist support to procure and retire carbon credits against their residual footprint.
Selecting Aligned Carbon Offset Projects
The engagement began with a kick-off meeting to clarify the carbon offsetting process and its benefits, and to develop a clear understanding of the client's business ethos and sustainability priorities. This informed the project selection process — it was important that the credits chosen aligned with the company's values, not simply the lowest-cost available volume. Four projects were shortlisted from different countries, with different vintages and price points, and presented to the client with advisory on the volume of credits required to neutralise their annual emissions. Once the project was selected, the full purchasing and batch retirement process was managed on the client's behalf.
The Project: Energy Efficiency in Uganda
The chosen project is a Gold Standard Energy Efficiency improvement project in Uganda, centred on the promotion of improved cooking stoves to households in socially deprived communities. The project displaces traditional, less efficient cooking stoves with cleaner alternatives, directly reducing indoor air pollution and its associated health costs — disproportionately borne by women and children. Reduced smoke exposure improves health outcomes and frees time for livelihood activities and education. The project also reduces fuel consumption and deforestation pressure, improving both economic conditions and energy security. The project delivers against multiple Sustainable Development Goals, making it a credible and community-grounded choice for an organisation seeking more than a compliance transaction.
Using the Certificate Commercially
The client's intended use of the carbon offset retirement certificate is an important part of how this kind of engagement creates value beyond the emissions neutralisation itself. The retirement certificate and project documentation are being used in the client's marketing and sustainability communications to demonstrate their commitments, signal support for international community-based projects, and substantiate their progress towards the 2026 carbon neutrality goal. For companies in sectors where environmental leadership is increasingly a commercial differentiator — and Out-of-Home advertising is one of them — the ability to point to a verified, retired, Gold Standard offset against a credible GHG baseline is a meaningful part of the ESG narrative.