Why Industrial Symbiosis Holds the Key to Sustainable Development

The sustainability landscape is rapidly evolving, and with it, the roles and skills required to drive meaningful change within organizations. On May 28th, 2025, Dubai Silicon Oasis hosted another successful edition of its ESG & Sustainability Cluster Series titled "The Growing Role of Sustainability Professionals Inside Organisations: The Critical Skills Businesses Need in a Changing World." The event brought together industry leaders and sustainability experts to explore how businesses can develop and nurture sustainability talent within their organizations.

A Meeting of Minds‍

The event, held at the DTEC Auditorium in Dubai Silicon Oasis, welcomed sustainability professionals, business leaders, and industry experts eager to understand the evolving landscape of sustainability roles and the competencies needed to thrive in this dynamic field.

In partnership with Dubai Silicon Oasis, the event featured three distinguished speakers who shared their insights and experiences on building effective sustainability capabilities within organizations:

• Michael Drummond, Senior Director of Human Capital Effectiveness at Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA)
• Victoria Shapovalova, Senior Manager of Sustainability at Deloitte
• Ali Rahmanpour, CEO and Co-founder of Smartzi‍
  

Key Insights: The Evolution of Sustainability Professionals
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From Compliance to Strategic Leadership

Michael Drummond's presentation on "The Evolution and Future of Sustainability Professionals in Heavy Industry" traced the remarkable journey of sustainability roles from their origins in the 20th century to their current strategic importance.

"The 20th century was pivotal as industries began to recognize the importance of sustainability in their operations," Mike explained. "While originally part of large 'HSE' approaches, many companies began establishing dedicated roles to manage complex tasks and drive forward the sustainability agenda."

Mike highlighted that as sustainability roles grow in importance, they are increasingly being embedded into all areas of business, extending beyond reporting to encompass innovation, culture, and community engagement.
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The Multifaceted Skillset of Modern Sustainability Professionals

Victoria Shapovalova's session on "Sustainability Skills for the Future" revealed the complex and diverse skillset required for today's sustainability professionals. She emphasized that the modern sustainability role demands expertise across multiple domains:

• Strategic vision
• Communication
• Technical ESG knowledge
• Legal expertise
• Data analytics
• Technology & AI capabilities
• Marketing
• Engineering skills
• Partnership development
• Finance and investment management
• Risk assessment
• Human resources

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Perhaps most importantly, Victoria challenged the traditional view of sustainability as a siloed profession, asserting that "every profession is a sustainability profession" and highlighting the inclusive nature of sustainability roles across organizations.

"We are currently ramping up to a big shift in our workforces by way of infrastructure and decarbonization," she noted. "Multiple mega-issues will be calling on the same set of skills."
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Data-Driven Decision Making for Sustainable Outcomes

Ali Rahmanpour's firestarter session on "Empowering Sustainability Decisions through Data-Driven Innovation" addressed what he called "the sustainability decision gap" – the challenge of making the right sustainability decisions daily and at scale.

Through a case study in building energy management, Ali demonstrated how data-driven approaches could deliver tangible results:

"Sustainability shifts from being a target to becoming a behavior—proactive, contextual, and data-driven, every day, in every space," Ali concluded, emphasizing that technology isn't just automation but "a bridge between intention and behavior."
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The Path Forward: Building Sustainability Capabilities

The event highlighted several critical factors for organizations looking to develop their sustainability capabilities:
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1. Balancing Technical and Soft Skills: Successful sustainability professionals need both technical knowledge (environmental science, governance, compliance) and soft skills (leadership, communication, collaboration).
2. Adaptability and Continuous Learning: As the field evolves rapidly, sustainability professionals must embrace continuous learning and demonstrate adaptability.
3. Integration Across Business Functions: Sustainability must be embedded throughout organizations rather than isolated in a single department.
4. Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging data and analytics enables more effective sustainability decisions and measurable outcomes.
5. Cultural Transformation: Real impact comes through changing organizational culture to see sustainability as a key driver in all decisions.
   
   

Community Engagement and Collaboration

The event concluded with a collaborative discussion session where participants shared their experiences and challenges in building sustainability capabilities within their organizations. This exchange of ideas highlighted the importance of community and peer learning in advancing sustainability practices.

Rana Hajirasouli, Founder and CEO of The Surpluss, emphasized the organization's mission "to be the global operating system of the circular economy by transforming excess into equal access." She invited attendees to join The Surpluss platform, which offers an intelligent digital solution for collaborative industrial ecosystems and integrated sustainability reporting.

Join the Movement

The DSO ESG & Sustainability Cluster continues to provide valuable insights and networking opportunities for businesses committed to sustainability. Dubai Silicon Oasis businesses can enjoy complimentary access to sustainability resources, peer-led events, and a 1-year premium membership to The Surpluss platform.

To learn more about upcoming events or to join The Surpluss platform, visit www.thesurpluss.com/clusters/dubai-silicon-oasis.

A Strategic Partnership for Growth

Dubai Silicon Oasis, in partnership with The Surpluss, officially launched the ESG & Sustainability Cluster on 23rd April, 2025, at the DTEC Auditorium, A5 Building, Dubai Silicon Oasis. Designed specifically for SMEs, this initiative integrates circular economy principles to drive resource efficiency, operational resilience, and measurable bottom-line improvements.

The partnership empowers businesses to not only meet emerging regulatory requirements but to leverage sustainability as a core competitive advantage.

Navigating Energy Transition and Decarbonization

Yasin Kasirga, Decarbonization Leader at GE Vernova, opened the discussion by addressing the global challenge of achieving the Paris Agreement targets while maintaining economic vitality. His keynote emphasized the critical need for businesses to prioritize economically viable decarbonization strategies, helping firms strengthen their market position in a future shaped by the energy transition.

Transparent Reporting for Competitive Advantage

Johanna Salem, Associate Director of Sustainability at Dubai Holding, shared practical insights on establishing transparent climate reporting processes aligned with UAE regulations. By developing Dubai Holding’s first GHG baseline, including Scope 3 value chain emissions, Johanna demonstrated how accurate sustainability reporting can enhance regulatory compliance, bolster brand reputation, and create new value across supply chains.

Real-World Challenges and Practical Solutions

The Firestarter session, led by Baldeep Singh, Founder and CEO of Revent, provided a platform for participants to discuss the operational barriers they face in scaling sustainability initiatives. This session reinforced the importance of peer collaboration, practical problem-solving, and the need for flexible, business-centric climate solutions.

Building a Resilient Business Community

The launch of the DSO Sustainability & ESG Cluster is just the beginning. By joining the cluster, SMEs access a growing network of over 1,000 like-minded businesses committed to operational excellence, circular economy integration, and tangible carbon reduction.

At The Surpluss, we understand that sustainability is not just an environmental imperative but a business opportunity. Our platform connects companies to measurable resource efficiencies, improved KPIs, and enhanced profitability, aligning every solution with global standards such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Be Part of the Change

Businesses ready to transform their operations and lead in a new era of sustainable competitiveness are encouraged to register through The Surpluss platform and start their onboarding journey.

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Join an exclusive movement like-minded sustainability professionals and businesses who are catalyzing the circular economy in the UAE!

The Circular Economy Is Not Broken, We Just Haven’t Built the Right Systems Yet

The circular economy sounds like the perfect solution. Instead of throwing things away, we reuse them, regenerate materials, and minimize waste. But if it’s such a great idea, why is global circularity going in the wrong direction?
According to the Circularity Gap Report, the global economy was only 9.1% circular in 2018. In 2023, that dropped to 7.2%. Clearly, something’s not working.
At The Surpluss, we believe it’s not about lack of awareness or technology, it’s about how circularity is integrated (or rather, not integrated) into the real world of business, finance, and trade. So, how can we make it actually work?

1. It needs to be a financial strategy, not just a moral one

Let’s face it, most businesses still see waste as something to get rid of, not a resource to work with. But things are shifting. The EU’s new Digital Product Passport is a good example. It allows businesses to track and prove the value of materials throughout their lifecycle.
When circularity is built into procurement, legal frameworks, and internal operations, it becomes part of business strategy, not just a sustainability label.

2. We can’t just recycle, we have to rethink design

Recycling sounds good, but less than 10% of plastic waste actually gets recycled. Much of it ends up downcycled, not reused in a meaningful way.
We need to think bigger. What if products were designed from the start to be disassembled, reused, or regenerated? That’s what real circularity looks like, and with upcoming “right to repair” laws, this shift might happen sooner than we think.

3. Data is still a huge barrier

You can’t fix what you can’t see. Right now, most businesses don’t have the data to understand their material flows. That’s changing with AI, IoT, and blockchain solutions, but it’s still early days.
Appointing a Chief Circularity Officer can help organizations treat waste as a resource and unlock real value from things they previously discarded.

4. It has to be seamless for consumers

Let’s be real, most consumers aren’t going to change their habits unless it’s easy. Even the most aware shoppers default to convenience.
That’s why the best circular solutions are the invisible ones. Businesses need to build circularity into their systems, like take-back logistics, reuse programs, or packaging-free models, without relying on customers to do the heavy lifting.

5. Circularity has to work with trade and geopolitics

Circularity isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s economic. Countries like China dominate in critical materials and recycling, while the EU and US are making major policy moves to support circular trade.
Businesses should pay attention. Choosing suppliers and partners that support circularity is becoming a competitive advantage, not just a good deed.

Where do we go from here?

The circular economy won’t work if we treat it as a side project. It has to be baked into how we measure success, manage operations, and navigate global trade. That means tracking real metrics, aligning with global standards, and viewing waste as inefficiency, not inevitability.
Circularity isn’t failing because the idea is flawed. It’s failing because we haven’t built the systems to support it yet. But with the right shifts, we can move from good intentions to real-world impact.