Insights: Using community engagement for long-term sustainable development

Image: Boehringer Ingelheim IMETA

With the region adapting to a rapidly evolving economic landscape, the conversation on sustainable development has never been more pivotal. Having a strategic and clearly defined framework is key to achieving a company’s long-term impact in areas of environmental responsibility and social progress.

In order to meet a society’s current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, a corporation must engage local communities in projects and initiatives under its sustainable development umbrella. This level of involvement brings relevant insights and a sense of true ownership towards tackling a community’s most pressing challenges.

The need for community-based engagement

First and foremost, community-based engagement helps build trust and foster decision-making processes that reflect the needs and aspirations of a community. By having an in-depth understanding of the pain points that need to be addressed on a local level, we can boost the likelihood of sustainable development efforts succeeding due to a heightened level of relevance and inclusion.

When community members are empowered to provide first-hand input into the challenges and opportunities facing them, they are more likely to be invested in the outcomes of those decisions. This, in turn, helps build trust between community members and the organisations responsible for implementing those initiatives.

Additionally, sustainable development initiatives that have a community engagement element embedded into them work towards building capacities that are foundational in driving real and sustained change. By nurturing the skills of employees, supporting startup talents and members of the community at large, leadership capacities are boosted along with skills and knowledge that feed into the impact of such projects. Such an approach can drive enhanced participation in future initiatives.

Collaborations to drive systemic change

Forming partnerships with NGOs and local authorities are elemental when it comes to ensuring that long-term sustainability goals are met. This is especially applicable to providing equitable access to health for vulnerable communities. It helps to truly localise initiatives, gather the resources needed to enact change and build synergies where they are most needed.

Another important way corporations can achieve meaningful and measurable impact is by collaborating with social entrepreneurs who have a deep-rooted understanding of their community’s social and environmental struggles. By leveraging a company’s expertise and building ties with entrepreneurs working towards aligned social justice causes, larger-scale challenges can be addressed in a socially inclusive manner.

Climate change takes centre stage

With the UAE set to host COP28 at the end of 2023, renewed environmental and sustainable stewardship priorities are set to transform the current landscape of how businesses operate in the region.

From a corporate perspective, building awareness and taking actionable steps to reduce emissions and adopt greener practices is of paramount importance in propelling this vision forward. In order for a fundamental mindset shift to take place, designing sustainable development initiatives should not only complement a company’s social responsibility agenda but should be fully integrated aspects of everyday practices that involve employees and members of the community.

As the region prepares for an expedited commitment towards a more sustainable future, corporations have a critical role to play in establishing community-based engagement practices to drive long-term change and impact within the scope of sustainable development.

Ayman Eissa is head of Sustainable Development – for Generations at Boehringer Ingelheim IMETA