Jun 05 , 2011
Dubai, 5 June 2011 - Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE has refined its global Environmental Mission Statement. First released in 2009, the statement was refined to clarify the direction of Bridgestone’s long-term environmental aspirations. The 2011 refinement is aimed to help raise environmental awareness among all its employees around the world, which in turn will lend strength to efforts to develop a sustainable society. In the region, Bridgestone is strengthening its collaboration with local conservation NGO, Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF), by continuing to sponsor projects to protect biological diversities. The Bridgestone Group is committed to continually working toward a sustainable society with integrity and taking decisive action with respect to three important environmental perspectives: ecological conservation, resource conservation and reducing carbon emissions. We continuously innovate our processes, products and services to reduce, reuse or recycle raw materials, water and energy. The refined Environmental Mission Statement continues to portray the Bridgestone’s unchanging environmental philosophy—‘to help ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations’. This refinement enables Bridgestone to enhance the commitment to a diverse range of environmental activities that go beyond its already wide-ranging business areas. “Our environmental mission statement will continue to help ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations,” said Mr. Shoichi Sakuma, President of Bridgestone Middle East & Africa. “We are proud to partner with special projects which fall in line with our commitment here in the Middle East to Bridgestone’s global environmental mission to protect biological diversity and support ecological conservation.” Recently Bridgestone Middle East & Africa FZE was recognized for its support to the Wadi Wurayah project spearheaded by EWS-WWF. In March 2009, Wadi Wurayah was designated as the first ever Mountain Protected Area in the UAE. As one of the few remaining freshwater catchments in the country, Wadi Wurayah houses a fragile and unique ecosystem and protecting it is essential to ensuring the survival of its many rare species. Adding to the growing importance of Wadi Wurayah, the area was officially recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar convention earlier this year. Bridgestone Middle East & FZE is also sponsoring two Hawksbill turtles as part of the EWS-WWF led ‘Marine Turtle Conservation Project’. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, researchers from EWS-WWF have tagged 24 Hawksbill turtles this year to better understand the needs of these creatures and to help identify their foraging and nesting grounds key to their future survival. The migratory patterns of these turtles will now be monitored throughout the waters of the Gulf and the Sea of Oman. The turtles’ journeys will be tracked and updated online at www.gulfturtles.com “We will continue to show our support, not just for our two turtles Journey and Otohime, but also right across the region as we take on more projects to help safeguard our local environments for current and future generations,” added Mr. Sakuma.
