Business Strategy
Corporate Sustainability Strategy
Environmental, social and governance commitments built into the business.
Handle designs corporate sustainability strategy as part of core strategy — mapping material ESG issues, building governance and accountability, and linking sustainability metrics to risk, performance and the disclosures that regulators and investors expect.
When this is needed
Corporate Sustainability Strategy in the UAE: where the mandate begins.
- Investors, lenders or major customers are asking for evidence that ESG risk is managed with discipline.
- Sustainability commitments have been made publicly, but ownership and delivery plans are unclear.
- Disclosure obligations are approaching, and the data, metrics and governance to support them are not in place.
- Sustainability initiatives sit outside the planning cycle and compete with, rather than support, corporate priorities.
Matters Handle leads
Corporate sustainability mandates.
Four mandate types. One sustainability position that withstands scrutiny.
ESG Materiality & Priority Mapping
Material sustainability issues and priorities identified.
Policy & Governance Design
Policies, committees and oversight structures defined.
Sustainability Initiative Planning
Programmes and projects that meet sustainability goals.
Reporting & Disclosure Frameworks
Metrics, dashboards and disclosures designed.
The scope
Corporate Sustainability Strategy — scope, made explicit.
A focused, premium mandate — with material issues and accountable governance at the center.
Materiality Assessment
The topics that matter most to stakeholders and the business identified.
Strategy Integration
Sustainability objectives linked to corporate strategy and planning cycles.
Ownership & Accountability
Responsibilities set across board, executives and business units.
ESG Metrics
Sustainability KPIs embedded in dashboards and performance reviews.
Disclosure Readiness
Reporting aligned with recognised frameworks and local requirements.
The mandate
Sustainability as a governed commitment.
Regulators, investors and customers increasingly expect proof, not statements. Handle runs a materiality assessment, then sets objectives, policies and governance that make sustainability part of how the business is managed.
Initiatives are planned within corporate cycles, and ESG metrics are tracked alongside financial performance. Reporting is structured so that disclosures can withstand external scrutiny.
What the mandate delivers
- ESG materiality assessment
- Sustainability objectives and policies
- ESG governance and committees
- Sustainability programme plan
- ESG KPIs and dashboards
- Reporting and disclosure framework
How the work runs
Four disciplines. One credible sustainability strategy.
Every sustainability mandate is run with materiality, governance, programme and disclosure control.
01
ESG Priority & Materiality Mapping
What matters most, established with evidence.
02
Sustainability Governance Design
Oversight, ownership and accountability set.
03
Programme & Initiative Planning
Initiatives scheduled within corporate cycles.
04
Reporting & Disclosure Models
Disclosures built to withstand scrutiny.
The Handle model
Practice-led. Never fragmented.
The work may begin here — it stays connected to strategy, capital and law.
Strategy & Operations
The work stays connected to market position, operating model, performance and execution governance.
M&A & Capital
The work stays aware of capital readiness, investor review, transaction logic and deployment discipline where relevant.
Legal & Regulatory
The work stays protected through structure, rights, governance, enforceability and regulatory or dispute readiness.
Why Handle
Commitments with structure behind them.
Handle treats sustainability as a matter of strategy and governance, and connects it to regulatory exposure, investor expectations and the long-term value of the business.
- Structured materiality assessments
- ESG governance and accountability design
- Integration with corporate planning
- Sustainability metrics in performance reviews
- Disclosure frameworks built for scrutiny
- Partner-led mandates with institutional discipline
Before offering your business for M&A, you must raise it with discipline. Strengthen governance, restore financial clarity, and sharpen strategy. A parented business attracts investors with confidence, not discounts.
Mohamed abu El-MakaremManaging Partner & Chairman
Engagement paths
Where this work typically begins.
Growth & Expansion
When the asset must scale capacity, geography, capital, partnerships or market share.
Turnaround
When the asset must reset structure, capital, law, governance and operations under pressure.
Coverage
Connected across the strategy practice.
Handle applies corporate sustainability strategy for listed, regulated and investor-backed organisations across the UAE and its priority verticals.
Related service lines · Business Strategy
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Across the Handle model
Questions, answered
Corporate Sustainability Strategy — questions, answered.
How Handle’s strategy team builds corporate sustainability into strategy and governance.
What is a corporate sustainability strategy?
It defines how an organisation manages environmental, social and governance issues in line with regulation and commercial objectives.
Why does a corporate sustainability strategy matter?
Stakeholders, regulators and investors increasingly expect evidence that environmental and social risk is managed with discipline.
Is sustainability only about the environment?
No. It also covers social impact, governance, ethics, supply chains and long-term resilience.
Can sustainability create commercial value?
Yes. It reduces regulatory risk, strengthens reputation and can lower costs over time, for example through energy efficiency.
What is a materiality assessment?
A structured process to identify which sustainability topics matter most to stakeholders and the organisation.
Which organisations need a sustainability strategy?
Larger and regulated organisations typically do, and many mid-sized firms now do because of investor and customer expectations.
Which reporting frameworks apply?
Common references include ESG metrics, the GRI and SASB standards and jurisdiction-specific disclosure requirements.
How long does a corporate sustainability strategy take to develop?
Initial design usually takes eight to sixteen weeks, with implementation over several years.
Who owns sustainability?
Ownership sits across the board, executive leadership, sustainability or risk functions and key business units.
What does Handle deliver?
Handle runs materiality assessments, designs frameworks, aligns them with corporate strategy and structures governance and reporting.
Insights
Perspectives from live mandates.
Partner-led analysis on law, capital and strategy, shaped by boardroom realities across the UAE and the GCC.
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Work with Handle
Begin with Corporate Sustainability Strategy — kept connected to the whole Handle model.
When sustainability commitments must be proven.
Request an initial review
When ESG must move from statement to structure.
Set out the matter. A partner reviews it and responds with a defined route, strategy and accountable lead.
- Partner-level review of every request
- Strict confidentiality and privilege from first contact
- One accountable partner from review to execution
