Etihad Airways and Marriott International have planted 12,000 mangrove trees in Abu Dhabi to create the Etihad Marriott Mangrove Forest. Spread across more than 150 sq km on Jubail Island’s coastline, the Etihad Marriott Mangrove Forest now makes up part of the only evergreen forest in the GCC region providing a natural habitat for marine and terrestrial species.
The initiative
Employees from Marriott International hotels in the UAE will continue to volunteer to support preservation efforts of the forest while also monitoring the status of the mangroves through a dedicated app that includes educational information on the mangroves and the technology and processes used to help preserve the mangroves.
Globally, mangroves store approximately 6.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, almost four times more than other terrestrial forests. At a rate of just more than 12 kilograms a year, the average mangrove captures over 300 kilograms of carbon dioxide in its 25-year lifetime, helping to combat the effects of climate change such as coral bleaching and coastline degradation, and support biodiversity and wildlife.
Stepping up for sustainability
The Etihad Marriott Mangrove Forest initiative is aligned to Etihad Airways and Marriott International’s commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon footprint, while supporting the UAE’s sustainability efforts.
The collaboration with Marriott International is part of the broader Etihad Forest initiative, which is targeted to plant 182,000 mangrove trees in the first quarter of 2023, before the programme expands to plant forests across international destinations the airline operates to.
The culmination event was attended by teams from Etihad Airways, Marriott International and Jubail Island. Senior leaders from the organisations, including Anthony Capuano, president & CEO, Marriott International, David Marriott, chairman of the board, Marriott International, Antonoaldo Neves, CEO, Etihad Aviation Group and Engineer Abdulla Saeed Al Shamsi, corporate director, Jubail Island Investment company, planted the final set of trees to complete the initiative.