SustainPro’s innovative approach brings real-time, operational climate outcomes to UAE’s live-events scene

SustainPro, a startup based in Abu Dhabi and founded by someone from the events industry who later became focused on sustainability, is tackling a fairly persistent issue in the region’s live-events scene. Basically, they’re trying to bridge the gap between good intentions and actually measurable, operational climate outcomes.

The company’s approach involves a combination of on-site infrastructure, field teams, and a developing software layer, what they call “measurable event sustainability.” As their website explains, their package includes self-powered rentals like solar lighting and off-grid power sources, smart waste management systems, refill stations equipped with Internet of Things sensors, AI cameras, and structured data collection. All of this hardware and telemetry feeds into an Event Intelligence Platform they’re still refining, which they say will produce real-time dashboards, automated reports, and outputs aligned with ISO standards for organizers and sponsors.

This model addresses a common gap. Usually, event organizers receive green guidance at the last minute, which they can’t really act on during planning or setup. Alternatively, they rely on post-event audits based on manual logs and assumptions, often leaving too much room for simply “checking boxes.” SustainPro believes that if you embed visible interventions during an event and capture operational data as it happens, it helps cut down on greenwashing and provides transparent, independently verifiable data. They hold multiple management-system certifications, ISO 20121, 14001, 45001, 9001, and 50001, and claim their reporting lines up with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism’s sustainability guidelines.

Already, SustainPro’s approach is being tested at a larger scale. One example is their collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour scheduled for 2025. The organizers there reported a 65% diversion from landfills, prevented over 3,200 single-use bottles via refill stations, and achieved a verified carbon-neutral operational footprint of nearly 10 metric tons of CO2 equivalent, using Gold Standard offsets. The project also piloted solar-powered lighting and included community activities, like a children’s sustainability zone that engaged over 120 families. According to SustainPro, these efforts aren’t just one-off; they form a blueprint for future events in the UAE.

What sets SustainPro apart from typical consultancies is that they actually handle the equipment, deploy staff on-site, and take responsibility for performance on event day. They also mention troubleshooting, even during late-night hours, and compiling data on waste diversion and community engagement into comprehensive summaries suitable for sponsors. It’s a more operational, hands-on style, rather than just advising from afar.

Their technology aims to lighten the reporting workload, too. The Event Intelligence Platform pulls in data from IoT sensors, structured logs from the field, and AI-driven camera analytics, monitoring waste streams, water refills, energy consumption, and emissions almost in real time. The platform is designed to align with recognized standards and generate ISO-grade reports, complete with alerts and forecasts to aid operational decisions. They say pilot projects are available as they plan to scale this platform into a reusable operational layer for venues across the Gulf Cooperation Council.

SustainPro’s services are presented as fitting well with national climate goals. Their public materials emphasize links to UAE Vision 2030 and the Net Zero 2050 target, positioning themselves as a comprehensive partner for event organizers, venues, and public bodies aiming to meet local regulations and global sustainability reporting standards. They’re involved in industry groups like ISEP and GRI and have signed the Pledge to Net Zero, signaling their intention to align with leading ESG disclosure practices.

This move toward operationalized sustainability reflects broader shifts in the UAE’s event landscape. Major venues and authorities now increasingly require measurable sustainable practices. For instance, ADNEC’s hosting of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in 2025 will be ISO 20121 certified and will incorporate zero-food-waste strategies, water-saving tech, and on-site dispensers to reduce bottled-water reliance. These kinds of standards, along with big international events, are raising expectations for real, measurable results.

SustainPro also emphasizes the social side of sustainability. Its teams include “sustainability ushers” whose roles include reducing contamination at recycling stations, guiding attendees to refill points, and turning behavioral guidance into a positive visitor experience. Additionally, they highlight educational activations for kids, part of their strategy to encourage meaningful behavior change and improve recycling quality during events.

Of course, metrics are crucial for making their case. SustainPro tracks various indicators: liters of water dispensed at refill stations, bottles avoided, waste diverted, overall energy use, fuel savings from generators, and CO2 emissions based on recognized GHG accounting methods. These KPIs feed into their ISO-aligned reports, which they then deliver to clients and sponsors.

However, challenges remain. Scaling up reuse of equipment across multiple events, reducing upfront rental costs for organizers, and ensuring sensors provide reliable data across complex, temporary setups, all require significant investment. There’s also the task of market education, convincing procurement teams and sponsors to value real-time operational data and live reporting rather than just relying on traditional post-event summaries.

Looking ahead, SustainPro’s top priorities are pretty clear: they plan to develop standardized service packages, expand their rental fleet, and create new self-sufficient outdoor structures, like illuminated signs and off-grid power units designed for quick, easy redeployment. Their Event Intelligence Platform remains central; if it can reliably generate standards-compliant evidence from multiple events, it might become the digital backbone needed to mainstream sustainability at live events across the region.

For a part of the world that’s eager to show real progress toward net zero, solutions that turn sustainability from a report into real-time operational practice are becoming more and more valuable. Whether SustainPro’s combination of hardware, on-site teams, and advanced software can become the default model in the GCC remains to be seen, its upcoming pilots and platform launches will be the real test.

Source: Noah Wire Services