SAWA Monthly - Our First Issue Is Live!

Dear SAWA Community,

Ahla w Sahla! We are so happy you are here.

We are thrilled to share the inaugural edition of our monthly newsletter: a space created to bring together sustainability professionals across the Arab world and its diaspora. Each month, you can expect spotlights of environmental stories, regional innovators, career opportunities, upcoming events recommendations, and lessons learned from our members and founders, and much more.

Thank you for being part of our growing network. Together, we are placing the bricks for a community that understands the importance of building a sustainable future as a shared responsibility and a core part of our cultural identity.  

Let’s get started!

Dates to Watch

We’ll be spotlighting important upcoming global environmental days that resonate with our mission. Here is our December feature of the month:

December 5: World Soil Day | Honouring the Ground Beneath Our Feet

In a region where land and heritage are deeply intertwined, soil health is quietly emerging as one of the most urgent sustainability challenges of our time. Global conversations often focus on water scarcity and emissions - however, soil, the foundation of food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience, rarely gets the attention it deserves.

Why soil matters in MENA: Across the Arab world, soil degradation is accelerating, creating increasingly threatening circumstances. In North Africa, it’s contributing to expanded desertification. In the Levant, the loss of fertile topsoil has followed decades of unsustainable agriculture. In the Gulf, salinity and sand encroachment limit food production.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 33% of the world’s soils are degraded, and the MENA region is among the most vulnerable. The consequences are far-reaching: weaker harvests, growing dependence on food imports, economic strain on rural communities, and reduced climate resilience.

Soil as culture, memory and identity: Our region’s connection to soil goes beyond food production. From Palestinian olive groves to Yemeni terrace farming, soil carries identity and ancestral memory. Protecting it means protecting our stories and our future.

How you can honour soil this December: No matter your field, you can take action that matters. At SAWA, we believe change begins with informed action:

• Students can explore regenerative agriculture or soil carbon research;

• Policymakers can support land restoration incentives and sustainable land-use regulation;

• Urban planners and architects can incorporate green infrastructure and soil-nourishing designs;

• Consumers can choose brands and farms adopting sustainable practices.

Soil may be beneath our feet, but it should never be beneath our attention. This World Soil Day, let’s return to our roots and ensure they have healthy ground to grow. Read more about the importance of soil in our region here.

Spotlight 1: The Waste Lab (UAE) - Food Scraps to Living Soil

Keeping with this month’s soil theme, we’re highlighting The Waste Lab, a Dubai-based start-up “rescuing food scraps and building soil.” Their mission? To help individuals and businesses adopt proper organic waste sorting and composting practices, in turn restoring local soil health and reducing waste.

To date, they’ve rescued more than 4.8 million kg of food scraps (as of July 2025) and continue to expand solutions for homes, events, and corporate partners alike.

If you explore their services, let us know - we love hearing community experiences!

Spotlight 2: POIL Group - Waste to Climate Solutions

This month, we’re also highlighting POIL Group, a regional leader in collecting and recycling used cooking oil (UCO), then converting it into eco-friendly biofuels that help reduce emissions and keep waste out of landfills.

With operations in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Georgia, and France, POIL processes around 4,500 metric tonnes of cooking oil annually. It serves as a great example of circular economy innovation in the region.

Careers Corner

In this corner, you’ll find a monthly roundup of impact-driven roles, opportunities and practical advice from the region and its diaspora:

Jobs on the SAWA Radar:

• Consultant - Environment and Sustainability Governance Services (Dubai, UAE)

• MENA environmental policies & North Africa PPGA (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

• Senior Business Development Manager B2B Carbon Markets (London, UK or remote) 

• ESG Intern - Keensight Capital (London, UK) 

• Research Associate - Carboun Institute

Committee tip of the month: 

“The biggest thing that helped me pass the first CV screening stage was carefully reading the job description and tailoring my CV to highlight the experiences most relevant to that specific role. I kept a master CV (around 3 pages) with all of my experiences, and for each application, I would create a shorter, targeted version by selecting the parts that aligned best with the job.” - Mariam, SAWA Co-Founder, based in London, UK.

Have a tip you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Fill out this form to share more.

What We’re Listening To

SAWA Co-Founder, Laila, has been listening to Breaking Down: Collapse, a podcast discussing the implications of the collapse of modern industrial society. In this episode, hosts Kory and Kelly explore why climate apathy is rising despite the growing urgency of the crisis. This is a sentiment many of us in the sustainability field recognise deeply.

The episode is a thoughtful reflection for anyone navigating the emotional weight of this field of work, as the hosts unpack how overwhelm has been fueling disengagement. It is a reminder of why our work matters.

Language of Environmental Justice

Each month, we’ll spotlight a key term or concept from the world of environmental justice: helping our community build shared understanding and engage more effectively with intersectional sustainability issues. This language is crucial, as environmental issues disproportionately impact marginalised communities. It is about building a sustainable future centred around equity and the voices that are often left out of the conversation.

December’s Term: Climate Colonialism

Climate colonialism refers to historical and present inequalities between the Global North and Global South that have led to circumstances in which countries the least responsible for climate change bear the greatest burdens, while wealthier nations continue to exploit natural resources in the Global South and maintain control over decision-making.

Examples of this can be carbon offsetting projects that result in local communities being displaced from their homes, historical or present day extraction of raw material and energy from the Global South, or the rise in climate refugees in countries who have contributed the least to global emissions.

You can read more about the intersection of climate change and colonialism here.

Meet the Co-Founders

Since this is our first newsletter, we wanted to take a moment to say, hello! 

Michelle is a Senior ESG Data Analyst at Bloomberg LP, where is a data manager for proprietary ESG scores for over 2,200 companies across consumer discretionary categories including apparel and retail. Previously, as a Senior Associate in Sustainable Finance at Moody's Corporation, Michelle delivered forward-looking ESG assessments and Sustainability Ratings for corporates across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. A Lebanese-American based in London, Michelle holds an MPA in Public Administration and Economic Policy from the London School of Economics and a BA in Literature and History from Emory University. Michelle is passionate about clean fashion and beauty, combining her analytical expertise with a genuine commitment to sustainable consumer goods.

Laila is an Operations and Communications Lead at Tabanni, a non-profit organization dedicated to animal welfare in Jordan. In this role, she manages operational strategy and communications initiatives to advance the organization's mission of protecting and advocating for animals. A Jordanian based in the region, Laila holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto. She brings a unique perspective that bridges environmental advocacy with operational excellence, combining her commitment to ethical treatment of all living beings with a deep understanding of sustainability and social impact.

Miriam is a Campaigns Coordinator at an environmental justice non-profit, where she coordinates advocacy initiatives that connect environmental protection with human rights. A Palestinian-Lebanese passionate about the intersection of environmental sustainability and justice, Miriam holds an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London, specialising in Global Environmental Policy and Change, and a BA in Public Policy from New York University. She brings a critical perspective on how environmental challenges disproportionately impact marginalized communities, combining technical expertise in environmental solutions with a deep commitment to equitable and inclusive sustainability practices.

Mariam is a Decarbonization Analyst at a shipping consultancy, where she looks at alternative fuels and reducing emissions in the maritime industry. A Lebanese-Greek based in London, Mariam holds an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and a BSc in International Social and Public Policy and Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She brings expertise in tackling one of the world's most carbon-intensive sectors, combining technical knowledge of decarbonization pathways with an understanding of the policy frameworks needed to drive meaningful climate action in global supply chains.

Jude is a Stewardship Specialist at the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, where she works on Climate Action 100+, an investor-led engagement initiative focused on addressing climate risk, governance, and emissions reductions at some of the worlds’ top corporate emitters. A Palestinian-Jordanian based in London, Jude holds an MSc in Climate Change, Management and Finance from Imperial College Business School and a BA in German and Business Management from King's College London. She credits her scuba diving hobby for nurturing her interest in sustainability and the natural world. 

Thank You

This first issue marks the beginning of our journey as a collective community. We are driven by curiosity and joint action, and we hope this glimpse into what is to come has conveyed this. We hope this newsletter was engaging, and if you have any thoughts or recommendations for future additions, please reach out - we’d love to hear from you.

We can’t wait to start shaping a more sustainable Arab world, together. See you next month.

The SAWA Team

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