 |
| |
From Humanitarian Causes To Sustainability Efforts, Delma Iris Is An Inspiration For The World | |
| Staff Writer |
From aspiring to be a doctor to working on humanitarian causes, American-born Delma Iris has found a home in the Middle East. Delma had every reason to contemplate being a value addition and active contributor to the goal of sustainability. Delma Iris was working with 17 Asset Management Company and is currently working on multiple ESG projects that are in sync with the UN SDG goals.
With a diverse background that oscillated from being an independent consultant to a teacher, Delma has converted her passion into her profession. From trying her best to “do good” to inspiring businesses to flow the net-zero way, Delma has carved a niche for herself. in the Middle Eastern Region.
In this exclusive interview with Thirty to Net Zero, Delma responds with the same fervour with total clarity on how she envisions the net-zero sustainability goals of the region and how she is enabling more and more businesses to follow the path.
 |
Q: Please tell us more about how you got passionate about sustainability, your work at 17 Asset Management, and how you see your work and your own philosophy on sustainability (and reducing social impact) being translated into everyday projects.
A: When I was in high school, I wanted to be a doctor because I wanted to help people. I believe sustainability is a similar profession, aimed to help others but at a systemic level. Before I knew what a key performance indicator was, I just wanted to do good in the world because it felt right. In college, I volunteered to teach English in a small town in Valinhos, Brazil. I developed a Human Rights chapter in partnership with Global Brigades at my university. We went to the jungles of Panama to assist indigenous peoples with legal issues pro-bono. I was just trying my best to “do good”.
The word sustainability didn’t come into my world until 2012 when I applied for my first professional job at B Lab. A non-profit organization that certifies for-profit companies on having high sustainability practices and business models, B Corps. Before that, sustainability for me was simply about helping people and cherishing nature.
As a Sustainability Investment Fellow at 17 Asset Management, I was part of the Intentional Funds project, where we created equity portfolios aligned with the United Nations (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These portfolios aim to provide their shareholders with financial returns and seek to make a positive environmental and social impact in the world through the public markets. Unlike when I just wanted to do good, my professional career is filled with technical words like greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, carbon offsets, just-transition, reparations, impact theory, stakeholders, materiality, and triple bottom line. Still, it’s about doing my small part to help.
Today, I have worked in various organizations, always keeping the simplistic mindset of helping people and cherishing nature.
Q: Please tell us about some of the key projects that you’re currently working on. Also, please tell us about key projects that you have worked on that showcase Climate Sustainability Fellow’s sustainability, innovation, and environment-forward investments?
A: Currently, I am involved with various ESG projects as an independent consultant and have finished my role with 17 Asset Management. I am helping DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodity Centre) develop their annual sustainability report aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) framework. For DMCC this includes considering a wide range of stakeholders and the impact they have on the environment, society, and governance considerations across all their business services.
I am also involved with the Green Teach for Opportunity project, organized by the ESDI Group, to help develop green skills-related resources for students, teachers, and professionals looking to develop skills or upskill in the field of environmental sustainability. In this role, I have covered various certifications and accreditations in the market aimed to teach professionals how to apply climate risk calculations and mitigations (GARP – Sustainability and Climate Risk, Climate Disclosure Project, CASBEE - Building Environmental Efficiency, Green Supply Chain Professional Certification, etc.).
During my time at 17 Asset Management, I helped them develop a strategic framework, and methodology and advised on the selection of an ESG data vendor for the construction of their financial products. The framework and methodology reflected various international standards and frameworks to identify relevant KPIs to map to the 17 UN SDGs. Once mapped, we created a process of data integration to score each company and then rate it.
 |
Q: Over the last decade, business leaders and project owners/ managers have become more aware of the need for sustainable development and green investments, especially after the pandemic. Has there been a wide acceptance that you have seen in the last ten to twelve months?
A: Yes, in the last ten to twelve months we have seen a substantial increase in international regulations and adoption around climate action for companies and financial services providers all around the world. From my experience, the acceptance of reporting norms and operational change towards sustainable practices and investments is mainly coming from large corporations, smaller agile companies, and institutional investors. The reason these stakeholders have been the first to adopt green investments and sustainable strategies is that,
1) They must comply with regulatory reform and report non-financial data such as sustainable reports (EU, South Africa, Singapore exchange, Australia, and most recently US, etc.).
2) They have the resources and ability to implement changes to their organizations. Most SMEs don’t have the know-how or capital to transform their old practices into more sustainable ones. 3) Consumers are asking for more inclusive, environmentally aware companies, therefore impacting investors' decisions on where to allocate capital.
Q: Tell us about your favorite city and book of all time and why?
A: I was born in the United States and have travelled to 10+ countries and countless cities but having lived in Dubai for 4 years now I can say that it’s my favourite city. It has become my favourite because of its unique context. It is a city that is not afraid to innovate, and the speed of change is astonishing. For me, Dubai’s willingness, and appetite for continuous improvement in technology, social reform, environmental improvement, and multicultural inclusion has made it my favorite city. My favorite book of all time is Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson. This book is very small and can be read in 15-20 minutes, but it is my favourite because every time I read it I get reminded that change is inevitable and adaptation is a must.