Free zones to get fast track to sustainability

Source: MGVX via Freepik. Dubai skyline. Dubai’s free zones serve as a hub for global trade and innovation. With sustainability now a key driver of economic growth, MVGX and WFZO’s partnership empowers free zones worldwide to adopt greener, future-ready industrial practices.

The World Free Zones Organization (WFZO), the global body representing 1,600 free zones and industrial parks, has signed an agreement with Alpha Ladder Group subsidiary MVGX Tech (MVGX) to accelerate sustainability adoption across Free Zones worldwide.

Through this collaboration, free zones will gain access to internationally-recognised sustainability frameworks, enabling them to implement robust sustainability management systems and attain the Sustainable Industrial Park (Free Zone) Certification, a benchmark for green industrial park development.

With sustainability becoming a defining factor in investment decisions, supply chain partnerships, and regulatory compliance, free zones that do not embrace sustainability risk falling behind, MGVX said. 

As part of this partnership, MVGX and WFZO will champion the adoption of the Sustainable Industrial Park (Free Zone) Standard (PAS 8848:2024), encouraging WFZO members to integrate structured sustainability practices within their operations. To facilitate this, MVGX will provide capacity-building programmes, consulting services, and hands-on certification support. The initiative will also help Free Zones secure dual certification in ISO 37101 (Sustainable Development in Communities) and PAS IP 8848 (Sustainable Industrial Park Free Zone Standard).

WFZO will take the lead in promoting the Sustainable Industrial Park (Free Zone) Standard across its global network, encouraging free zones to integrate sustainability into their operations. It will organise capacity-building events and workshops, providing free zones with the knowledge and resources needed to participate in the certification process. Additionally, WFZO will serve as the key liaison between MVGX and free zones, ensuring seamless communication and coordination.

MVGX, on the other hand, will drive technical execution by developing specialised training programmes, sustainability assessments, and improvement roadmaps for free zones. It will provide hands-on consulting, guiding free zone teams through gap analyses, sustainability project implementation, and certification preparation. 

Lily Hong, CEO and Co-Founder of MVGX said: “This agreement underscores our shared commitment to sustainability in industrial zones. By leveraging MVGX’s expertise in sustainability consulting and WFZO’s extensive global network, we aim to provide free zones with the necessary tools and guidance to achieve internationally-recognised sustainability certifications. This partnership is a critical step in accelerating the transition to greener industrial practices worldwide.”

“This collaboration marks a significant step toward integrating carbon markets within free zones, enabling enterprises to actively participate in global carbon reduction efforts,” said Dr Samir Hamrouni, CEO, World Free Zones Organization.

“By establishing unified carbon credit standards and digital trading systems, we are fostering a more sustainable and resilient future for free trade zones worldwide.” 

According to the WFZO estimates, there are 2,260 free zones and special economic zones around the world. 

Brief Lab launches online certification programme

The Brief Lab, an institute that helps professionals gain mastery as lean communicators, celebrates its first anniversary with a new website and the launch of its first online certification programme, Brief Practitioner. 

Source: The Brief Lab website.

The Brief Practitioner curriculum is for professionals who want to join the "less-is-more" movement by becoming certified in a systematic approach to becoming lean communicators. The online course is designed for individuals who want to be change agents, spreading the methodology throughout their organisations. 

Buried in information and barraged by non-stop interruptions, the company says attention spans have dropped to 8 seconds. "Brevity requires three skills: awareness, discipline and decisiveness," said Joe McCormack, MD of The Brief Lab and author of Brief. "The Brief Practitioner curriculum is actionable, and participants will notice an immediate difference in their ability to communicate clearly and concisely." 

 The Brief Lab offers several workshops based upon the book, Brief:Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less, released in February 2014. It is being translated into several languages including Russian, Chinese, Korean, Arabic and Turkish. "We're gaining momentum and growing our registered community every day," McCormack said. "Professionals are realising that this is an essential skill that everyone needs to master."