Sumit Agarwal
Energy and Carbon · ESG and Climate Risk · ISO Management Systems
Seventeen years that started in energy: utility-scale solar EPC, energy audits and carbon credit projects. COP26 in Glasgow moved the work into sustainability, IFRS S1 and S2 and climate risk; clients then asked for ISO, and Sumit qualified as a lead auditor across the standards that matter most to them.
How the practice grew
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Energy and carbon
The work began in energy: utility-scale solar EPC, energy audits that rank savings by payback, and carbon credit projects under CDM, Verra and Gold Standard. Measuring energy and emissions properly is still the base of everything that followed.
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COP26 and the move to sustainability
COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 made the direction clear. The practice moved into ESG strategy, GHG inventories, sustainability reporting and assurance, then IFRS S1 and S2 and climate risk as GCC regulators and banks began to ask for them.
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ISO, because clients asked
Existing clients wanted their management systems certified, and many ISO standards are sustainability systems in their own right: ISO 14001 for environment, ISO 50001 for energy, ISO 45001 for health and safety, ISO 14064 for greenhouse gases. The firm built an ISO practice around them, and Sumit is today a lead auditor for ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 50001 and a lead verifier for ISO 14064.
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Boards and leadership teams
Along the way the work reached the boardroom: ESG and climate briefings for boards and executive committees, and capability programmes for the teams who run the systems afterwards.
Where Sumit personally leads engagements
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Energy audits and carbon markets
Energy audits to ISO 50002-1 and EN 16247, chiller and district cooling performance, and carbon credit project history under CDM, Verra and Gold Standard.
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GHG inventory and assurance
Scopes 1, 2 and 3 across complex industrial structures; ISAE 3000 and ISO 14064-3 assurance and verification.
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ESG strategy, reporting and climate risk
Double materiality, sustainability reports, IFRS S1 and S2, TCFD and NGFS scenario analysis, climate risk in credit and capital.
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ISO management systems
Implementation, internal audit and certification readiness for ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 50001 and 14064, single or integrated.
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Sustainable finance and banking risk
Sustainability-linked loan KPIs and assurance readiness, IFRS 9 ECL, ICAAP and CBUAE-aligned stress testing.
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Board and executive briefings
Board-level ESG and climate briefings, regulatory readiness sessions, and capability programmes for the teams that run the work.
Where the work has landed
A representative slice of recent engagements, anonymized at the institution level. Detailed reference list available under NDA.
Banking & Financial Services
- Kuwait Islamic bank 3-day ESG & sustainable finance programme (GRI + IFRS S1/S2) with double materiality and immersive simulations; separate board ESG governance briefing
- Pakistan-headquartered international bank Sustainable finance & ESG risk integration training for risk and credit teams: taxonomy alignment, ESG screening, climate-credit fundamentals
- Tier-1 UAE bank Fintech Disruption programme, three deliveries across Abu Dhabi and Dubai
- UAE wholesale bank Energy & Marine sector risk programme: sanctions, commodity-linked credit, shipping exposure
- Saudi commercial bank, ExCo session Senior leadership briefing on sustainable finance strategy, ESG risk governance, and board-level accountability
- 7-bank GCC programme (TFA) Regional workshop for banks and investment firms on green instruments, climate-related financial disclosures, and climate risk-adjusted return models
- UAE NBFC, governance ESG-linked governance structures, committee mandates, sustainability accountability mechanisms, and sustainable finance training
- Two UAE non-bank financial institutions IFRS 9 ECL model build (PD/LGD/EAD with macro overlays); CBUAE-aligned stress testing framework
- Asian Development Bank, sustainable finance Senior leadership programme on ESG fundamentals, sustainable finance tools, and risk management
- Gulf securities exchange (10 listed firms) Sustainability reporting programme for capital markets: investor communication, sector benchmarking, disclosure leadership
- PRMIA climate risk webinar Public session on climate-related financial risk and integration into leadership decision-making and portfolio strategy
Industrial & Heavy Industry
- GCC aluminium & recycled metals manufacturer ESG risk assessment, ASI Performance Standard readiness, EU CBAM embedded-emissions methodology, supplier traceability framework
- UAE aluminium manufacturer ESG governance framework and KPI integration for disclosure and operational linkage
- UAE marine construction & dredging firm ESG-aligned procurement & circular sourcing programme: sustainable procurement leadership, supplier ESG screening, circular economy integration
- Defence industrial holding GHG training & Scope 1 simulation programme
- EPCI specialist (UAE) Process alignment workshop, SIPOC/VSM methodology across procurement and operations
Oil, Gas, Energy & Utilities
- Qatar upstream oil & gas operator Scope 1 to 3 GHG inventory with IPCC AR6-aligned emission factors; methodology built for OGMP 2.0 reporting maturity
- Oil & gas major, finance for non-finance Tailored programme for operations and technical teams: capex planning, sustainability-linked cost drivers, ESG-integrated budgeting
- Oman regulated utility Asset decommissioning cost framework, governance policy, and SOPs aligned with IFRS / IAS 37 and ESG disclosure
- UAE state-owned energy holding Three-KPI ESG limited assurance across 18 entities
- UAE district cooling & solar project Carbon monetisation model: emissions baseline, MRV plan, methodology alignment for voluntary carbon market registration
- Saudi biofuel market entry Feasibility study covering policy, market, and regulatory analysis for biofuel startup market entry strategy
- Solar & waste-to-energy projects (Asia, ME) Deal advisory and due diligence for waste-to-energy, waste-to-value, and solar implementation across Asia and the Middle East
Reporting, Assurance & Climate Risk
- Major UAE government-related entity Limited assurance under ISAE 3000 framework, FY2025 sustainability report
- Diversified Qatar conglomerate TCFD/NGFS-aligned climate risk assessment: physical and transition scenarios, risk heatmaps, adaptation pathways across operating companies
- Large ME retailer Scope 1 to 3 GHG inventory with regional emission factors; ESG KPI verification aligned with ISAE 3000
- Multiple UAE & Qatar NBFCs, insurers & food companies Sector-specific ESG reports under GRI Standards with Scope 1 to 3 inventory, stakeholder engagement, materiality mapping
- UAE-headquartered logistics group ESG rating improvement programme: MSCI & Sustainalytics gap analysis, disclosure restructure, performance uplift
- Saudi rating agency Bespoke ESG rating methodology design: indicator architecture, sector materiality mapping, scoring model calibration for KSA market context
- UAE retail group, SLL training Sustainability-linked loan structuring training: KPI design, margin ratchets, reporting standards, alignment with loan market guidelines
Process, Strategy & Capability
- UAE conglomerate M&A readiness, ESG due diligence framework for cross-border acquisitions
- Dubai World Trade Centre, ESG champions Cross-functional ESG capability programme: materiality, stakeholder heat-mapping, kaizen-based operational improvements
- Barakat Group (food sector) Sector-specific ESG strategy training: sustainable sourcing, emissions, GRI Food Supplements alignment
- Leading Gulf municipality Environmental policy advisory and international benchmarking across 12 health pillars
- ISM Dubai & SKEMA Business School Guest faculty: Project Management Essentials, Business Analytics for Leaders, Entrepreneurship & Energy Innovation
- Multi-country GCC webinar UAE / KSA / Oman / Kuwait: regional ESG policy leadership, investment trends, and readiness benchmarking
Detailed roster with named clients available under NDA. Selected anonymized engagements written up at /case-studies/.
Public record
- Podcast
CollectiveSpend, Procurement Leaders Podcast 2026, with Faiq Ali Khan
- Podcast
CXOTalks Procurement, Sustainability in procurement: a GCC perspective
- Moderator
World ESG Summit 2026, Dubai, Decarbonization Pathways for a Sustainable Global Future
- Award
Excellence in Climate Advisory, Middle East 2026, awarded to ESGweise at the 7th World ESG Summit
- Recognition
Gulf Intelligence, Top 100 Middle East "Energy Addition" Sustainability Voices 2026
- Long-form
Regular contributor on /insights/: UAE ESG regulation, ICAAP integration, GCC climate scenario design.
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