Paleko Naidoo
Sustainability Driver, PwC Middle East, UAE
Paleka is a sustainability strategist with over 10 years of experience in ESG advisory, training, and corporate transformation. With a background in leading ESG initiatives across sectors, Paleka helps organizations translate sustainability goals into impactful business practices. Passionate about inclusive leadership and innovation, she brings a systems-thinking approach to advancing environmental and social outcomes in the Middle East and globally.
1.How can companies in real estate manage the pressure to balance profitability with their ESG and CSR commitments?
Profitability and ESG are not rivals- they’re partners in resilience.
The most forward-thinking real estate companies understand that ESG isn’t a cost center; it’s a competitive advantage. Investors, tenants, and regulators are all shifting focus from short-term gains to long-term impact. Those who fail to align with this shift risk falling behind. To truly balance both, ESG must be embedded into the business strategy-not retrofitted. This means setting measurable targets, linking executive KPIs to ESG outcomes, and using data to track value creation beyond just financials.
It’s no longer about if sustainability drives profit, but how well companies leverage it. Purpose driven strategies attract talent, de-risk operations, and open new market opportunities. The companies that thrive will be those who no longer treat ESG as a reporting exercise-but as a core business imperative.
“Sustainability isn’t a side project-it’s the business strategy.”
2. How can real estate developers collaborate with communities to ensure that their projects align with broader social responsibility and sustainability goals?
The future of real estate isn’t just smart-it’s inclusive.
If we want cities to thrive, we need to co-create them with the people who live in them. Community collaboration isn’t a box to check-it’s the foundation of sustainable, socially responsible development. Leading developers are shifting from consultation to co-creation. That means engaging early, listening actively, and designing with-not just for-communities.
When you align your project with local values and needs, you don’t just build structures-you build trust. Real estate can be a catalyst for social equity, climate resilience, and urban innovation-but only if communities are treated as equal stakeholders in the process.
“Communities don’t resist change. They resist being excluded from it.”
3. What unique challenges do Middle Eastern real estate companies face when implementing sustainable practices, especially with regard to water conservation and energy efficiency?
Sustainability in the Middle East is not optional-it’s urgent.
The region’s climate realities-intense heat, scarce water, and rising energy demand-present both a challenge and an opportunity for real estate innovation. Efficiency isn’t just good practice here; it’s existential. Water use is one of the biggest hurdles. Solutions like xeriscaping, greywater systems, and smart irrigation need to move from pilot to standard.
On the energy side, integrating passive design, solar, and AI-powered systems can dramatically reduce cooling loads. But the greatest challenge isn’t technology-it’s mindset. A shift is needed from minimum compliance to maximum impact. Developers, regulators, and tenants must align on long-term vision over short-term cost. The Middle East can become a global model for sustainable real estate-but only if we rethink what’s possible in a resource-constrained world.
“In the desert, every drop and every kilowatt matters.”