On the Frontlines of Sustainability:  A Conversation with Dima Alashram, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Tidal Impact

Dima Alashram, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Tidal Impact

We had the pleasure of speaking with Dima Alashram, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Tidal Impact, whose career spans grassroots organising, corporate ESG, and sustainability advisory across MENA and North America. With roots in community work and a sharp eye for systems change, Dima brings a rare blend of realism and resolve to the sustainable finance conversation. In this interview, part of our spotlight on women shaping the future of climate and capital, she reflects on how ESG practices can build real resilience and why meaningful finance needs more than polished strategies. It needs courage, clarity, and care.

SECTION 1: Foundations & Experience in Sustainability

What inspired you to pursue a career in sustainability? Was there a pivotal moment that solidified your commitment to this work?

As a student, I was curious about how different systems work. This has led me to study business, followed by a master’s in public administration and nonprofit management. That mix exposed me to the private, public, and nonprofit sectors early on.

I began my career at Ruwwad in Jordan, a nonprofit working with marginalised communities through education and grassroots organising. Ruwwad was supported by Aramex, a logistics company that was quite progressive in driving the corporate sustainability agenda in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. I saw firsthand how private sector resources could create real community value, drawing me into corporate sustainability. In 2012, I joined Aramex’s sustainability team in Dubai, which marked my shift from nonprofit to corporate sustainability. I’ve stayed in the field ever since.

Your career has included consulting, social enterprises, mentorship, and founding Tidal Impact. Can you describe your journey?

After working in corporate sustainability, I felt drawn to advising companies more broadly. Working with advisory firms allowed me to see how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles play out across sectors, from financial services to energy and logistics. Whether it was developing sustainability strategies and reports or helping companies improve their ESG ratings, I found it meaningful work. Helping companies embed ESG not just for compliance but for long-term value creation is aligned with both my personality and my values.

In 2020, I moved to Canada and co-founded Tidal Impact to provide sustainability advisory services. We were fortunate to work with some influential clients in private equity, real estate, and fashion, which gave us credibility to grow. In 2024, I returned to the UAE and registered Tidal Impact in Abu Dhabi to expand our services to MENA clients.

Along the way, I joined Sitti’s advisory board, a social enterprise supporting refugee communities through long-term employment. As a Palestinian, their mission resonated with me, especially as we witness the unspeakable atrocities of the ongoing genocide and growing refugee crisis in Palestine and Lebanon. More recently, I’ve been mentoring with Youth2Pro, a social enterprise helping Arab youth transition into the job market. I’ve been inspired by their process and the students they work with, and I plan to stay involved long-term.

You’ve worked in Jordan, the GCC, the U.S., and Canada. How does sustainability consulting differ across these regions?

Each region shaped how we approach sustainability today at Tidal Impact. In the U.S. and Canada, the focus is on transparency, governance, and aligning with global frameworks. A mature ecosystem of stakeholders — regulators, investors, civil society — holds companies accountable.

In the GCC, the shift has been fast and primarily driven by national agendas. Think Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia or the UAE’s Net Zero commitments and Carbon Law. There’s growing momentum in climate finance, carbon markets, and nature-based solutions. The approach is top-down, driven by ambitious leadership and reflects unique regional political and economic dynamics.

In Jordan, sustainability is tied to resilience, especially in the areas of water scarcity, energy access, and socio-economic development. Much progress is made through donor-funded projects and public-private partnerships.

Each experience taught me something: technical rigour in North America, stakeholder-centred thinking in Jordan, and fast-moving ESG policy alignment in the GCC. It’s made our team more adaptable, which is key in this field.

Having worked across non-profits, corporates, and investment landscapes, how has that shaped your perspective on sustainability?

It’s shown me that sustainability is a systems challenge and opportunity. Each sector defines value differently. Nonprofits focus on impact, corporates on growth and resilience, and investors on risk and returns.

This cross-sector exposure made me more pragmatic. I’ve learned that meaningful change happens faster when we connect purpose with performance, whether building a board-level ESG case or helping investors integrate impact.

And we’ve seen what happens when social and environmental risks are ignored. The 2008 financial crisis, for example, stemmed in part from overlooking the social fallout of predatory lending and lax financial sector governance. Corporate negligence, from oil spills to palm oil-linked deforestation, has cost companies billions while devastating ecosystems and communities. COVID-19 made it painfully clear how fragile our systems are when inequality, public health, and environmental degradation are treated as externalities.

Today, the humanitarian crisis in Palestine is a stark example of what happens when systems operate without accountability. The absence of meaningful consequences for prolonged injustice and human rights violations reflects a broader failure to centre social impact and dignity in decision-making, whether at the level of governments, financial institutions, or global supply chains.

These experiences remind me that ESG practices are core to building resilient systems that affect different facets of our lives.

ESG reporting is under increasing scrutiny. What are the most significant gaps — and how can they be addressed?

Broadly, we can say that the scrutiny comes from two opposing sides. The “pro-sustainability” side pushes for deeper ESG disclosure, while the “anti-sustainability” side fights regulations favouring less or no ESG disclosure. To move forward, we need to strike a balance between these groups, which is what the EU is attempting with Omnibus, a legislative package aimed at enhancing the consistency, clarity, and usability of the EU's sustainable finance framework.

That said, the sustainability reporting has faced criticism for years, yet it keeps evolving. For example, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has been setting sustainability reporting guidelines and standards for around 28 years. We’re also now seeing meaningful consolidation of reporting frameworks with the launch of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) under the IFRS Foundation, and the release of its inaugural standards — IFRS S1 for general sustainability disclosures and IFRS S2 for climate-related disclosures. That’s a sign of progress and steadfastness despite the criticism.

That said, the criticism is helpful in further improving reporting practices. The two biggest gaps I see are data quality and forward-looking disclosures. Many companies still rely on estimates, especially for Scope 3 carbon emissions or social metrics, and lack external assurance, which undermines stakeholder trust.

Second, we need more forward-looking indicators. Too many reports focus on the past. Even when companies set net-zero targets, we sometimes see those quietly dropped or postponed. What matters is the transition plan: scenario analysis, capital allocation, and measurable action.

These aren’t just technical fixes. They require leadership and better internal systems. But I’m optimistic. The scrutiny, if anything, is making reporting more rigorous and useful.

SECTION 2: Sustainable Finance & Market Evolution

Let’s turn to sustainable finance. How do you advise investment firms on integrating ESG and impact into their frameworks?

For investment firms, ESG is often closely tied to risk, especially on the credit side. So we usually start by identifying the material ESG risks that could affect investment outcomes. From there, we help develop tailored policies and processes for screening, due diligence, and post-investment monitoring.

Stakeholder engagement is key here, especially with investment professionals. We don’t want to offer a great-looking ESG framework that no one can apply. Capacity-building is often part of the process. The goal is to embed ESG into day-to-day decision-making, not treat it as an afterthought or a checkbox in a slide deck.

It’s also essential to meet a firm where it’s at. We adapt our approach based on each team’s capacity, resources, and implementation readiness. ESG integration works best when it’s a gradual process; one that can evolve as the firm grows more confident in using the framework. We can always re-engage to deepen the work, but starting with something realistic and actionable sets the foundation for long-term impact.

With the UAE Carbon Law in place, the finance market is evolving. Do you see real progress toward impact, or risks of greenwashing?

Regulations like the UAE Carbon Law are essential. They send clear market signals around measurement, pricing, and disclosure. This creates real movement in sectors like energy and finance, where the implications are material. We’re already seeing more interest in impact investing and sustainable finance frameworks.

But with that momentum comes risk. When regulations are new and pressure is high, greenwashing can happen. Strategies that look great but don’t address core emissions or supply chain impact can be misused. Carbon offsetting, for instance, can be misused if it's not grounded in real operational change.

We also have to watch how companies set long-term targets. It's easy to commit to net zero by 2050, but these timelines get postponed without credible interim milestones or action plans. The direction is welcome; credibility will depend on robust data, verification, and governance. As sustainability advisors, we help companies align realistically and push back when their plans risk greenwashing.

What do you think is the most pressing challenge in sustainable finance today? And what gives you hope?

The biggest challenge is ensuring that capital flows serve the long-term well-being of people and the planet. Many sustainability professionals would agree that there’s still too much focus on labelling and not enough on outcomes.

What gives me hope is the rise of new financial instruments and data tools, like climate stress testing, impact-linked loans, or natural capital-related investment products. These all help connect ESG to real-world results.

We need more cross-sector collaboration, including with regulators, investors, civil society, and more diverse voices in the room. That’s the only way sustainable finance can genuinely deliver on its promise.

What advice would you offer finance professionals looking to bring sustainability into their work?

Start with learning. ESG is a broad field; every firm is at a different stage. Look at real data, and understand how sustainability ties to your company’s bottom line. At the time I graduated, there were no academic programs in sustainability. Now you can find many that you can attend online or in person.

Also, stay grounded in impact. Getting caught up in jargon or trends is easy, but your work should improve outcomes and not just compliance scores.

If I could give my younger self advice, I’d say keep following what feels meaningful and aligns with your values, even if it’s not linear. Systems change takes time. Every conversation, report, or investment decision can move the needle.