• Supported by Dubai Chamber, the event is held to mark the World Green Building Week 2017
• Registration is ongoing for the event that will define nZEBs in the context of the UAE and serve as a referral point for developing a functional strategy to achieve nZEBs

Dubai, UAE; September 24, 2017: Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, will launch the UAE’s first ‘Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs)’ Report followed by a stakeholder discussion on the key findings of the report on September 27, 2017, from 8.30am to 12.30pm at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

The event is supported by Dubai Chamber and is held in celebration of the World Green Building Week 2017, which is being observed this year with the goal of making all buildings net zero by 2050 to win the fight against climate change.

Accordingly, the event will define the concept of nZEBs and serve as a referral point to support the strategy for developing nZEBs in the UAE. The report by EmiratesGBC will further complement the global trends in transitioning towards a low-carbon, low-energy economy and the development of nZEBs.

The UAE’s ongoing strategies, initiatives, building codes and rating systems that highlight the role nZEBs can play in achieving the UAE’s green vision are documented in the report. It also highlights the findings of a survey commissioned by EmiratesGBC to examine industry recommendations to achieve nZEBs and highlight the challenges in their development.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “Our report on defining near zero energy buildings (nZEBs) is a pioneering initiative that supports the UAE’s pledge of combating global warming at COP 21 and the nation’s ratification of the Paris Agreement in 2016. It also complements the sustainable development goals outlined by the UAE Vision 2021, Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 and Dubai Plan 2021 – all of which are focused on optimising energy use and promoting sustainable built environments. The adoption of best practices in nZEBs can lead to considerable improvement in the energy performance of buildings by reducing energy demand, improving energy efficiency and enhancing renewable energy generation and utilisation.”

As part of preparations for the report, EmiratesGBC had not only reached out to 25 leading companies to obtain energy data on best practices of low energy buildings but also surveyed 100 industry leaders and experts from various sectors to understand the market perception and concerns on the availability of nZEBs in the UAE. The findings will be detailed in the Report that will be unveiled on Sept. 27 followed by an in-depth discussion by experts.

According to industry estimates, buildings are a key contributor to climate change, accounting for one-third of the global greenhouse gas emissions as well as 40 per cent of the world’s primary energy consumption. New building concepts are evolving such as low energy buildings, zero energy buildings nearly zero energy buildings and passive buildings to address this.

In the UAE, buildings account for 70 to 80 per cent of the nation’s total energy consumption. Dubai Supreme Council of Energy reports that nearly 25 per cent of the existing building stock in the city are energy-inefficient and have a high degree of energy saving potential. The concept of nZEBs have therefore gained traction in the country given its ability to reducing ecological footprint, energy demand reduction and cost savings.

All industry stakeholders interested can attend the event; to register, email: events@emiratesgbc.org. The entry fee is AED 50 for EmiratesGBC members and AED 150 for non-members. The discussion will be followed by a tour of the Dubai Chamber building that has set benchmarks in building efficiency with its head office building being the first in the Arab world to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

EmiratesGBC regularly hosts and participates in multinational events, conferences and forums. It has also developed a suite of activities, inclusive of networking events, technical workshops, focus days and facilitated training based around specific issues related to the built-environment that meet the needs of its members, of the UAE community, and the wider Middle East.

-ends-