Dubai, UAE; July 3, 2017: Khaled Bushnaq of Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has been appointed Regional Chair of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Network – a group of Green Building Councils working to advance green buildings within the region.

Bushnaq has been appointed for his proven leadership in the green building movement and dedication to improving the sustainability of buildings, both in the UAE and at the regional level.

Terri Wills, CEO of the World Green Building Council, said: “Whilst climate change is a global challenge, the solutions to it are often local and regional. Championing green building at these levels through our regional networks is therefore essential in order to deliver on our mission of green buildings for everyone, everywhere. Khaled has been a true champion of sustainability across MENA, and his leadership as Chair will help to strengthen the network of Green Buildings Councils in the region.”

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of Emirates Green Building Council, said: “The appointment of Khaled as the Regional Chair for the MENA Network by the World Green Building Council, is a strong statement on his dedication to promoting sustainable built environments in the region. At EmiratesGBC, we congratulate Khaled on this recognition, which will further drive our work in promoting green building best practices. EmiratesGBC has been at the forefront in driving transformational change in sustainable buildings, and we will continue to work with our stakeholders in promoting a green building culture across the MENA region, which today focuses on energy diversification and efficiency and sustainability as important growth drivers.”

Khaled Bushnaq said: “It is my honour to have been chosen as the Regional Chair and I thank World Green Building Council and Emirates Green Building Council for this recognition. The MENA region has tremendous potential to implement green building best practices, and one of the important remits of the MENA Network is to facilitate greater collaboration and partnership to promote sustainable built environments. The path-breaking achievements by EmiratesGBC in this regard will serve as a benchmark for the region.”

The MENA Regional Network comprises nine Green Building Councils based in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Bahrain, Egypt, UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine, amongst others.

MENA is currently home to over 350 million people, and its population growth has been characterised by rapid urbanisation. This is projected to continue, with urban population expected to double from 2010 to 2050, from 200 million to nearly 400 million. This means a large demand for buildings, complicated by the challenges of conflict-induced displacement of people.

Yet the MENA region is also set to be critical for the growth of green building globally over the next few years. Green Building Councils in WorldGBC’s MENA Regional Network are responding to the challenges and opportunities on the ground, ensuring that the region’s buildings ensure a high quality of life for people, minimise negative impacts on the environment, and maximise economic benefits.

-ends-

Notes to Editors

About World Green Building Council:

The World Green Building Council is a global network of Green Building Councils, which is transforming the places where people live, work, play, heal and learn. WorldGBC believes green buildings can and must be at the centre of human lives. The planet’s changing climate means that building and construction practices must be reshaped to enable people to thrive both today and tomorrow. WorldGBC takes action by championing local and global leadership, empowering communities to drive change, and is committed to enabling green buildings for everyone, everywhere.
WorldGBC’s Regional Networks:

WorldGBC’s Regional Networks are powerful, collaborative platforms where Green Building Councils can effectively exchange knowledge, generate new ideas and design solutions that speed up green building in their own markets and across the region, often through regional-specific projects. The Regional Chairs and Vice Chairs for WorldGBC’s five Regional Networks are:
Africa:

Chair: Thulani Kuzwayo, South Africa GBC | Vice-Chair: Elizabeth Chege, Kenya GBC

Americas:

Chair: Felipe Faria, Brazil GBC | Vice-Chair: Francesca Mayer, Peru GBC

Asia Pacific:

Chair: Sundaresan Raghupathy, India GBC | Vice-Chair: BK Sinha, Malaysia GBC

Europe:

Chair: Christine Lemaitre, Germany GBC | Vice-Chair: Alicja Kuczera, Poland GBC

Middle East and North Africa (MENA):

Chair: Khaled Bushnaq, Emirates ÌGBC | Vice-Chair: Abdullah Bdeir, Jordan GBC

About Emirates Green Building Council:

The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) was founded in June 2006, and became the 8th full member of the World Green Building Council in September 2006. EmiratesGBC is an organization that promotes and educates on green issues in the built environment and is the official body for the UAE endorsed by the World Green Building Council. EmiratesGBC currently has around 260 members in the UAE, which represents 1000s of individuals interested and involved in Green Building in the UAE and the region. In addition, EmiratesGBC members receive discounts on a number of programmes such as those related to conferences, seminars, training and green building events.

For further information on EmiratesGBC, please contact:

Kelly Home | Gladson Ronad

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

+9714 4507600

kelly.home@bm.com | gladson.ronad@bm.com