This year, our flagship event, the 10^th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress is following the theme ‘15 Years of EmiratesGBC: From Green Buildings to Sustainable Cities 2030’ and will be an in-person event happening on the 2^nd of November, from 9am to 5pm, at the Pullman Dubai Creek City Center. The event marks 15 years of EmiratesGBC and is a celebration of the evolution of the green building movement in the UAE, as we progress towards sustainable cities. EmiratesGBC is grateful to our platinum sponsors, MAF, KNAUF, and AD ports group, and industry partner Saint-Gobain, for supporting the EmiratesGBC Annual Congress. The agenda features networking opportunities, insightful panel discussions, including one for the EmiratesGBC Women’s Network, and more. To attend the Congress, please register here.

In addition to the Congress, the 2021 MENA Green Building Awards celebrate and recognize excellence and best practice in the built environment across the design, construction and operation of building projects in the MENA region covering 17 different categories. They are organised by EmiratesGBC in partnership with eight regional Green Building Councils and endorsed by the World Green Building Council. The awards received applications from organisations and projects demonstrating green building excellence in the Middle East and North Africa region. The Awards winners will be announced during the much-anticipated Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner held in Dubai on the 24^th of November 2021 at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina. Information about sponsorship opportunities can be found here, and you can register to attend the awards here.

Learn the fundamentals of Building Retrofit, Energy Efficiency, Indoor environmental quality and much more through EmiratesGBC’s Building Retrofit Training Introductory course or learn how to undertake a retrofit and become a Certified Specialist through the Advanced course, now internationally recognized through TUV Middle East. Each course has been divided into 4-hour modules and will be led by our expert facilitators through an online platform that can be accessed from anywhere in the region.

The program is in partnership with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) and is endorsed by Etihad ESCO. The Building Retrofit Specialist certification is now also recognized by RSB Dubai as part of its ESCO accreditation scheme.

The Advanced Building Retrofit Training is endorsed by TUV Rheinland Middle East Those and participants who pass the examination conducted by PersCert TÜV will receive the ‘Building Retrofit Specialist with TÜV Rheinland Certified Qualification’, an internationally recognised certificate for building retrofit.

The program offers two levels:

• Advanced Building Retrofit Training Course: This two-day course is perfect for engineers and technical experts with prior experience or currently undertaking retrofit projects who wish to enhance and streamline their knowledge of retrofit principles and methods. Participants of the course will undertake an examination which will allow them to become an EmiratesGBC certified Building Retrofit Specialist. EmiratesGBC are partnering with a global recognized organization to provide certification to the qualification. Contact us for more details on training@emiratesgbc.org.
• Introductory Building Retrofit Training: For non-technical professionals looking for an overview of Building Retrofit methods and provides knowledge of sustainability to industry professionals looking to understand the fundamentals of building retrofit.

Further information about the courses, dates and eligibility guidelines can be found on the Building Retrofit Training webpage. EmiratesGBC can also schedule in-house training for groups of 10 or more, please contact training@emiratesgbc.org to request a proposal. EmiratesGBC members and partners will receive a 20% discount off the registration fees.

Emirates Green Building Council in collaboration with HSBC Middle East, has launched a capacity building training programme to support Socially Responsible Practices relating to worker welfare, labour practices and policies, for companies involved in delivering construction projects & building services within the UAE. Our first trainings were held at the end of the August and attended by a range of different organization from the construction and building services sector from developers, contractors and suppliers. Participants were given a through overview of the main areas where they can strengthen polices and procedures to enhance worker welfare.

The training programme was delivered by Equidem, a leading consultancy and expert in the field and is supported by knowledge partner Multiplex. The training focuses on two streams: Stream 1: Socially Responsible Labour Practices and Stream 2: Worker Financial Capability.

Registration is open – if you are a developer, contractor or labour supply company in the UAE and would like to find out more about this free training programme and how you can get involved please register here or contact training@emiratesgbc.org.

Our next webinar will be facilitated by EmiratesGBC Corporate Member, Siemens, on 12^th October (6.00-7.30pm). They will be facilitating an in-person workshop on how to increase your energy savings using intelligent lighting controls and demand-based HVAC control.

This workshop will be held in person at the Siemens Experience Center at EXPO and will also be broadcast live so you can join us online!

NOTE that places are limited for the in-person event. Please email us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org with your details to secure your seats.

We have filled out our slots for 2021 calendars, so if you are interested in facilitating a workshop/webinar in 2022 please email us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org.

We are proud to announce that our Net Zero Program is being sponsored the Net Zero Centre of Excellence Champions, Majid Al Futtaim! We are delighted to have them join the net zero movement through their leadership and their commitment to Net Positive by 2040!

Our Net Zero Centre of Excellence was launched in 2018 as a think tank and accelerator to advance net zero carbon buildings in the UAE as part of its commitment to World Green Building Council’s Advancing Net Zero Project. We invite you to explore our website to see the work we are doing. We have also summarised our objectives and actions in the EmiratesGBC Snapshot.

Embodied Carbon Assessment Study

During World Green Building Week 2021, we launched an Embodied Carbon Case Study, which is the first embodied carbon case study in the UAE for a shopping mall. The case study was conducted under the patronage of the Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai, with Majid Al Futtaim as the Net Zero Centre of Excellence Champion and Ramboll as Consultant.

The assessment evaluates the impact of sustainable material procurement as compared to business-as-usual material procurement on the embodied carbon emissions of the asset.

To read the report, click here.

We have opened nominations to fill vacant seats on its Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 term. Accordingly, we are requesting applications from Corporate Members who would like to nominate themselves to serve one of the open board positions. Those interested to apply should submit their nomination to the EmiratesGBC office by noon on Wednesday 29th September 2021 with the following information:

• Your company’s tenure with EmiratesGBC
• Past contribution to EmiratesGBC
• Future commitment to EmiratesGBC
• Statement on how your company will add value to the EmiratesGBC
• Board Profile of company representative and his/her endorsement from company

You can find more information here.

EmiratesGBC hosts multiple events throughout the year in a variety of formats and covering a wide breadth of topics. Drawing on our members’ expertise and knowledge, we curate panel discussions, webinars, presentations and conferences that go beyond the current conversation and discuss the latest innovations and issues in the sector. If you are a member with a story to tell or interested in getting involved through speaking opportunities, please contact us with details of the topic and nominated speaker. EmiratesGBC corporate members can fill out the speakers form and submit to events@emiratesgbc.org.

Please consider supporting our education and technical programs in 2021 by partnering with us and coming on board as a sponsor to one of our knowledge-sharing initiatives. Opportunities range from webinars and workshops on our priority areas such as Net Zero Carbon Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Green Schools, Health & Wellness and Building Retrofit to our flagship Annual Congress and Annual MENA Green Building Awards.

Partnership opportunities are a great way for members to get involved and showcase your organization’s leadership and commitment to sustainable development initiatives. We invite you to find out more – please view our sponsorship packages and contact us to learn more.

• Why is the partnership with the EmiratesGBC and the 2021 MENA Green Building Awards important to your organisation?

CARES specialises in providing trust to users of constructional steels. The constructional steel supply chain is critical to deliver sustainable and responsible buildings, with approximately 8% of global CO2 coming from steel production and about 50% of steel used in construction and infrastructure and significant social and community impacts in its raw material supply chains and production.

CARES is delighted to partner with the Emirates GBC and to sponsor the 2021 MENA Green Building Awards, as they provide the framework and recognition of efforts to transform the UAE into one of the most sustainable countries in the world. The Emirates Green Building Council in effect, translates federal and local mandates such as the UAE Vision 2021, the UAE Centennial 2071, and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 into tools and guidance for decision making in construction.

• How does your partnership resonate with your own CSR goals/vision?

CARES is committed to reduce its own impacts and importantly, to enable its approved firms to reduce their impacts, through a structured certification process. Its Sustainable Constructional Steels (SCS) certification scheme and Rosette Rating System, seeks to recognise and reward effective management and performance improvement across a range of sustainability impacts.

CARES has joined the United Nations Race to Zero (GreenHouse Gas emissions) and reports annually on its own Sustainability and CSR performance. We are delighted to sponsor these Awards to further support and recognise others in making progress in these areas.

• How is built environment sustainability engrained in your operations?

CARES main impacts are through the certification requirements which its approved firms must meet. Its Sustainable Constructional Steels (SCS) certification scheme has over 110 criteria that cover all aspects of sustainability: ethical business practices, management systems, labour and human rights, environmental and community impact as well as socio-economic impacts. It’s Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s) enable the construction industry to accurately calculate the upfront ‘embodied’ emissions in key building products and in turn entire building assets.

CARES is developing CARESmart which seeks to enhance the audit experience, use and to encourage the uptake of digital efficiencies within the process while reducing its impacts on the environment.

• What is the value-add you have got from partnering with the Congress/Awards and EmiratesGBC?

The EmiratesGBC is one of the leading green building organisation in the region, its congress and Awards brings together leading stakeholders in the region, including key decision makers. This enables CARES to share its experiences of the last nearly 40 years in supporting building quality and latterly sustainability. It also enables CARES to learn about the key progress being made, the operating context in the UAE and to engage with key stakeholders who share a common goal, of reducing construction and building impacts.

• How can the industry further support the nation in achieving the sustainability goals and how is your organisation supporting this?

We are at a critical time for international and national sustainability goals. Decisions we make now will make or break our commitments under the Paris Agreement and will determine our future success and the opportunities we will have in the future as humans. This includes limiting the worst impacts of climate change, maintaining safe environments for people to live and work, and building a safe and fair industry that respects the rights of its workers and the wider community.

As such, we believe industry has to set goals and targets that are based in the science, which help determine the pace and extent of change needed. These should include medium and longer term goals and targets to ensure industry aligns to wider national and international targets and accelerates progress. CARES has incorporated criteria within its SCS scheme that encourages and rewards this.

Secondly, future success will be determined through the strength of collaboration and CARES expects and rewards this engagement through its SCS scheme and wider work. Collaboration, through the Emirates GBC and its networks and its interactions with the World Green Building Council Board and the MENA Regional Network, enable our voices to be heard on a wider stage and enable us to hear others. Projects that the Emirates GBC works on including the Better Places for People project and the Advancing Net Zero Project further allow the regional response to key sustainability initiatives to be developed.

So industry can get involved in these and other projects to understand the detail of what needs to be done to achieve our goals. It can set science and context based targets and embrace collaboration to find the solutions, that may be very different from how we have worked in the past. CARES supports collaboration and has embedded this throughout its work and its certification schemes.