EmiratesGBC is pleased to announce the date for our much anticipated Annual EmiratesGBC Congress, this year in its 8th edition, our flagship event will be held on Wednesday 1st May and Thursday 2nd May with the theme “Circling in on Zero: Circular Economy in the Built Environment”.

The Congress will explore how the circular economy approach within the building and construction sector can support the UAE to decarbonise and achieve the sustainable development goals of Vision 2021. Building on last year’s landmark Congress on Net Zero Buildings and Cities, we will continue the discussion by focusing on how a shift to a circular economy is integral to a net-zero carbon future and discuss different aspects of the green building lifecycle; energy & water management, sustainable building materials, net-zero energy buildings and embodied carbon and waste management.

The second day of the Congress will be dedicated to a screening of the documentary ‘Closing the Loop’. This award-winning documentary highlights the urgent need to switch to a circular economy through the description of global case studies and innovative solutions necessary to make this switch.

We are also proud to announce that this year’s congress is supported by our Platinum Partner, Majid Al Futtaim, the Congress will be held at the Pullman Deira City Centre Hotel.  We would like to extend our gratitude for their continued support of our flagship event.

Bringing together international and regional experts the Annual EmiratesGBC Congress is an important platform for government, private and public sector representatives to discuss the latest green building market developments and trends. Register today to secure your place at the flagship Green Building Congress in the UAE.

If you are interested in taking a more pivotal supporting role in our Congress, we would be pleased to invite you to sponsor our Congress through a careful selection of sponsor offers and benefits to assist you in your final decision.  For more information on sponsorship opportunities please visit our website here or contact the EmiratesGBC office engagement@emiratesgbc.org 

As part EmiratesGBC commitment to the participating properties, we are providing the participating hotels, schools and malls with tailored scorecards to highlight the performance of the properties and to support them in deciding where urgent action is needed to increase efficiency and building performance. Scorecards have been shared with our participating malls and schools and we are currently working on preparing the scorecards for the participating hotels.

Click here to read the BEA Benchmarking Report and download the fact sheets.

The Net Zero Centre of Excellence was established as a think-tank and accelerator to provide an important platform for government, academia and the private sector to learn and share knowledge on how to advance net zero carbon buildings in the UAE. The very first step in making this a reality was through Defining Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in the UAE Report in 2017, which set the baseline target for residences and offices.

In 2018, we helped raise awareness on the global movement to Net Zero Carbon Buildings and Cities through our 2018 Annual Congress under the theme of Targeting Zero: a Vision for Future Cities with discussions focused on Net Zero Buildings and the decarbonisation of cities towards impactful change. We also helped push the global agenda of the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment by encouraging our members and partners to join the commitment and in 2019 we continue to advocate for regional players to join this highly effective mission toward worldwide decarbonisation.

This year, in 2019, we are focusing on market transition and leadership through our recent partnership with the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) on their Zero Energy (ZE) and Zero Carbon (ZC) Certifications by serving as exclusive auditors for the two certifications. This partnership aims to advance the UAE’s built environment towards a decarbonised future and can help Commitment Signatories verify that their assets are truly operating at Net Zero Carbon.

EmiratesGBC is pleased to invite members and partners to a seminar on 19^th March at Emirates Green Building Council head office in Dubai on the updated LEED v4.1 O&M for Existing Buildings which will be facilitated by Deepthy K B, Regional Director, Market Development, GBCI Middle East Markets.

The seminar will provide an overview of the latest version of the LEED rating system for existing buildings: LEED v4.1 O&M. During the Seminar the facilitator will cover:

• The basics of LEED v4.1 and what to expect in the individual credit category
• Why LEED v4.1
• How LEED v4.1 streamlines certification for existing buildings

The places are limited and we encourage you to register early via the registration page. This event is open to EmiratesGBC members and partners only.

As part on EmiratesGBC ongoing awareness and capacity building program, we are pleased to announce the first in a series of Green Building Tours that will showcase best practice within the UAE through site visits to the most innovative green buildings and developments.

Emirates Green Building Council invites members and partners to a tour of The Sustainable City on 20th March 2019. As the first operational Net Zero Energy city in Dubai, The Sustainable City has become a showcase for sustainable living, work, education, and recreation. Hosted by SEE Nexus, the tour will be an opportunity to see firsthand how sustainable practices can be realized in residential communities. The tour will be followed by a Q&A session to discuss the opportunities and challenges to building net-zero communities in the region

The places are limited and we encourage you to register early via the registration page. This event is open to EmiratesGBC members and partners only.

We are excited to announce that the EmiratesGBC Green Key Program has been nominated for the Middle East Sustainable Tourism Initiative 2019 category in the World Travel Awards.

The World Travel Awards™ was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Today, the World Travel Awards™ brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

Voting for the Middle East region opened on February 4^th and closes at midnight on 17^th March. Votes are cast by both travel professionals and consumers, ensuring that only the most deserving organisations walk away with one of these prestigious accolades.  We invite you to allow some time to take a vote.

You can find a full list of nominations is available online.

This year marks the 7th cycle of the Annual MENA Green Building Awards, a platform created to raise awareness of best practice in the building and construction sector and celebrate achievements, success stories across the region.

This year, in response to feedback from participants and members, the awards cycle will open for applications in Spring 2019 and close in the summer. The winners will be announced at the Award Ceremony and Gala Dinner which will be held in October 2019. Announcements on the categories and criteria for 2019 will be made in April 2019.

If you are interested in getting involved in the awards through sponsorship, then please get in contact via engagement@emiratesgbc.org

In the run-up to the 2019 MENA Green Building Awards cycle, we will be showcasing each month a winner from the2018 MENA Green Building Awards which were held in May last year.

This month we look at Retrofit Project of the Year Category, which rewards the successful implementation and achievements of a retrofit project on a building in the MENA region.

Winner: INNOVENTURES EDUCATION by SMART4POWER LLC

Innoventures Education was established in 2004 and the first school under its umbrella was Dubai International Academy that opened in 2005. The annual consumption was 8.4 million Kilowatt hours which equated to a costs of over 3.5 million AED. Smart4Power guaranteed savings of 23% and during implementation was able to exceed this and secure 28% savings. This was achieved through implementing various HVAC related energy conservation measures

Congratulations SMART4POWER!

To find out more about the 2018  awards and category winners, take a look at the awards brief and continue to support the MENA Green Building Awards through social media by using the hashtag #MENAGBAwards. If you are interested in getting involved in the awards through sponsorship, then please get in contact via engagement@emiratesgbc.org

BookDifferent.com, an online booking and travel agency, has launched the SME Travel Tool to motivate business travelers to choose green accommodations.

The SME Travel Tool can be part of a business’s CSR policy by encouraging the business to include green travel scores to its yearly reporting.

Green Key is actively cooperating with Bookdifferent.com and encourages all companies to use this tool to contribute towards a more sustainable world.

For more on the story, click here.

In a move that will further advocate for decarbonising the built environments in the United Arab Emirates, the Emirates Green Building Council, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).

ILFI is an environmental non-governmental organisation that works to make ‘communities socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative.’  Under the MOU, ILFI and EmiratesGBC will partner on the development of ILFI’s Zero Energy (ZE) and Zero Carbon (ZC) Certifications that will be adapted for the UAE market and launched during the Living Future UnConference in 2019. ILFI and EmiratesGBC will also raise awareness around the ZE and ZC certificates among industry stakeholders, and the Council will act as the exclusive auditor of the two certifications in UAE.

The MOU between EmiratesGBC and ILFI is an important strategic step for the Council that will further support efforts to transform the United Arab Emirate’s construction industry and to support advanced climate action by setting ambitious targets to eliminate operational carbon emissions from new building portfolios by 2030 and to advocate for all existing buildings to be net zero by 2050.

Read the full story here

Emirates Green Building Council is proud to announce that its newly officiated partnership with the Royal Danish Consulate General. EmiratesGBC signed a Programme of Cooperation (POC) agreement with the Royal Danish Consulate General to further advocate environmental sustainability in the UAE.

The Royal Danish Consulate General and EmiratesGBC will cooperate on initiatives, programmes and events to promote green buildings as well as drive sustainability as an essential part of social and economic development in the UAE. The strategic partnership will also establish a platform for the two entities to share their network of members, partners and organisations to enable greater awareness and swift adoption of green building principals within the entire building supply chain.

This newly formed partnership reiterates the strength in knowledge sharing and that collective action is required to accelerate our impact on climate change.

Read the full story here

The Energy Efficiency & Renewables Office (Reem) of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality has launched incentives for Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) and Energy Auditors to establish a local presence in the Emirate. The incentives are provided within the framework of the Retrofit Program, part of the Ras Al Khaimah Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040, which was launched in 2018.

“The main objective for these incentives is to create a market for building retrofits in Ras Al Khaimah, by promoting favorable conditions for these companies. The incentives are being provided by Ras Al Khaimah government for any company conducting energy auditing and ESCO work, who establish an office in Ras Al Khaimah”, said, H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shaker, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality.

The incentives can be availed through the following means:

• Companies who establish their business in the Free Zone of Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) can avail of set-up fees as low as AED 12,635, representing about a 60% discount on the current fees including all set-up fees and office lease, excluding visa fees.
• Companies who establish their business inland with the Department of Economic Development (DED) can avail of set-up fees of AED 15,250, representing a 100% discount on all local government fees, excluding visa fees and office lease.

“At this time, the new incentivised fees are the lowest in UAE for companies of this type. This is an additional opportunity for early movers to take advantage of a growing energy efficiency market in Ras Al Khaimah”, the Director General added.

ESCOs and Energy Auditors can benefit of the incentivised fees for a period of three years from the date of approval. The guideline document can be downloaded here.

For any additional information request or clarification of doubts, Reem at Ras Al Khaimah Municipality can be contacted at eer@mun.rak.ae

On February 25 & 26^th the WorldGBC hosted it’s first MENA Green Building Congress in Amman, Jordan. This regional congress brought together international speakers to discuss market developments in the region with a focus on Sustainable Reconstruction, Better Places for People, Advancing Net Zero and Embodied Carbon. Proceedings were opened by EmiratesGBC Vice Chair Khaled Bushnaq, who is also the Chair of the MENA Regional GBC Network. In his address, he highlighted the importance of collaboration across the region to promote and innovate green practices to tackle climate change.

As an active member of the MENA Regional Network, EmiratesGBC is proud to have supported this event with EmiratesGBC Chairman, Saeed Al Abbar and Technical Manager, Majd Fayyad represented in the panel discussions on Embodied Carbon and Advancing Net Zero.

The conference was proceeded by a regional meeting of the MENA Green Building Council Network. For the first time, nine countries from our MENA Network got a chance to sit together, share best practices and find creative ways of tackling challenges faced by the region in an aim to continue our collective mission of promoting green building principles.  The meeting was opened by EmiratesGBC Vice Chair Khaled Bushnaq, who is also the Chair of the MENA Regional GBC Network. In his address, he highlighted the importance of collaboration across the region to promote and innovate green practices to tackle climate change.

EmiratesGBC is pleased to announce our 2019 training schedule for the Building Retrofit Training Program. The training program teaches the fundamentals of Building Retrofit and offers the opportunity to become an EmiratesGBC certified Building Retrofit Specialist after successful completion of the Advanced course and examination. The first courses of 2019 will be held on 27^th February (Introductory) and 11^th & 12^th March (Advanced).

The program is in partnership with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) and offers two levels of training course:

• 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 certifed Building Retrofit Specialist.
• Introductory Building Retrofit Training: For non-technical professionals looking for an overview of Building Retrofit methods. Led by expert facilitators, this one day course provides knowledge of sustainability to industry professionals looking to understand the fundamentals of building retrofit.Further information about the courses and eligibility guidelines can be found on the website.  We invite you to visit the Building Retrofit Training webpage to register. EmiratesGBC can also schedule in-house training for groups of 10 or more, please contact events@emiratesgbc.org to request a proposal.Hear what some of our previous participants had to say about the course:‘I took BRT because I am a non-technical professional entering the retrofit sector in Dubai, working on demand side management. This course gave me a solid overview and understanding of building/villa/structure from a retrofit perspective and the current legislation and trends in Dubai.’

Earlier this month, EmiratesGBC delivered the Green Hospitality Training for Emaar Hospitality Group. The training focused on how hotel properties can reduce their carbon footprint & improve energy, water and waste performance.

It was great to meet the brand General Managers and see their commitment and passion toward sustainability and also hear about the green initiatives they are introducing in their Hotel properties. We are pleased to be able to support them in their Green Hospitality journey!

Hear what the participants had to say about the course:

“I managed to understand that we have actually come along way and are on a solid track as a nine-year-old operating hotel. I was able to highlight 10 key actions supporting front of house and guest awareness that I will commit to implementing within the next 12 months.”

To find out more about the Green Hospitality Program and Trainings visit the website or contact events@emiratesgbc.org to request a training proposal.

EmiratesGBC is pleased to once again to support the MEFMA Confex 2019 as a supporting association. Registration is open for the 2019 MEFMA Confex which is being held on the 10-12 March.

This year the Confex is under the theme Business Intelligence and Technology driven FM. EmiratesGBC members are eligible for a discounted rate by registering as an associate member at the following link.

The first day of the Confex will have FM Counselling Sessions, which are highly focused sessions which bring together FM companies and clients for a one to one counseling, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities in an aim to enhance partnership development and collaboration.

We invite you to register and participate in the much anticipated Confex.

We encourage you to improve your lifestyle, not just for today but for all of 2019, by adopting an EmiratesGBC Green Building Tooltip.  This month’s tip is focused on the use of drip irrigation systems to water your plants.  Using drip irrigation systems to water your plants significantly reduce the amount of water used for irrigation and ensures that water isn’t wasted through evaporation and reaches where it is most needed: the roots.

The EmiratesGBC Green Building Tooltips is a rich online platform serving to further educate the industry and community on simple green building practices. The interactive designs cover three different building typologies, showcasing home, school, and office buildings.  The initiative is powered by BASF and Legrand, EmiratesGBC board members underlining their commitment to promoting sustainability, and is supported by Taqati whose mission is tied to achieving Dubai’s sustainability goals.

We urge you to visit the Green Building Tooltips on our website to test out this valuable tool and pursue a greener lifestyle whether it be at home, school or the office.

The 2019 February Technical Workshop on LED Indoor Lighting Design Specifications and Savings was delivered by EmiratesGBC Member, Gerab Energy Systems LLC, and gave an overview of the considerations that must be taken for sustainable indoor lighting in buildings. The workshop also highlighted the delicate balance between the requirements of standards and comfortable lighting for occupants.

To view the workshop presentation, please click here.

The 2019 March Technical Workshop will be delivered by EmiratesGBC Member, Hira Industries LLC on March 26^th. We will be sharing more details of the workshop programme together with the invitations.

Are you an EmiratesGBC member or partner and would like to facilitate a technical workshop? Our calendar is open for April 2019 onwards; we encourage you to bring your topic suggestions forth.

If you have any suggestions for topics you would like to address, we would like to hear from you.  Email us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org.

Following our exciting announcement of our newly officiated partnership with the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) on the Zero Energy and Zero Carbon certification, this month we look at the recently launched report by Canada Green Building Council, Making The Case For Building To Zero Carbon, which demonstrates definitively that Zero Carbon Buildings offer meaningful greenhouse gas reductions and positive financial returns. Specifically, the study, a first of its kind in Canada, shows that Zero Carbon Buildings (ZCBs) provide a positive financial return over a 25-year life-cycle, inclusive of carbon pollution pricing, and requiring only a modest capital cost premium.

The report confirmed that ZCBs are financially viable: on average, ZCBs can be achieved with a positive financial return of 1% over a 25-year life-cycle, inclusive of carbon pollution pricing, and require a modest 8% capital cost premium.

Click here to read more.

If you are interested in using EmiratesGBC office space for a workshop or meeting, please get in touch with us at 04-3468244 or send us an email to office@emiratesgbc.org. The room is fully equipped with AV and provides a nice environment for focused meetings or training workshops.

Click here to learn more about how the Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings can potentially save your facility and/or home millions in utility bills and reduced operational costs.  Copies are available in both English and Arabic for purchase at the EmiratesGBC office.

EmiratesGBC also offers a free copy of the Technical Guidelines, as part of your registration and participation in the Building Retrofit Training Workshop. For more details, please click here to complete registration.

The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has signed a Programme of Cooperation (POC) agreement with the Royal Danish Consulate General to further advocate environmental sustainability in the UAE.

The Royal Danish Consulate General and EmiratesGBC will cooperate on initiatives, programmes and events to promote green buildings as well as drive sustainability as an essential part of social and economic development in the UAE. The strategic partnership will also establish a platform for the two entities to share their network of members, partners and organisations to enable greater awareness and swift adoption of green building principals within the entire building supply chain.

Read more

Billed as a move that will shine a light on decarbonising the UAE’s built environment, the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has signed a MoU with the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). The deal will see the ILFI and EmiratesGBC partner on the development of ILFI’s Zero Energy (ZE) and Zero Carbon (ZC) Certifications, which will be adapted for the UAE market and launched during the Living Future UnConference in 2019.

ILFI and EmiratesGBC will also raise awareness around the ZE and ZC certificates among industry stakeholders, and the Council will act as the exclusive auditor of the two certifications in the UAE.

Read more

Citadines Metro Central Dubai, part of The Ascott Limited chain of hotels, has been awarded the Green Key global standard of environmental excellence within the hospitality sector.

The prestigious eco award certifies the property’s adherence to the strict environmental and sustainability criteria set out by the international Foundation for Environmental Excellence (FEE) and to be maintained via rigorous documentation and regular audits.

“As the leading international serviced residence owner-operator, we are uniquely positioned to play a strategic role in transforming business practices and employee mindsets towards more eco-friendly habits. Being Green Key-certified, guests can be assured the property is committed to reducing the environmental impact of their stay,” added Miccolis.

The Green Key award is managed in the UAE by Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC). The council was established in 2006 to advance green building principles in a bid to protect the environment and promote sustainability across the UAE. This is the third consecutive year the property has been awarded the Green Key award.

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Dubai Tourism is carrying out its sustainability initiative in collaboration with the following partners: Etihad ESCO, Dubai Carbon, Emirates Environmental Group, Emirates Wildlife Society – WWF and Emirates Green Building Council, as well as the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, DEWA and Dubai Municipality as strategic partners.

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