All members of Emirates Green Building Council are invited to join us at 8.30am on the 16^th December for our Annual General Meeting.  During the AGM, we will take a look at the numerous activities and initiatives from the past 12 months and review our impact and accomplishments. We will also take this opportunity to hear from our members – we want to know your thoughts and hear your suggestions for the future.

Held at the TIME Oak Hotel & Suites in Barsha Hieghts in Dubai, the AGM is your opportunity to share feedback & suggestions, network with fellow members and meet the team. We will also be discussing our plans for 2020.

The meeting is open to corporate and individual members and free to attend.  We hope to see you all there. Advanced registration is required – click here to register.

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. Through our website, you can explore the program’s objectives as well as view the research we conducted to highlight the challenges and opportunities for net zero buildings in the UAE. You can also take a look at the Zero building certifications we offer and read some more into WorldGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.

Our latest works and achievements for the Net Zero Centre of Excellence are included in the latest publication by the World Green Building Council, the Advancing Net Zero Status Report 2019.

Zero Carbon Certification

According to the Global Status Report 2018, the embodied carbon of buildings accounts for 11% of energy-related global CO₂ emissions. To keep global warming to below 2 degrees, and ideally below 1.5 degrees, we must reduce the operating emissions from buildings. By applying to the Zero Carbon Certification, your project will receive a stamp of approval from one of the world’s most prestigious sustainability organisations, the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).

If you are working on a net-zero project and would like to learn more about the certification, email us at netzero@emiratesgbc.org and we will be happy to set a meeting to discuss the benefits of the certification as well as process the certification for you. The first 10 pilot projects in the UAE that apply to ILFI’s ZE and ZC certifications will receive a 50% discount.

Case Study Library

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has launched a new digital case study library showcasing examples of the world’s most cutting-edge sustainable buildings. The case study library is a centralised platform to showcase the ‘best in class’ buildings that demonstrate enhanced performance in relation to health benefits or achieve net zero operational carbon, as verified by established GBC and other market certification schemes, rating tools or other third-party verification.

Click here to access the library.

Net Zero Buildings Commitment

The UAE is among the first national governments globally to have announced its commitment to the “Zero Carbon Buildings for All” initiative, a multi-partner global initiative led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and endorsed by the UN secretary-general. The WorldGBC Net Zero Carbon Building Commitment will act as a pathway for this initiative.

WorldGBC’s Commitment now has 63 signatories, and you can find the full list of current signatories here. The case study library also showcases industry leaders who have signed the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment: 31 businesses and organisations, 26 cities, and 6 states and regions.

EmiratesGBC is proud to announce that many of our members and partners have signed up to the Commitment such as AESG, Majid Al Futtaim and Multiplex, to name a few. If you would like to join the lines of these pioneering organizations, please contact us at netzero@emiratesgbc.org.

On 12th November, EmiratesGBC hosted a focus day in partnership with Dubai Chamber on Improving Building Performance through Deep Retrofitting. Many of you joined us for a morning of discussion on the importance of Deep Retrofitting to decarbonize the UAE’s built environment against a backdrop of the Dubai skyline from Dubai Chamber’s iconic 13^th floor venue.

The context for the morning was set with speeches from Mr. Atiq Juma Nassib of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and EmiratesGBC board member and Chief Efficienology Officer at SEWA, Ms. Afra Alowais. This was followed by presentations by Khaled Bushnaq from EMS and Vice Chari of EmiratesGBC, John Conboy from Danfoss and Elie Matar from RSB. The morning included a ceremony recognizing the achievements for the recently certified Building Retrofit Specialists and concluded with a panel discussion with representatives from RAK Municipality, RSB, Etihad ESCO and Smart4Power.

We extend our appreciation to Danfoss for their generous support. Thank you to all our speakers and those who attended and a big congratulations to all the Building Retrofit Specialits.

For more details of the focus day please take a look at our press release. If you are interested in getting involved and supporting a future EmiratesGBC event, please contact events@emiratesgbc.org.

The upcoming Living Building Challenge Training Workshop has been rescheduled to January 2020 (Date and Venue to be announced).

Hosted by EmiratesGBC in partnership with International Living Future Insititute (ILFI) and facilitated by ILFI ambassador Amira Ayoub, The Living Building Challenge (LBC) workshop will provide an in-depth overview of the Living Building Challenge – a philosophy, advocacy tool, and certification program that addresses development at all scales. LBC 4.0 is a holistic approach to high-performance building that aims to address health, community, equity, energy, water, and beyond.

The training course is an important contribution for those pursuing the Living Future Accreditation and all participants will receive a certificate of attendance to support CPD requirements. To become Living Future Accredited, one must complete (in addition to 16 LFA general CE credits) the LFA Foundational Curriculum, which includes the LBC 4-hour Workshop. Taking this workshop and signing ILFI’s volunteer agreement allows you to become an Ambassador and provides access to the latest version of the slide deck on the Living Building Challenge, which will help you speak to your clients, owners about the Challenge, as well as register projects.

If you are interested to attend the newly scheduled date or would like further information, please contact training@emiratesgbc.org.

The fully rigged ship, STF af Chapman & Skeppsholmen hostel, anchored in Stockholm city, Sweden, on the small island of Skeppsholmen, recently received the Green Key award. As one of Stockholm’s most famous landmarks, it yearly attracts many guests from all over the world. Since its certification, the hostel has rapidly become a forerunner in sustainability where they successfully reduced their energy consumption by 14% and completely eliminated plastic waste from their operations by only offering tap water to guests.

EmiratesGBC invites all tourist facilities in the UAE to apply for the Green Key certification to help achieve a greener UAE. Please contact greenkey@emiratesgbc.org for more information.

This month, WorldGBC has launched the global case study library, a new feature to showcase “best in class” of sustainable buildings around the world that have been verified as performing at net zero energy/carbon and/or enhance human health.
Each case study demonstrates a building that has enhanced performance in relation to health benefits and net zero operational carbon; as verified by established certification schemes, rating tools or other verification systems.

The global case study library is a continually updated library, and submissions can be made through the website here, for evaluation against the qualification criteria.

Explore the map here to find examples from across the globe!

Earlier in November, we celebrated the recently certified Building Retrofit Specialists who had completed the Advanced Building Retrofit Training course and passed the examination. Join them in getting ahead of the game and future proof your career by attending the Building Retrofit Training which teaches the fundamentals of Building Retrofit and Energy Efficiency and equips professionals and students with the skills and knowledge to implement retrofit projects in the region.

The Building Retrofit Training Program runs throughout the year – register today to secure your place on an upcoming course.   The next Advanced course is scheduled for 11 and 12 December.

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

• 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.
• 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 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.

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.’

‘I would like to personally thank EGBC for introducing the BRT as it became really a good reinforcement to tackle the issues concerning the built environment especially the existing buildings. Truly, if majority of the building professionals, owners and the building occupants are aware of the impact of buildings, EGBC’s launching of the certification for Building Retrofit specialists will paved the way to transforming buildings and the built environment in general as high performing and low to zero carbon places on earth.’

EmiratesGBC is pleased to announced we will once again be Knowledge Partners to the World Future Emergy Summit on the 12^th – 19^th January 2020.

The Smart Cities Expo & Forum is where the city of the future comes to life, bringing forward-thinking governments and municipalities together with pioneers in smart infrastructure, future transportation and next-generation building technology to develop the potential of connected communities – from sustainable planning to smart mobility.

As a key part of the World Future Energy Summit, the global hub for business, innovation and knowledge exchange, the Smart Cities Expo & Forum forges new relationships between buyers and suppliers, drives exposure by showcasing the latest smart technologies and enables urban leaders to share new learnings to improve quality of life.

EmiratesGBC members can receive an exclusive package for exhibiting with discounted rates. If you are interested in exhibiting alongside EmiratesGBC, please contact Miraz Saleh on +971-2-4090364 or miraz.saleh@reedexpo.ae and mention that you are an EmiratesGBC member.

A discrete distribution of functional zones in the office building can minimize undesirable heat gain. For example, designing thermal buffer zones on the periphery (such as an entrance lobby) will protect main central spaces from overheating.

The above is just one of the many useful tips available through the EmiratesGBC Green Building Tooltips, 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 encourage 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.

In November, EmiratesGBC delivered two technical workshops. The first workshop – Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) was facilitated by Dorian Bomble from Saint Gobain and gave an overview of what Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs) are and how they are used to build EPDs. The interactive workshop also had a small game towards the end, which saw participants compete against each other to see how to utilise the information in EPDs!

The second workshop – Building Optimization with Latest Trends in Construction Chemicals & Sealant Technology – was facilitated by Mohammed Sanobar from Wacker Chemicals. The workshop presented exciting results from Wacker’s joint project with Dubai Central Laboratory, which compared two houses, one using conventional building materials and the other using a number of modified construction materials, under the UAE’s ambient outdoor conditions.  The workshop also elaborated on the types of materials, sealants and chemicals used for the project.

As 2019 draws to an end, please contact us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org if you are interested in facilitating a workshop for 2020.

This month, we look at the recently launched Expo2020 Sustainability Report, Delivering A Sustainable Expo, which is the first of three annual Sustainability Reports that offers unique insights into the development of Expo 2020 Dubai’s sustainability strategy and practices. The report highlights the economic, social and environmental impact of Expo 2020 and includes over 40 KPIs in 11 categories, including transport and waste, energy and sustainability awareness that the Expo2020 was evaluated against.

To read the full report, click here.

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.

Another way to get your copy of the Technical Guidelines is to register and participate in a Building Retrofit Training course – a complimentary copy is included with every course registration. For more details, please click here.

EmiratesGBC would like to congratulate our Hospitality Member and Partner TIME Hotels for receiving the silver status for the award Hospitality Excellence: Hotel of the year (Green Initiatives) under the Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards. The properties under Time Hotels group are Green Key certified and are constantly evolving their Green Initiatives to ensure that they stay at the lead of sustainable tourism in the UAE.

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, organised a Focus Day, in partnership with Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Dubai Chamber) that featured an in-depth discussion on deep retrofitting of building in the UAE. At the event, certified specialists qualified through the Building Retrofit Training programme, organised by EmiratesGBC in association with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and Masdar, were also honoured.

The Focus Day, under the theme, ‘Improving Building Performance through Deep Retrofitting’ complements the ongoing efforts of EmiratesGBC and building industry stakeholders to drive the retrofitting of existing buildings in the UAE to meet national and global carbon emission targets. Speakers discussed innovative solutions and approaches to retrofit buildings that go beyond current programmes to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency as well as cost-savings. A panel comprising government and industry representatives discussed in-depth the opportunities and barriers in implementing deep retrofits in the region.

Read more here.