Dear Members and Industry Supporters,
I would like to begin by wishing a Ramadan Kareem to all our Members, Partners and Supporters in the UAE and MENA Region. We are pleased to enter June 2017 with pride at the remarkable achievements in the industry that were recognised at the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards, which we honoured with our industry peers and partners on May 17th. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our awards winners, those shortlisted organisations and our star student awardee recognised this year. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to visit our website to meet the winners of 2017 MENA Green Building Awards.
Thank you to our awards sponsors Akzo Nobel and Multiplex for supporting this pivotal event. We were also pleased to have WorldGBC and the MENA GBC Network supporting the event and joining us for the Awards Ceremony and Gala evening. With the support of our Board Member, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, we were fortunate to be able to host a pivotal meeting of the GBC’s in the region as we set a roadmap for advancing green building practices throughout MENA.
There’s still much more to come this year. We have a series of projects in the pipeline; including our second flagship event, the Annual EmiratesGBC Congress in its sixth year running and under the theme Urban Energy: Powering Smart, Happy & Efficient Cities. We are honoured to have this year’s Congress under the Patronage of UAE Ministry of Climate Change & Environment.
Lastly, I would like to encourage you to please take the time to visit the EmiratesGBC website for more details on our programs and find out how you can become actively engaged in driving the green building movement in the UAE; whether it be through technical input, data provision or sponsorship support. I also urge you to take the time to visit our events page for upcoming seminars, workshops, tours in order to participate in the EmiratesGBC’s capacity building activities.
Sincerely,
Saeed Al Abbar
EmiratesGBC News and Updates
EmiratesGBC & Trane collaborate once again and invite members to an Iftar St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi
With the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, EmiratesGBC and Trane are pleased to invite EmiratesGBC members and partners for an Iftar evening on June 7th at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi. This is an excellent opportunity for industry peers to network and
This is an excellent opportunity for industry peers to network and socialise over a delicious Ramadan feast. Save the date and we hope that you will join us. Please email juliane@emiratesgbc.org to registe
Congratulations Winners the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards Ceremony & Gala
On 17 May, Emirates Green Building Council proudly awarded the winners of the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards for their achievements in the green building industry:
Please meet the winners by clicking here and sift through the awards ceremony gallery of images here.
Thank you to our awards sponsors Akzo Nobel and Multiplex for supporting this pivotal event. We were also pleased to have WorldGBC and the MENA GBC Network supporting the event and joining us for the Awards Ceremony and Gala evening
A special thank you to the awards official auditor KPMG for their support in making the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards a success!
International WELL Building Institute Facilitated WELL Training │11th May 2017
EmiratesGBC was pleased to host its first and successful WELL Building Standard Training on May 11th. The training was hosted at EmiratesGBC office and exclusively open to EmiratesGBC strategic partners and members. The two-session training was led by Kate Rube, WELL Faculty, Vice President, Technical Solutions, International WELL Building Institute, Meagan Rossi, WELL Faculty, LEED GA, PMP, Senior Director, Delos Solutions, Delos, and Sreya Vempatti, Environmental Coordinator, AESG.
The first session focused on an overview of the development, structure and certification system, helping attendees learn how to harness the built environment as a vehicle to support human health, well-being, and comfort. The second session was built on the morning session and provided an overview and the medical basis for each of the WELL Building Standard’s 7 concept areas (Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind), along with design and construction strategies included within those areas to create healthy buildings and places
The International WELL Building Institute was launched in 2013 following a Clinton Global Initiative commitment made by founder Paul Scialla and offers certification programs which were launched in October 2014 after six years of research for individuals who are interested in making a workspace more harmonious and healthy. The WELL Building Standard is the premier standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance human health and wellness. The EmiratesGBC WELL Building Standard Training was attended by 42 members and strategic partners. A special thank you goes to Kate Rube, Meagan Rossi, and Rania Missoumi, for their time and comprehensive introduction to the WELL Standard Certification.
An Alternative Commuting Transportation Focus Day │EmiratesGBC and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and EmiratesGBC invited the green building industry to join an extensive Focus Day on 22nd May 2017 exploring Alternative Commuting and Urban Transportation. During the discussion, we covered topics involving the Urban Planning of Abu Dhabi in terms of transportation. The development of Abu Dhabi’s Infrastructure drastically improved in many ways in the private public transportation sectors. This also created challenges which the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport shared their approaches to overcoming. Rules and regulatory strategies were proposed during the session to reduce the impact on environmental pollution and to manage and enhance access to public transport. We were enlightened by the most valuable speakers in the transportation industry, including Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport, Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi, Masdar City, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and Emirates Electric Vehicle Road Trip. Attendees joined a tour around Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Car Park to discuss their great planning and construction of electric power stations, and designated parking places for Carpooling and LEVs. A special thank you to Geraldine Seguela and Umar Munir from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for their unwavering commitment to achieving the building’s intended sustainability goals and their enthusiasm in delivering an engaging tour.
EmiratesGBC Congress 2017 Sponsor Announcement
EmiratesGBC is pleased to announce the support of AkzoNobel as Principal Sponsor and Majid Al Futtaim as Venue Sponsor for the 2017 EmiratesGBC Congress taking place 17-18 October.
Sponsorship opportunities are still open, and we invite you to view the available Congress sponsorship packages. For more information on how to support this important flagship event, please contact us at engagement@emiratesgbc.org.
EmiratesGBC participated in the first MENA Network Meeting
On May 18, the first WorldGBC MENA Network meeting of the year took place in Dubai and gathered representatives of nine green building councils in the MENA region along with WorldGBC Chairperson, Mr. Tai Lee Siang. The meeting was hosted by Majid Al Futtaim, the first regional partner of the MENA Network.
Discussions were focused on the latest activities of each of the nine green building councils and potential partnership projects and opportunities. The role of good governance in building strong and effective green building councils was an important topic that was covered in the afternoon session.
EmiratesGBC Technical Workshops
May’s Technical Workshop provided a comprehensive introduction to chilled beams technology and how to effectively incorporate them into buildings. With the co-facilitation of TROX Middle East (LLC), workshop participants discussed the pros and cons of chilled beam technology, occupant thermal comfort and associated energy costs.
On July 11, the next Technical Workshop will look at the influence of the urban built environment on the happiness of residents. Spaces are limited so reserve your seat early by emailing us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org
EmiratesGBC Technical Workshops are free of cost and exclusive to members and
partners.
Are you an EmiratesGBC member or partner and would like to facilitate a workshop? Do you have any suggestions of topics to be addressed? If yes, then we’d like to hear from you. Please contact us.
Academy Feature of the Month
Aligned with the intent of various Emirates Green Building Council activities, such as the BEA Benchmarking project and Nearly Zero Energy Study, that are aimed to improve energy efficiency in buildings in the UAE, the Net Zero Carbon Buildings by 2050 publication by WorldGBC provides insight on the coordinated global action toward Building Energy Efficiency ahead of the Paris Agreement COP 21 through the net zero building initiative.
http://www.worldgbc.org/news-media/thousands-billions-coordinated-action-towards-100-net-zero-carbon-buildings-2050
Click here to download the report
Green Key Spotlight
EmiratesGBC, the National Operator of Green Key, hosted a meeting last month with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the program owner of Green Key, and the Environmental Center for Arab Towns (ECAT), the national operator of Blue Flag (a FEE program). The three organisations are working together to promote environmental stewardship and sustainability through operating the FEE programs in the UAE. Such strategic partnerships are critical to having a strong and lasting positive impact on the natural and built environments.
EmiratesGBC is accepting applications from hotels for Green Key certification throughout the year. Please contact greenkey@emiratesgbc.org for more information on the Program in the UAE.
Upcoming Exam Preparation Training
Trainings are offered jointly between British University in Dubai and Emirates Green Building Council. Email us to learn more.
BRT Updates
EmiratesGBC Building Retrofitting Training
The Emirates Green Building Council will soon be launching the first course of its Building Retrofit Training (BRT) Program, an important training initiative partnered with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy that will serve the retrofit industry and bridge the knowledge gap across related stakeholders. The BRT Program will facilitate a hub of education and collaboration which catalyses sustainable movements in the built environment.
Two-course levels will be offered through the BRT program with curriculum content informed by student/participants’ professional background, experience and the certification criteria of the Program itself. The one-day Level 1 Course will launch in Dubai in July. Watch this space for the course date and registration details.
Nearly Zero Energy Buildings Study
As part of EmiratesGBC’s Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs) Study, an analytical report is under development that will serve to assist in determining a definition of nZEBs in the UAE that can be used as a reference to support future building regulations. The Report will be released during the World Green Building Week in September 2017 aligning with its theme of Advancing Net Zero Energy Buildings. For this study, EmiratesGBC has approached its corporate members, partners and iconic projects requesting masked data on best practice low-energy projects.
To evaluate the market readiness and feasibility of nZEBs in the UAE, EmiratesGBC has also approached building experts to complete a survey on the concept of nZEBs. Stay tuned – more to come within the next few months!
Call for Participation – BEA Benchmarking Project
We are pleased to invite Dubai Hotels, Shopping Malls and Schools to participate in a Benchmarking Project in line with Dubai’s commitment to the Building Efficiency Accelerator, a global initiative under the United Nations program “Sustainable Energy for All”, in which EmiratesGBC is working in collaboration with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.
Under this initiative, we will benchmark at least 100 buildings in three focus groups (hotels, schools and shopping malls). To participate in this project, contact the EmiratesGBC office at 04-3468244 or send us an email to BEA@emiratesgbc.org.
EmiratesGBC Office Room M-21 is now available for meetings and workshops!
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.
EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings
Click here to learn more about how the Technical Guidelines can potentially save your facility or home millions in utility bills and reduced operational costs.
Welcome on board: Azra Hussain, EmiratesGBC Technical Engineer
EmiratesGBC is pleased to announce a newcomer to the team, Azra Hussain. Azra Hussain joined the EmiratesGBC team as Technical Engineer on May 7th, 2017. Azra’s passion for sustainability and her expertise in the realm of the green building industry has shined through from day one. Welcome on board!
EmiratesGBC is hiring!
EmiratesGBC is looking for an energetic green building professional to join our dynamic team as a full-time Technical Analyst. The new position fills a junior role with our technical team and will support the implementation of various projects within the EmiratesGBC’s Technical Program. Candidates must have a university degree in a related subject and a clear understanding of the UAE green building industry. Click here to view the job description. To apply, send a cover letter and CV to hr@emiratesgbc.org.
EmiratesGBC in the News
EmiratesGBC’s 2017 MENA Green Building Awards is carbon-neutral
Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has announced that its 2017 MENA Green Building Awards ceremony, to be held on May 17 at Roda Al Murooj Hotel, Dubai, will be carbon-neutral. Read more…
DEWA signs MOU with Emirates GBC
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) to enhance mutual cooperation on Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME). SDME is a distinguished competition that is organised by Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and DEWA, and will happen in Dubai in 2018 and 2020, in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai, which has the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. Read more …
Building Maintenance Show to discuss regulations, efficiency
The Dubai Building Maintenance Show will be held on May 10 at Dusit Thani Dubai to discuss key elements and opportunities in regulations, fire safety, and building efficiency.The event provides an opportunity to gather insights from industry leaders including IBM, Emirates Green Building Council, Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau, and KEO International Consultants, among others. Read more…
MEP Awards: Meet the sponsors
Our dedicated in-house BIM team and our introduction of BIM to site using Robotic Total Stations not only allows clients to conform to the new regulations but also to create savings and improve efficiency through collaboration and technology. In addition, as green-building requirements are becoming increasingly prevalent in government regulations, we are seeing a massive surge in demand for environmentally-friendly solutions for MEP projects. As a founding member of the Emirates Green Building Council and a leader in providing green building solutions, we are in a unique position to capitalise on this demand, which we have been able to meet by supplying the latest cutting-edge technology that provides savings in water and power consumption. As a business, we are driven by our sustainability targets on an environmental, social and economic level. Read more…
EmiratesGBC to honour winners of 2017 MENA Green Building Awards on May 17
Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, will host the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards on May 17 at Roda Al Murooj hotel in Dubai.
The Annual MENA Green Building Awards 2017, supported by the WorldGBC, and organised in partnership with the JordanGBC and LebanonGBC, will be presented in key professional categories, in addition to the Dr. Owainati Student Excellence Award for a student from a recognised university in the UAE, who has conducted exceptional research on a subject related to green building in the Middle East. Read more …
Winners of 2017 MENA Green Building Awards Honoured for Innovation and Excellence in Sustainability Practices
Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at preserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building techniques, today revealed the champions of the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards that identify innovation, creative thinking and excellence in promoting sustainability ideal techniques. With record entries from six countries across the MENA region, the honors highlighted the growing focus of industry stakeholders to promote innovation and ideal practices to drive sustainable developed settings. Read more …
MBRSC bags award for ‘Passive House’ for hot climate
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) Sustainable Autonomous House, the first-of-its-kind Passive House for a hot and humid climate, won the 2017 MENA Green Building Award under the category Green Residential Building. The 2017 MENA Green Building Awards attracted a large number of submissions from many institutions, companies, research centres and students from six countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for different categories focusing on sustainability practices. Read more…
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