Last month Majid Al Futtaim Group set a new benchmark for sustainability in the region thanks to a prestigious accreditation for its City Centre Mirdif shopping mall. The three million square foot complex was awarded LEED Gold accreditation by the U.S. Green Building Council, which said the City Centre Mirdif shopping mall is now the largest building to achieve its rating. Click here to read more.

Congratulations to the UAE’s green building community! The U.S. Green Building Council has announced that the United Arab Emirates ranked eighth on USGBC’s second annual ranking of the Top 10 Countries for LEED. The list ranks countries in terms of gross square meters and numbers of LEED projects to date.  Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC said: “Sustainable rating systems have proven to be instrumental in creating a market shift towards environmentally friendly building practices. As an independent forum, we at EmiratesGBC are indeed proud to see the UAE recognised on the top of global sustainable rankings.”

The announcement comes at a time of increased international focus on climate change mitigation in the lead up to the United Nation’s COP21 climate negotiations this December. Click here to view the full list of countries.

The EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings is a comprehensive set of instructions intended to serve as a guide for UAE industry professionals, building owners, operators and end-users. The 200 page book features 31 key retrofit methods that can be implemented on existing buildings for improved operational efficiency and subsequent short and long-term monetary savings. The publication is available for purchase through the EmiratesGBC office for AED 250. Click here to learn more about the Technical Guidelines or to order your copy, please email us. EmiratesGBC is in the process of translating the publication into Arabic with an anticipated release in October of this year.

Since its establishment in 2006, EmiratesGBC has served as an integral supporter to the UAE’s ‘green vision’, the efforts of which have already achieved tangible results in reducing the country’s ecological footprint. Over the past nine years, EmiratesGBC has organised multiple networking events attended by more than 1,200 professionals. The Council has also forged significant industry, government, educational and NGO partnerships with over 20 agreements signed to work together toward promoting a greener UAE. Currently, a new Board Advisory Committee is being constituted with government representatives to ensure that the Council’s goals are aligned with the national agenda.  Click here to read the full press release on the Council’s 9 year achievement.

On 16 September, EmiratesGBC and MEFMA will team up once again to host a 2-hour Networking Event under the topic, The Retrofit Revolution: Is the FM Industry Adequately Equipped? This event offers an ideal sponsorship opportunity for an organization to position itself as a supporter of the energy efficiency movement in the UAE.  Please contact us if you are interested to sponsor an upcoming EmiratesGBC event or if you would like to suggest and provide relevant content.

EmiratesGBC will hold its 4th Annual EGBC Congress on 20-21 October under the theme, How do Green Buildings Scale up? Bridging the Gap between Green Buildings & Sustainable Cities. We have two opportunities for your organization to get involved:

Our team is currently designing the program and we would like to offer our Corporate Members an opportunity to help shape the content. Does your organization have any speakers or trainers based in the UAE or internationally who are able to present current, relevant and engaging capacity building experiences for the UAE’s green building industry? Do you have any case studies, research or topic ideas that you would like to see discussed during the Congress? If so, this is the ideal opportunity to offer input into the event program.

To learn more about financial sponsorship opportunities for the 2015 EGBC Congress, contact us through email or by calling 04-346-8244. You can also learn more by clicking here. A big thank you to our Sustainability Sponsor: BASF Construction Chemicals.

Save the dates! The program of Technical Workshops for the end of 2015 is progressing fast, and the following dates and topics are now confirmed:

• 15 September (morning): “Energy saving systems for HVAC – tools, methodologies and systems”.
• 10 November (afternoon): “Indoor Air Quality, tools and methodology for IAQ Controls and Testing”
• 8 December (morning): “Integrating and using technology for ESCO and Energy Management”
  

Should you be interested in joining us during the coming sessions and/or in facilitating a workshop later on this year, then please send us an email. The August and October session dates are open so do not hesitate also to let us know about topics you’d wish to see covered. Technical Workshops are open to EmiratesGBC members only and subjected to limited seating.

As Green Key National Operator, EmiratesGBC gives the floor each month to a Green Key certified hotel and shares their best practices and success stories.

Le Méridien Abu Dhabi was first awarded with the Blue Flag in October 2013 after successful implementation of its 33 criteria, and was re-certified in October 2014 for maintaining the Blue Flag principles. These results are due to a continuous commitment to integrating leadership, environmental practices, and sustainability principles into the business strategy.

The program is an initiative run worldwide by the Foundation for Environmental Education with more than 4,000 beaches and marinas tested and certified across 49 different countries. The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development of beaches and marinas. To be certified, hotels need to comply with a strict list of baseline criteria covering areas such as water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services. Since its launch in the UAE, a total of 28 beaches and 6 marinas have been awarded.

EmiratesGBC offers a series of professional training programs in partnership with British University in Dubai (BUiD). The following courses are scheduled to take place in Dubai in the second half of 2015.

On 4-5 September and again on 13-14 November, the two-day LEED Green Associate course will equip participants with an up-to-date understanding of the most current green building principles and practices.  On 2-3 October, the two-day LEED Accredited Professional (Building Design + Construction) course will prepare professionals for the design and construction phases of green buildings in the commercial, residential, education and healthcare sectors. Also on the calendar during the last quarter of the year is the Certified Energy Manager training, which will be held on 8-11 November.  The CEM qualification is aimed toward engineers and architects working in the areas of energy engineering or energy management. For more information and to register your intent for upcoming courses, please contact us.

Are you interested in other training opportunities that aren’t currently offered through EmiratesGBC?  If so, please let us know your areas of interest – this feedback is important to ensure we continue to offer relevant and valuable training programs to the industry.

The industry events calendar will heat up again come September, and EmiratesGBC is looking forward to exhibiting at Cityscape Global, GulfSol and Sustainable Utilities Middle East. Our Board of Directors Secretary, Sarfraz Dairkee will be speaking at Waste Management Middle East and the Cityscape Facilities Management conference.

• Cityscape Global 2015 is the largest and most influential real estate investment and development event for emerging markets globally. Bringing together investors, developers, government officials and real estate professionals, there is no better place to find investment opportunities and new business partners. Cityscape Global is taking place on 8 – 10 September at World Trade Centre, Dubai. To find out how you can get involved please contact the Cityscape Global team at info@cityscapeglobal.com or click here for further information.
• GulfSol is taking place on 14-16 September at Dubai World Trade Center. GulfSol is a key event in the Middle East dedicated to the solar industry, showcasing the very latest solar thermal & photovoltaic technologies available in the region. This will be the 2^nd edition of GulfSol in Dubai which is organized by dmg Events Middle East and Asia, producers of The Big 5 & Adipec.  Click here to register and to obtain further information.
• The 6th Annual Waste Management Middle East forum being held on 5 – 6 October at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre will extend a platform for updating the regional waste and environment professionals on various new technologies and system specifications adopted in different countries and gulf regions, thus empowering them to meet the various environmental challenges existing locally and globally.  EmiratesGBC members can avail 10% discount by using the promo code: EGBC10 while registering here.
• Green Concrete UAE 2015(October 12-13) will gather government representatives, developers, builders, engineering consultants, main contractors, admixture and ready-mix companies, precast concrete companies, cement suppliers and other industry stakeholders to discuss regulatory updates, cement pricing and mechanisms, green concrete properties, implementation challenges, eco-friendly solutions and the latest technology advancements to ensure the successful implementation of eco-friendly concrete in Dubai and across the UAE. EmiratesGBC members can avail a 10% registration discount using the promotional code GCUM15 when registering.
• Building the smart cities of tomorrow requires a sustainable measured approach across all utilities from power distribution, water management, waste management and smart grid networks, Sustainable Utilities Middle East Expo 2015 held between the 28-29 October at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena, Dubai, UAE. The event will leverage the experience and expertise in the Utilities sector and help bridge the divide between key government stake holders, industry decision makers and the latest products and solutions. Click here to register.

As a Green Building Council we engage public and private sectors, Academia and other not-for-profit organizations to green the UAE built environment and reach the targets set by the UAE Vision 2021 towards sustainable development and green economy. We strongly believe that everyone has a great role to play and there are many ways for you to get involved:

• Come to our events to learn more about the latest trends, regulations and innovations, and enjoy networking opportunities;
• Educate yourself by attending our training sessions;
• Become an active individual or corporate member and participate in our various working groups and workshops.

To learn more about our programs and membership benefits do not hesitate to contact us!

Emirates Green Building Council’s presence in trade magazines and national newspapers is continuously growing. Highlights of this month’s coverage include the 9 Year Anniversary of EGBC’s first board meeting and Saeed Al Abbar’s appointment to the World GBC. Below are just a few of the many worth sharing.

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has redefined the sustainable built environment of the UAE supporting the nation to achieve new benchmarks through nine years of path-breaking initiatives. Click here to read more.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), has joined the board of directors of the World Green Building Council, which has representation from more than 90 countries. He follows Adnan Sharafi, who had held the post for the past two years and was the first Emirati on the board. Click here to read more.