Under the Patronage of H.E. Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, U.A.E. Minister of Public Works, the 3rd Annual EmiratesGBC Congress will be held on 20 – 21 October 2014 at the Grosvenor House, Dubai. The Congress will bring together government bodies like Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Ras Al Khaimah Environment Protection and Development Authority, Dubai Municipality, Emirates Standardization & Metrology Authority.  Other expert speakers will include renowned international specialists from UNEP, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and the City of Los Angeles, all of which will offer inspiring and interactive discussions, thus creating a platform for learning, networking and capacity building.

Stay up to date on the program and confirmed speakers by visiting the Congress website. Online delegate Registration is open so do not wait any longer! We encourage you to reserve your seat now to ensure your spot at this important 2-day event.

Green Apple Day of service is celebrated every year in the month of September, which provides a unique opportunity to teachers, students, the community, and local companies and organizations to transform schools into healthy and livable spaces. EmiratesGBC celebrated the Green Apple Day of Service on the 28th September in a unique way by compiling an essential and user friendly list of “Green Tips for Schools“. The list is now available for download from our website and provides a simple reference for schools to start reducing their carbon footprint. Kindly click here to download these quick and easy tips to green our schools!!

This month, we’ve heard members’ feedback and have responded accordingly: due to its popular demand, EmiratesGBC will again look into ESCO principles and mechanisms, offering a repeat workshop which concentrates on the new regulated framework. Seating is limited so please mark your agenda to attend the session on Tuesday October 14th from 8:30 – 10:30 am and register by emailing Tara at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org no later than 9th October. We look forward to your participation! Please note that participation is exclusive for EGBC members and partners.

The EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings is an important publication for the continued longevity and environmental sustainability of existing buildings in the UAE. The project is nearing completion, and the Council appreciates the tremendous support it has received from its members and partners with help in drafting and/or peer reviewing vital sections that comprise the Guidelines. To maintain technical accuracy, we welcome further input from EGBC Members and Partners who would be interested in joining the exercise. Chapters that require expert review pertain to energy and water efficiency, air quality, materials and waste management. All contributors will be recognized in the final publication. If you are interested and have the time and expertise to share, please contact office@emiratesgbc.org mentioning the chapters in which you are interested to contribute.

The 2014 World Green Building Week was themed ‘Get Up, Green Up’ and was celebrated by EmiratesGBC with various activities throughout the week. Aimed at creating a more interactive and public conversation around the role buildings play in creating our sustainable future, the below activities took place in the UAE.

21^st September: Photography Competition for University Students in partnership with Canon.

EmiratesGBC in partnership with Canon Middle East hosted a Photography Competition for all the University students in the U.A.E.. A number of photo entries were received, making it tough to decide the top 5. However, based on the judges’ scores, the top 5 winners for the competition are:

1. 1^st Winner: Nadia Saleh, American University of Sharjah
2. 2^nd Winner: Mohamed Noorudeen, Ras Al Khaimah
3. 3^rd Winner: Scott Lorenzo, Middlesex University
4. 4^th Winner: Raina D’Souza, Manipal University
5. 5^th Winner: Riya Biju, Heriot Watt University

A big congratulations to all the winners! The winning photos will be on display during the Annual EGBC Congress on 20^th October at Grosvenor House, Dubai.

22nd September: Cultural Heritage Tour with support from Al Serkaal Foundation Group

EmiratesGBC in partnership with Al Serkaal Foundation Group hosted a Cultural Heritage Walk representing the “Importance of Heritage Conservation” at Bastakiyaan. The walk was led by representatives from Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding and touched base on the importance of traditional building design.

23rd September: Building Tour with Masdar

EmiratesGBC in partnership with Masdar hosted a building tour at Masdar City which demonstrated the best practices undertaken at the Siemens Headquarters. With sustainability at its best, this tour provided a glimpse at efficient and innovative technologies adopted at the Masdar City to make it as one of the most renowned cities.

24th September: Movie Screening

To bring the community together and raise awareness around the sustainability movement, EmiratesGBC in partnership with EWS-WWF and Vox Cinemas hosted a screening of the film “Home”.

We would like to thank all the attendees who participated in various activities carried out during the World Green Building Week!! We look forward to your continued participation. Thank you!

EmiratesGBC & MEFMA will jointly host a networking event on 19^th November at Sheraton Hotel, Mall of Emirates from 9:00am to 11:00am. The panel session during the event will focus on Sustainable Design & Construction where experts from the field of design, construction & facilities management will discuss the sustainability and green initiatives in the design and construction industry.

We invite you to register for this interesting event by emailing events@emiratesgbc.org. The rates for EmiratesGBC & MEFMA members are 50 AED and for Non Members 150 AED.

EmiratesGBC in partnership with BUiD will be conducting LEED GA training on 31^st October and 1^st November. The purpose of this training is to familiarize the basic LEED Green Associate concept to the attendees which prepares them to give the examination for the LEED GA. For more details on the examination, kindly go to www.usgbc.org.

Industry professionals in the UAE now have the opportunity to distinguish themselves in energy management by becoming a Certified Energy Manager (CEM). EGBC with British University in Dubai (BUiD) and in association with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) are offering CEM Training and exam to gain CEM qualification. The qualification is geared towards engineers and architects working in energy engineering or energy management. The training course, after a successful participation in 2013 and early 2014, will be held from 30th November – 4^th December 2014, with the early closing on 16^th October, at the British University in Dubai. For more details or to register your interest, please contact BUiD at training.pdu@buid.ac.ae.

We are looking to you to tell us what other training and education opportunities you would like to see offered by the EmiratesGBC. Please contact the EmiratesGBC office if you are interested in more information on any of the LEED training courses or would like to share with us your training needs.

With several events taking place across the region, EmiratesGBC is stepping up and supporting such conferences & exhibitions which are making their mark in the field of sustainability thereby providing a common platform for organizations and professionals in the field of energy, waste, water and environmental management to share their ideas and discuss the latest technologies in the field.

From November 17^th to 20^th, The Big 5 will take place in Dubai as the largest construction exhibition in the Middle East, serving as a networking platform for construction product suppliers and buyers since 1979. Be sure to look for the EmiratesGBC stand in the exhibition! To know more, click here.

In December, under the Patronage of the Dubai Municipality and the Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL), the Quality Assurance for Sustainable Construction Materials Conference will be held from the 11th-12th December 2014 at the Palace Hotel, Downtown Dubai. The two-day event will highlight the Dubai Municipality’s approach to testing and quality control, as well as specifications requirements to further improve the sustainability and safety standards in the buildings and roads sector. To get more details, kindly click here.

We encourage members to volunteer and represent EmiratesGBC at our exhibition stands. Don’t forget volunteer hours with EmiratesGBC can also count towards LEED Maintenance Credits! Should you be available to volunteer, please email events@emiratesgbc.org and provide us with the day and time that suits your schedule to volunteer for any of the above mentioned exhibitions.