There is still time to submit applications for the 2019 MENA Green Building Awards, the application window will close on 27^th July so be sure to submit your applications before this date.

The Annual MENA Green Building Awards Program celebrates achievements, success stories and best practices across the region by honouring companies and projects that demonstrate clear implementation of sustainable design, construction and operation of buildings and support the industry’s rapid transition to a net zero future. The awards have 20 professional categories including for the first time in the region an award for ‘Zero Building/Zero Building Design of the Year’. Shortlisted applicants will be notified by the end of September with the winners announced at the 7^th Annual MENA Green Building Awards Ceremony in October.

The Awards are open to projects and companies in the MENA region and are endorsed by the World Green Building Council and supported by regional Green Building Councils: Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco and Palestine.

Sponsorship opportunities for the Awards are available with an early bird discount offer until August 1st 2019.   This year we have introduced the option of Category Sponsor which offers you the opportunity to represent one of the 20 catgeories being celebrated this year.

To find our more about the categories and application process, please visit the MENA Green Building Council Awards website and download the applicant guidelines.

If you are interested in sponsoring the MENA Green Building Awards please take a look at our sponsorship packages or contact engagement@emiratesgbc.org.

Calling all students and recent graduates – get your projects recognized by industry professionals and win a cash prize! Applications are still open for the 2019 cycle of the Dr. Owainati Student Excellence Award.

The Award, sponsored by EmiratesGBC Co-Founder Dr. Sadek Owainati, specifically rewards a student from a recognised university in the UAE who has conducted exceptional research work in a subject related to green buildings in the Middle East. The Award is open to an academically accepted thesis and/or research paper submitted for a post-graduate degree or a final year undergraduate university research project or dissertation in the United Arab Emirates. The award is judged by a panel of industry experts and the winner will receive individual membership to EmiratesGBC and be eligible for a cash prize (amount based on scoring).

The deadline for submission is 27^th July and Shortlisted applicants will be notified by the end of September with the winner announced at the Annual MENA Green Building Awards Ceremony in October. Find our more about the categories and application process please visit the Student Awards website and download the applicant guidelines.

We are pleased to welcome Majid Al Futtaim as Platinum Partner for the 2019 MENA Green Building Awards. Majid Al Futtaim’s continuous support of the flagship green building awards in the region highlights their ongoing commitment and leadership towards sustainable development on both the regional and global level. Thank you Majid Al Futtaim and we look forward to partnering for another successful awards cycle and celebrating the achievements of the industry.

We invite you to join us in extending our appreciation.

Hurry up, the sponsorship of 4 student memberships is still available with EmiratesGBC, and the first four students to apply for student membership will have their 2019 membership fees waived.  Interested students should submit their membership application form to the EmiratesGBC office and show proof of full-time enrollment with a university in the UAE. Student membership offers the chance to network with industry professionals, attend industry events and training, and get insight into the local green building job market.

This student sponsorship is thanks to the generosity of EmiratesGBC member Holley Chant – thank you, Holley!

The Net Zero Centre of Excellence launched the Net Zero Centre of Excellence 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 global Advancing Net Zero Project. We invite you to explore the website to learn more about the Centre’s objectives, our research, Zero building certifications and the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.

The Council’s latest work and achievements under the Net Zero Centre of Excellence are included in the Advancing Net Zero Status Report 2019, published by World Green Building Council.

The race to be the first zero certified building in the UAE has begun.

If you are working on a net-zero project,  please email us at netzero@emiratesgbc.org, the first 10 pilot projects in the UAE that apply to ILFI’s ZE and ZC certifications will receive a 50% discount.

The ILFI’s Zero Energy (ZE) Certification allows projects to demonstrate zero energy performance and certifies that the building is operating at zero energy, harnessing renewable energy to produce net annual energy demand, through a third-party audit of actual performance data. The ZE certification requires that: “One hundred percent of the building’s energy needs on a net annual basis must be supplied by on-site renewable energy. No combustion is allowed.” To find out more, click here.

The Commitment now has 52 signatories, you can find the full list of current signatories here. We encourage our members and partners to join AESG and Majid Al Futtaim by joining the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment in 2019. EmiratesGBC will continue to advocate for regional players to join this highly effective mission toward worldwide decarbonisation. If interested, please email us at netzero@emiratesgbc.org.

We are pleased to announce that we have finished the updates for the Abu Dhabi and Dubai City Briefs.

EmiratesGBC annually publishes the Green Building Market City Briefs in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The briefs highlight the green building policies in both Emirates and show evidence of the great progresses and achievements from the implemented initiatives that promote sustainable development in the country.

To read the updated City Briefs, click here.

Being the first Green Building Council in the region, EmiratesGBC does not take its role lightly, and our team has worked diligently over the years to ensure that we are not only championing the green building movement in the UAE but also across the MENA region and beyond.  EmiratesGBC engages and participates in multiple regional and global projects and initiatives, ensuring the UAE and MENA region are represented, and it is with this commitment in mind that we are very proud to announce EmiratesGBC’s continued leadership with World Green Building Council.

EmiratesGBC Chair Saeed Al Abbar has recently been confirmed for a second term on the WorldGBC Board of Directors and has also been elected as a board officer in the role of Treasurer for WorldGBC.  EmiratesGBC Vice Chair Khaled Bushnaq has also been confirmed for a second term to serve as Chair to the WorldGBC MENA Regional Network.  Both will serve in these important regional and global positions until June 2021. Congratulations, Saeed and Khaled!

With nearly 60% of MENA’s population living in cities, it is increasingly important to put sustainable cities at the forefront of discussion and touch on topics such as quality buildings, energy, and transport, among others. Last month, EmiratesGBC participated in the 8^th FES Sustainable Cities Conference that took place in Marrakech, Morocco to discuss precisely these issues. The event was part of a conference series organized by the Freidrich-Ebert-Stiftung Regional Climate and Energy Project MENA in collaboration with the WorldGBC MENA Regional Network.  Countries across the region were represented, and EmiratesGBC and Dubai Supreme Council of Energy travelled to Morocco to share Dubai’s experience and some of the work being done in the UAE, including initiatives like the Building Efficiency Accelerator, Net Zero Carbon Buildings, and Energy Performance Targets.  Discussing such issues with our counterparts in cities across the region lends to invaluable knowledge exchange and supports the drive towards sustainable solutions.

With the 2019 MENA Green Building Awards cycle well underway we are featuring last year’s winners to inspire our next round of applications. This month we look at green building product of the year which is divided into three sub-categories: Energy Management, Indoor Air Quality, and Conventional Construction Materials. This month we look back at the Indoor Air Quality sub-category.

The 2018 winner of this category was TermoDeck by Eco-Structures International. The TermoDeck’s HVAC design increases Indoor Air Quality, thermal and occupant comfort levels, maximizes fresh air, and eliminates internal recirculation and bacteriological growth. It uses concrete to store energy, reduces the burden on natural capital, slashes peak energy consumption, and lowers powerplant emissions; whilst cutting CapEx, O&M and electricity consumption.

Congratulations Eco-Structures International!

A special mention to the shortlisted entrants in this category: Fenomastic Wonderwall by Jotun and Carrier Airovision Air Handling Units by Carrier Middle East Limited

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

The Green Key programme, an international eco-label for tourism facilities, and is managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education with Emirates Green Building Council serving as the UAE National Operator since 2013. The programme has been expanding steadily since its inception in the UAE and by mid 2019, it is expected that over 40 hotels in the UAE will be Green Key certified. Certified hotels and resorts operate more efficiently than others and have targeted actions that go towards reducing their carbon footprint.

Did you know that the Green Key certification is not only for hotels and resorts, and that other hospitality sites such as restaurants and cafés can apply too? Around the world, more and more restaurants and cafes are applying for the certification. Most recently, two cafés in Cardiff, Wales, Penylan Pantry and the Secret Garden Café, became Green Key certified. Both establishments were already passionate about promoting local producers and the environment, and so applying for the international label was their next big step in cementing their commitment to responsible operation.

If you are a developer, hotelier, or own a restaurant or a café and you are interested in applying for the Green Key Certification, please email us at greenkey@emiratesgbc.org.

EmiratesGBC Corporate member Jotun LTD is committed to sustainable development and its implementation in the construction sphere.  They lead by example and have been pushing the agenda within the paint industry, by reiterating the importance of paints and coating to green projects.  They have recently developed the Green Building Solutions (GBS) programme; GBS is a programme that advocates a simple way to select paints and coatings for green projects.

We invite you to read more about this programme below:

“Climate change is a reality and reducing CO2 emissions is imperative if there is going to be any lasting impact on this planet. Buildings alone contribute 39% of the global CO2 emissions, and that’s why it’s encouraging to see the construction industry and the Green Buildings movement making a commitment to reduce negative effects by implementing green concepts. The ambition is to have all new buildings Net Zero in carbon emissions by 2030; and to accomplish this, we need to redefine the ways we design, construct and utilize our buildings.

Green building standards are paramount in assisting the industry to achieve its goals. They define the best practices that lead to the reduction of negative environmental impact of the buildings. Being a core part of the construction industry, Jotun has a huge responsibility to help its players make headway in the Green Buildings movement. We realised that there were industry challenges to select the most suitable solutions for green projects and set out to help specifiers, quickly and efficiently ….”  Read more

Jotun has centralised this information in the Green Building Solution Guide which can be accessed here

Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) is delighted to announce that their popular summer project “Recycle. Reforest. Repeat.” is returning for the 4^th consecutive year from the 19.06.19 till the 19.07.19 in an effort to engage the different sectors of the society in recycling practices and encourage them to take active steps towards combating desertification.

The World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) which was celebrated worldwide on the 17^th of June under the slogan “25 YEARS – Let’s grow the future together,” WDCD2019 made a call for all involved – producers, consumers and policymakers – to make a difference by investing in the future of land. As a UNCCD accredited organisation, EEG is joining hands to promote this valuable message.

Whomever achieves the target quantity of 750 kg of paper within the one-month period, between the 19^th of June and the 19^th of July 2019, will be rewarded with a uniquely designed certificate of participation during the special Awarding Ceremony to be held in September and will be granted a sapling of an indigenous tree, to be planted under their name, during EEG’s annual tree planting event in December of 2019. To register, click here.

You can drop off the collected paper at the EEG office anytime between 9 am – 4 pm from Saturday to Wednesday or on Thursdays between 9 am to 2 pm. Otherwise, kindly note that the minimum amount of paper required for the EEG truck to collect it from your location is 150 kg.

We are proud to invite our members, partners and industry supporters to take part in World Green Building Week for 2019.  Organised by the World Green Building Council, “World Green Building Week (23 – 29 September 2019) is an annual campaign that motivates and empowers us all to deliver greener buildings.”

Under the theme #BuildingLife, this year’s campaign is focusing on all stages of the buildings lifecycle and the carbon emissions being released at each stage.

The campaign is calling on all of the building and construction industry supply chain to decarbonize, by raising awareness about embodied emissions.

For further information about World Green Building Week and how to participate please visit the WorldGBC website and social media platforms.  #BuildingLife, #WGBW2019

WorldGBC is hosting ‘how to get involved’ webinars for #WGBW2019 which are open for all those interested, more information about the webinars can be found here.

You can join the webinars on:

• Tuesday 2 July at 08:00-09:00(BST) and 16:00-17:00 (BST)
• Tuesday 6 August at 08:00-09:00(BST) and 16:00-17:00 (BST)
• Wednesday 11 September at 9:30-10:30(BST) and 16:00-17:00 (BST)

The Hungary Green Building Council (HuGBC) has been working for 10 years for the realization of a more sustainable built environment in the country. The organization was founded in 2009 with the purpose of supporting, later leading the process to spread an environmentally conscious and economically profitable construction practice in Hungary through professional and social co-operation, by promoting the establishment of necessary market, educational and legislative conditions.

The Council’s achievements have been able to influence policy in the Country.

We would like to extend a warm congratulations to HungaryGBC for this feat and more to come.

Learn more by watching this video

This month EmiratesGBC ran the Introductory and Advanced Building Retrofit Training Course and we look forward to certifying our next wave of Building Retrofit Specialists. The Building Retrofit Training Program runs throughout the year – register today to secure your place on an upcoming course.

The training program teaches the fundamentals of Building Retrofit specific for the Middle East region and offers the opportunity to become an EmiratesGBC certified Building Retrofit Specialist after successful completion of the Advanced course and examination. Click here to read more about why retrofitting existing built environments in the UAE is crucial for meeting national and global carbon emission target.

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 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. 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.’

We encourage you to improve your lifestyle, not just for today but for all of 2019, by adopting an EmiratesGBC Green Building Tooltip.  Under the Home Green Building Tooltips, this month we urge you to consider investing in home building materials that are sourced from natural or sustainable sources and/or have certified low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content. Building materials which typically contain the highest amount of VOCs are paints, adhesives, coatings, rugs, ceilings, and carpets. Gypsum is another low VOC product that is used extensively toward building construction.  Off-gassing such as formaldehyde, from furniture, carpets, paints, and cleaning products, plus human respiration can create an indoor atmosphere that is a hundred times more polluted than the outdoor environment. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), when emitted from indoor products, can lead to serious health issues including asthma, respiratory diseases, and allergy in children.

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.

Our upcoming July Technical workshop, held on July 23^th,  will be facilitated by BESIX3D and will give an overview of the technology of 3D printing with a focus on printed concrete and its advantages. BESIX3D will delve deep into the 3D printing revolution by discussing the improvements it will bring to the construction industry within the sustainable development realm, and the challenges this fascinating invention carries.

Are you an EmiratesGBC member or partner and would like to facilitate a technical workshop? Our calendar is open for October 2019 onwards; 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.

This month we look at the latest report by the IEA, The Future of Hydrogen, which provides an extensive and independent assessment of hydrogen that lays out where things stand now; the ways in which hydrogen can help to achieve a clean, secure and affordable energy future; and how we can go about realising its potential. The report highlights how hydrogen can help to tackle various critical energy challenges, including helping to store the variable output from renewables like solar PV and wind to better match demand. It offers ways to decarbonise a range of sectors – including long-haul transport, chemicals, and iron and steel – where it is proving difficult to meaningfully reduce emissions. It can also help to improve air quality and strengthen energy security.

To read the full report, click here.

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.

As we move closer to global timelines for eliminating carbon emissions by 2050, the building and construction industry has a central role in aligning themselves with these global mandates as the sector is responsible for almost 40%of the world’s carbon emissions. Building retrofitting is an important method for improving energy efficiency of existing buildings, which not only contributes to a more sustainable built environment, but also contributes to the mitigation needed to reduce the building industry’s impact on the climate.

The UAE is taking significant steps in this direction. The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy has set the goal of reducing Dubai’s energy demand by 30 per cent by 2030, and retrofitting existing buildings is an integral part of the strategy. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has invested over $8 billion to retrofit 30,000 buildings, and once complete, it will secure an expected monetary savings of over US$22.33 billion as well as total savings of one million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 5.6bn imperial gallons of water and 1.7 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity by end-2030.

Read more

Chairman of the UAE’s Emirates GBC, Saeed Al Abbar, thinks the answer is yes – but are builders listening?

Retrofitting could help the UAE cut carbon emissions across under-construction, newly constructed, and existing buildings, according to chairman of Emirates Green Building Council (Emirates GBC), Saeed Al Abbar. 

In line with the Gulf nation’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050, new buildings in the UAE should meet be net-zero carbon structures by 2030, and existing buildings should reach that level by 2050.

While the construction industry is responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions, retrofitting could help improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings, the UAE’s state news agency, Wam, reported.

Read more