EmiratesGBC in partnership with Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority hosted a building tour and seminar at DAFZA Headquarters on 8^th December for members of the EmiratesGBC. The tour was to showcase the best sustainable practices adopted by the DAFZA building and gain knowledge from the same while learning about the impressive energy and water savings achieved by the DAFZA Headquarters and other sustainable building initiatives implemented by the Free Zone Authority. Nearly 30 people attended the tour. We would like to thank DAFZA for its cooperation and to our members for showing your continued participation.

To celebrate the success of the winners of the 2014 EGBC Awards and showcase their exemplary sustainability practices, a networking event was held on December 9th. The event featured presentations by the winning organizations like The Change Initiative, Johnson Controls and Royal City Contracting. On the same day, EmiratesGBC also announced the launch of the 2015 EGBC Awards, details for which are available on our website. Special thanks to Johnson Controls for sponsoring the event.
Applications are now being received by the office for the 2015 EGBC Awards until February 19th. The 2015 EGBC Awards will honor companies that demonstrate clear implementation of sustainable design, construction and operation of buildings and structures. The winning organizations will be awarded during the EGBC Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony that will take place in May 2015. Keep checking our website to get the latest information! We look forward to receiving your submissions.

EmiratesGBC and the French Business Council in Dubai jointly hosted a Green Innovation Event on 14^th December for suppliers in the green building and energy efficiency industry. The purpose of the event was to bring together companies in the green building industry on a common platform to showcase their sustainable innovations. A total of 17 exhibitors -members of EmiratesGBC or FBC – participated on that day.  Based on the success of the occasion, we are planning to organize other “Green Innovation Events” to offer exposure to companies contributing to innovative sustainable solutions. If you attended this event, your feedback will be highly appreciated to help us improve. Kindly send us your feedback at events@emiratesgbc.org. To view pictures from the event please click here.

The EmiratesGBC held its Annual General Meeting on 9th December. The AGM is a time for the council to reflect on its accomplishments of the year and an opportunity for corporate and individual members to voice their thoughts and recommendations for the direction of the Council. We would like to thank the committed members who attended the AGM and provided their valuable input. We have noted the discussion points that were raised during the meeting and will take them all into consideration as the Council develops its strategic plans for the coming years.

EmiratesGBC is endorsing several upcoming events and will also participate as keynote speakers to demonstrate support and further promote the field of sustainability.

In January, EmiratesGBC will be participating as an exhibitor in World Future Energy Summit, the world’s foremost annual meeting committed to promoting the advancement of future energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies by engaging political, business, finance, academic and industry leaders to drive innovation, business and investment opportunities in response to the growing need for sustainable energy. The Summit will take place 19-22 January 2015 at ADNEC, Abu Dhabi along with side events that include International Water Summit and Eco Waste 2015. For more information, click here. We encourage members to volunteer and represent EmiratesGBC at our exhibition stands. Don’t forget that volunteer hours with EmiratesGBC can also count towards LEED Maintenance Credits! Should you be available to volunteer, please email: events@emiratesgbc.org.

In March, EmiratesGBC will participate as a speaker at the Retrofit Conference taking place in Dubai. The focus of the RetrofitTech Dubai conference agenda will be on achieving the goals of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 and specifically the Demand Side Management Strategy 2030 through effective building retrofitting and refurbishment strategies. To know more about the conference, click here.

Also in March, EmiratesGBC will be supporting the 3-day Building Schools and Education Facilities Conference. The conference will look at all levels of educational institutions and will highlight planning, designing, building and maintaining schools in the region. To know more about the event, click here.

As one of the founding members of the Global Coalition for Green Schools, EmiratesGBC is developing a National Coalition to focus on the sustainable development of schools in the UAE. The aim of Global Coalition is to work alongside its national members to share best practices, resources and case studies, provide tools and infrastructure and introduce programs, initiatives and campaigns that can be replicated across the world. Should you be interested to join the task force team for the National Coalition for Green Schools, please send your interest to office@emiratesgbc.org.

The Technical Workshop program will usher in the New Year by exploring energy efficient lighting technology through various lenses. The workshop agenda will include strategies for achieving energy efficiency through proper lighting technology, the qualitative aspects of good lighting, and how the right choice of products can achieve the required energy savings needed for retrofit projects. Seating is limited so please mark your agenda to attend the session on Tuesday January 27th from 8:30am – 10:30 am and register by emailing technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org no later than January 21st. We look forward to your participation! Please note that participation is exclusive for EGBC members and partners.

The Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings is nearing completion and will soon be undergoing a third-party professional review. Proposals were received by EmiratesGBC’s member consulting firms last month, and the winning proposal will be announced later this month. This important process will ensure the technical accuracy of the guidelines as an important reference for building owners and operators, and its application towards energy efficiency retrofit projects throughout the UAE.

EmiratesGBC officially launched its Energy Efficiency Program (EEP) on 16 December 2014. An eager audience of representatives from energy service companies (ESCOs), facility management companies, green vendors and manufacturers heard EmiratesGBC Vice Chairman Khaled Bushnaq reveal the Program’s details. The event turnout highlighted the growing interest and demand within the industry for a comprehensive database of energy efficient products and services available in the UAE. Read media coverage on the program here and here.
The EmiratesGBC EEP Database will bring numerous benefits to industries by streamlining the energy efficiency market, unifying key stakeholders and simultaneously boosting company market reach as well as bringing in financial opportunities. The Energy Efficiency Program is free to EmiratesGBC Corporate members. To learn more about the program contact Tara at: tara.tariq@emiratesgbc.org.

The EmiratesGBC office team has started the process of renewing the Green Key certification for 2015 for all the 24 already-certified hotels in the UAE. This process consists at first in reviewing the documentation showing amongst others the hotels’ initiatives towards a continuous reduction in water and energy consumption, and their action plan to further educate staff and guests. Some hotels will also be audited to ensure that they comply with the comprehensive set of criteria set by the Federation for Environmental Education (FEE). Audit recommendations will then be presented to the UAE Green Key National Jury for final validation. Should you want to learn more about Green Key and know how you can help as an official auditor, please contact Lora and Marie on greenkey@emiratesgbc.org

With many interesting discussions having taken place at the end of 2014, the Hospitality Program sees a lot of good prospects for its 2015 planning. Complementing the Council’s other Programs (Energy Efficiency and Green Key in particular), the development of a comprehensive set of training modules will assist the sector to reach out even better results towards the reduction of its ecological footprint.

If you wish to help with the content and development of the training modules (direct inputs or peer review), or if you are a passionate trainer, contact Marie at office@emiratesgbc.orgto join the Hospitality program taskforce.