On September 16^th, EmiratesGBC and MEFMA teamed up once again to host a 2-hour Networking Event under the topic, The Retrofit Revolution: Is the FM Industry Adequately Equipped? Three key topics were discussed: training, retrofitting certifications and the importance of energy auditors in building retrofitting.

On September 30th, EmiratesGBC held its second Hospitality Program event for the year at The Hotel Show’s Vision Conference. Under the topic, “Capacity Building and Implementation”, the session focused on defining sustainable hospitality and had key industry representatives discuss the success of their strategies in action. A big thank you to Amelie Zegmout, Nadine O’Connor, Bob Busman and Basant Kumar Kushwaha for sharing their experience, ideas and passion to green the UAE hospitality sector.

World Green Building Week was started in 2009 to create a more connected, more interactive, and a more public conversation around the role buildings play in creating our sustainable future. World Green Building Week was held this year from 21-27 September under the theme, Powering Positive Change. EmiratesGBC celebrated with two unique activities:

• Our board of directors and office team took a tour of The Sustainable City, a new development in Dubai. We were graciously hosted by our corporate member, Diamond Developers‘ CEO Faris Saeed.
• We teamed up with Canon Middle East once again to host a photography competition. This year, the competition was run on our Facebook and Twitter The broader UAE community was asked to share their #PoweringPositiveChange photos of the built environment for a chance to win camera gear and get featured on our social media pages.

EmiratesGBC’s 4th Annual EGBC Congress will be held on 20-21 October and is under the patronage of HE Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Public Works. The two day congress will explore the theme, How do Green Buildings Scale up? Bridging the Gap between Green Buildings & Sustainable Cities. Day 1 will take a conference program, held at the Dusit Thani Hotel and Day 2 will include a half day site visit and workshop. Check out the program and register before October 8th on the Congress website to avail the early bird rate.

At last month’s Technical Workshop, EmiratesGBC’s members and partners in attendance were engaged in a lively discussion that included sharing interesting industry stats and best practices related to HVAC Optimization.

This month, the Technical Workshop will analyze the essential Cradle to Cradle (C2C) design philosophy. The Cradle to Cradle (C2C) design philosophy is considered the bedrock of sustainability, yet nearly all environmental issues around the globe have been effectively linked to poor design methodologies. If manufacturers could design processes to mimic nature we would not have to worry about conservation, but rather could enjoy abundance as well as business growth

Come hear how a company adopted this philosophy and has watched its business dramatically grow. The Technical Workshop will be held on October 5^th at 8:30-10:30am To reserve your seat, please email us. Technical Workshops are open to EmiratesGBC members and partners only and subject to limited seating.

EmiratesGBC has recently released its Impact Report Measuring Green Building Progress. The report measures the EmiratesGBC impact in the UAE since its inception in 2006, highlighting how government policy efforts and EmiratesGBC organizational activities have collectively impacted the building industry and building market awareness, which have contributed towards the reduction of the UAE’s ecological footprint.  Click here to read the full report.

The EmiratesGBC EEP is a market and capacity building program created to facilitate reduction of the UAE’s carbon footprint through energy efficiency retrofits of existing buildings in the UAE and region. The program features an educational platform brought about by seminars and training programs on energy efficiency. The EEP database is a publicly available online directory featuring reputable ESCOs, Vendors, Consultants and FMCs serving the retrofit market in the UAE. The database is expected to be launched in a few weeks! To be notified, please ensure you are on our information mailing  list.

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.

Under the endorsement of the UAE Ministry of Public Works and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, the EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines will be launched in Arabic to serve Arabic-speaking stakeholders in the building efficiency industry. EmiratesGBC is completing the translation of the publication and anticipates the Arabic version release later this month.

The report “Financing the Future of Energy, The opportunity for the Gulf’s financial services sector” developed for the National Bank of Abu Dhabi  by the University of Cambridge and PwC , presents the evidence behind the changing nature of the global energy system over the next decade, highlighting the growing demand for sustainable energy in the Gulf region; the technologies that are most likely to close the supply-demand gap; and the scale of the financing required. Arguments are prepared for why banks might choose to develop and support these opportunities, and how they can work with policy makers to positively enable this to occur.

On 21 September we were pleased to attend the official ceremony to award Fairmont The Palm with their Green Key certification. On the occasion, Mr. Mark Sawkins, General Manager, received from EmiratesGBC the plaque informing guests of the hotel’s environmental performance and initiatives to reduce its ecological footprint.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “Green Key is a prestigious citation that underlines the sustainable energy, water and waste management commitment of hotels, serviced apartments and other accommodation facilities. The hospitality industry plays a key role in the UAE and it is important that the sector recognises their responsibility towards sustainability.

“Fairmont The Palm has placed strong efforts towards sustainable operations and green awareness activities amongst staff and guests, so it is with great pleasure that we have awarded it Green Key certification, making it the first hotel of the FRHI Hotels and Resorts Group in UAE and also the first hotel on The Palm Jumeirah to be Green Key certified.”

On October 2-3, 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. On November 13-14, 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.  Also on the calendar during the last quarter of the year is the Certified Energy Manager training, which will be held from November 8-11.  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 our education partner BUiD.

• 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.