Dear Members and Industry Supporters,
September marks a very important milestone for the Emirates Green Building Council as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Council. The sustainable building movement has made remarkable strides in the UAE since 2006 and EmiratesGBC is proud to have played its part in this journey. None of the Council’s achievements over the past decade would have been possible without the support and hard work of all our Members and Partners and we can all look back with a sense of pride at these accomplishments whilst also remaining steadfast and focused on the important work we have ahead of us.
The EmiratesGBC team would like to thank all its members and strategic partners for joining us in this celebration through our digital communications campaign for the month of September, as this is also a chance to highlight your actions, accomplishments, and milestones which have played an integral part in promoting the UAE and EmiratesGBC’ s vision of advancing green building principles and protecting the environment for future generations.
Looking ahead, this month will also host the launch of our first Hospitality Benchmarking Report during World Green Building Week, running from September 26th to October 2nd. This first of its kind in the region benchmarking project evaluates the performance of the UAE hospitality sector and will contribute to efforts in reducing the sector’s carbon footprint by providing hard data on operational performance.
The relevance of the report is crucial to the country’s tourism industry and the building industry as a whole. With the advent of the World Expo 2020, the UAE is expecting around 25 million visitors. We are hopeful that the EmiratesGBC’s Hospitality Benchmarking Report will become a go-to resource, attracting more hotels to participate in the next phase of this fundamental project.
Planning for our 5th Annual Congress is well underway and the EmiratesGBC team is working hard towards another successful event. Online registration is now open for the Congress, and I encourage you to please take the time to visit the EmiratesGBC website for more details.
Sincerely,
Saeed Al Abbar
EmiratesGBC News and Updates
EmiratesGBC is proud to invite you to its 5th Annual Congress 2016 – Registration now open!
That’s a Wrap! The EmiratesGBC 2016 Awards Winners Showcase was a Success!
On 24th August, the 2016 EmiratesGBC Awards winners shared their success stories during the showcase event, EmiratesGBC Awards Winners: Leaders in the MENA Region. Five out of our eight winners shared their learnings from undertaking best in class projects and products along with their strategies for submitting a winning application. We were also treated to a tour of the organic community garden managed by Slow Food Dubai and we got to smell some of the most fragrant oregano we have ever smelled! Thank you to our venue host, TIME Oak Hotel and Suites, Barsha Heights, Dubai.
If you are interested in applying to the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards please email egbcawards@emiratesgbc.org
Celebrate Our 10 Year Anniversary with Us!
We are thrilled to announce that Emirates Green Building Council is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. We are inviting our Corporate Members to celebrate with us through a digital communications campaign for the month of September 2016. September will highlight accomplishments in the green building industry over the past 10 years.
Contact us for more details. The anniversary festivities will also include an invitation-only, VIP anniversary celebration event on September 21st where we will glance back at the accomplishments of the last 10 years and acknowledge those who have contributed to the Council’s success. If you received an invitation from us, please be sure to RSVP by September 8th.
EmiratesGBC Energy Efficiency Program Townhall was a huge success!
On August 10th, over 40 EmiratesGBC EEP members listened attentively as Dubai Municipality representatives presented the Al Sa’fat Rating system and answered a multitude of informed questions from corporate members.
The town hall format was successful as both the presenters and the participants mutually benefited from the Q&A session. The town hall was open to EmiratesGBC’s EEP members only. The Energy Efficiency Program is free to EmiratesGBC Corporate members. To register for the program, please click here.
EmiratesGBC Joins the Advisory Board for Better Places for People
Emirates Green Building Council is now a member of the World Green Building Council’s Health and Well-Being in Buildings program called, Better Places for People. Click here to learn more about the work of Better Places and stay tuned for the Offices Compendium Report that will be released in October and will feature Middle Eastern case studies on health, wellbeing and productivity in offices.
EmiratesGBC Supports Upcoming Industry Exhibitions & Conferences
EmiratesGBC Supports EEG & Celebrates World Green Building Week 2016
The EEG and Arabia CSR Network invite you to the 3rd edition of its Panel discussion series titled “Responsible Consumption and Production – Water” to be held on Thursday 29th of September 2016 during World Green Building Week from 10:00am – 12:30pm in Dubai. Registration shall start at 9:30 am and the panel discussion will run from 10:00 am – 12.30 pm.
The session will be organized in association with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC), under the overarching theme of Sustainable Consumption and Production”, which is Goal number 12 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The panel discussion session will focus on the resource availability, production and consumption of water in the natural and built environment within the UAE.
To learn more contact the EEG office at +971 4 344 8622 or send your confirmation to eeg@emirates.net.a
EmiratesGBC Supports CEBC & Celebrates World Green Building Week 2016
EmiratesGBC is proud to support Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC)’s workshop dedicated to energy efficiency in MENA taking place on 28 September during World Green Building Week at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai from 8:15am to 2pm. Our Chairman, Saeed Al Abbar will be guest speaker for the panel session, Financing Structures to Value and Drive Energy Efficiency. The session will cover topics such as what are the best financing mechanisms for helping small and medium enterprises value and drive energy efficiency, and an overview and analysis of Shared Savings model versus Guaranteed Savings and the pros and cons for each. EmiratesGBC members will receive a special 50% discount off the CEBC non-member rate of AED 300. For member discount details contact engagement@emiratesgbc.org. Click here for more details and to register.
Join the EmiratesGBC Pavilion at Energy Efficiency Expo (WFES 2017)
EmiratesGBC is inviting its members to exhibit with us under the EmiratesGBC Pavilion at the Energy Efficiency Expo, co-located with World Future Energy Summit. EmiratesGBC is a founding partner of the Energy Efficiency Expo dedicated to promoting energy efficiency across buildings, transportation and manufacturing sectors. The event is hosted by Masdar and is a part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability week, taking place from the 16 – 19 January 2017 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. In order to showcase the green, sustainable and energy-efficient products & solutions of its members, EmiratesGBC is managing a dedicated pavilion at the Energy Efficiency Expo. EmiratesGBC members exhibiting within the pavilion are eligible for special rates and will have access to around 30,000 plus visitors including Government Authorities, Architects, Building Contractors, Engineers and Consultants.
Contact Reed Exhibitions lynish.menezes@reedexpo.ae if you are interested and be sure to let them know you are an EmiratesGBC Corporate Member
Cityscape Global 2016 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 6 – 8 September 2016 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE. To find out how you can get involved please contact the Cityscape Global team at info@cityscapeglobal.com or click here for further information.
The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) is an initiative by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) and is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister of UAE and The Ruler of Dubai and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, in cooperation with World Climate Ltd and WETEX. The World Green Economy Summit remains the premier international platform for strategic partnerships and innovative solutions seeking to accelerate the transition into the green economy. WGES 2016 is the 3rd of its event series and will be held over two days on the 5th and 6th of October 2016, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Click here to register.
Special Technical Workshop for Contractors
On September 20th, EmiratesGBC will host a special Technical Workshop dedicated to UAE contractors and sub-contractors. Management systems and tools such as the ISO series and processes can easily be implemented and applied to green building projects, as they are built for compliance assessment and provide a good back bone to prepare for a green rating application.
During the session, facilitated by EmiratesGBC Board representative from Brookfield Multiplex, contractors and sub-contractors will engage in discussion about processes and best practices to implement a green project while guaranteeing safety, efficiency and deadlines. The workshop will take place on Tuesday 20 September, 9-12am, EmiratesGBC Office (Al Quoz, Dubai).
This special Technical Workshop is open to all and free of cost. It is subject to limited seating and priority will be given to contractors. Registration is requested before 19th September via technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org
Members Only: EmiratesGBC Technical Workshops
On August 16th, EmiratesGBC hosted its monthly members-only Technical Workshop to discuss the advantages of external thermal insulations systems (ETICS) while addressing the challenges encountered on site. Discussions highlighted the need to standardize testing methods and requirements for insulation materials, as well as the need for clarity related to new fire regulations. Thank you to Caparol for facilitating the session and to all our members who attended and shared their respective insights and suggestions.
Our upcoming Technical Workshop will take place on September 27th and will discuss the latest research on “health and wellbeing in the work space”; an extension to the report published by the World Green Building Council. The session will also explore the relationship between occupational health and sustainability. To register please email technicalworkshops@emiratesgc.org. The workshop will take place on Tuesday 20 September, 9-12am, EmiratesGBC Office (Al Quoz, Dubai).
Technical Workshops are open to EmiratesGBC members and partners only and subject to limited seating. Please be sure to register your participation early. Registration is requested before 19th September via technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org
Academy Feature of the Month
Along with the Better Places for People Program (see above article), the UK Green Building Council developed a brief summarizing the WorldGBC framework for understanding how design & build teams can grasp the link between an office’s design and the health, wellbeing and productivity of its occupants. This knowledge will help you respond to the growing interest of clients on this fast-moving topic. To read more: http://bit.ly/2aIseLd
Green Key Spotlight
There is no rest for sustainable operations within hotels in the UAE. We are pleased to mention that we have five new applications in process for the month of September, in addition to planning for 2017 re- certifications which will kick off next month.
To help us raise awareness and spread the word about the Green Key eco-certification contact: greenkey@emiratesgbc.org.
EmiratesGBC invites its Corporate Members to join the Green Key Program and become Official Auditors. Review the auditor criteria and contact the office for more information.
Hospitality Program Update
We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of the EmiratesGBC Energy and Water Benchmarking 2016 Report for UAE Hotels. Stay tuned as the results of the research will be shared with stakeholders within the UAE hospitality industry by the end of September.
A kind reminder, “luxury does not systematically equal efficiency…”
EmiratesGBC Trainings: What’s On and How can we Improve?
EmiratesGBC offers a series of professional training programs in partnership with British University in Dubai (BUiD). For more information and to register your intent for any of our upcoming courses, please contact our education partner BUiD.
- Certified Energy Manager (CEM): November 6-9/Exam November 19
- Certified Energy Auditor (CEA): September 18-20/Exam September 22 & October 17-19 / Exam October 20 (Abu Dhabi)
- LEED Green Associate: September 2-3 and November 11-12
- LEED Accredited Professional Neighbourhood Development (ND): October 7-8
We are starting our education program planning for 2017. To help us shape our professional course offerings, please take 30 seconds to fill out our two question survey. Thank you!
Well Done Members!
As reported by Engineering News Record (ENR), Corporate Member Dar Al Handasah ranks among the top 10 international design firms, number one in the Middle East, two in Africa, six in the United States, and seven worldwide. The firm has been ranked among the top 10 consultancies by ENR for the past 30 years and just keeps moving up the scale. Congratulations Dar Al Handasah!
Click here to learn more.
EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings
Click here to learn more about how the Technical Guidelines can potentially save your facility or home millions in utility bills and reduced operational costs.
EmiratesGBC Office Room M-21 is now available for meetings and workshops!
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.
EmiratesGBC in the News
Desire for signature buildings in UAE causing energy leaks, say experts
Saeed Al Abbar, chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council, says that for buildings with a lot of glass, the performance of glazing is critical. Mr. Al Abbar says double glazing “is effectively standard now in all buildings in the UAE”, and is used alongside improved thermal insulation and more efficient air-conditioning to prevent cool air leaking out and hot air coming in. Read more …
EmiratesGBC supports Dubai Supreme Council of Energy’s participation in BEA
The Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA), a World Resources Institute project in partnership with World Green Building Council in which the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy is a member, aims to improve energy efficiency within buildings.
The partnership is in line with Dubai’s strategy to reduce 30 percent of energy demand by 2030. Read more …
EmiratesGBC to host MENA’s best green building practices
Bringing together the winners of the fourth Annual EmiratesGBC Awards, the event titled ‘EmiratesGBC 2016 Annual Awards Winners: Leaders in the MENA Region’ — served as a valuable opportunity for all stakeholders in the construction and sustainable development sectors to gain unmatched insights on developing and promoting sustainable built environments. Read more …
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