For the 5^th year running the MENA Green Building Awards honoured companies that demonstrate clear implementation of sustainable design, construction and/or operation of buildings and structures. The ultimate goal is to help establish a regional model for the sustainable built environment that is world class and replicable. Join us on 1^st November in Dubai for a morning to celebrate the 2017 winners’ achievements and learn about the innovations which earned them an award at this year’s ceremony. The 2018 Awards Cycle will also be launched during the event with new categories. If you are interested in taking home a coveted crystal in 2018, this event is not to be missed. Click here for the registration link.

EmiratesGBC, a founding member of the Global Coalition for Green Schools, is proud to announce the first Emirates Coalition for Green Schools Roundtable entitled, the State of our Schools. A white paper will be published based on the session’s discourse. Join us on Sunday, November 19^th at Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates. Email: events@emiratesgbc.org to learn more.

The Emirates Coalition for Green Schools brings together the UAE’s strongest advocates of green schools to create a national vision of healthy, high-performance schools that are conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money. The Global Coalition for Green Schools is comprised of green building councils and other like-minded organizations from around the world working together to equip communities with the resources and support they need to transform their schools. EmiratesGBC is a founding member of the Global Coalition.

Registration is now open for the next Building Retrofit Training Level One (Beginner) course, scheduled to take place on November 16^th in Dubai. For practical details and FAQ’s, please follow the link here.

Already made up your mind to register? Click here to book your seat today!

The BRT Program is In partnership with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company).

Held under the theme “Urban Energy: Powering Smart, Happy and Efficient Cities”, the 6^th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress took place on October 17 & 18 in Dubai at Pullman Dubai Creek City Center on Day 1 and City Center Me’aisem on Day 2.  We have received resounding positive feedback on the content and discussions that were resulted from the program. Stay tuned, as we will be sharing the Congress brief in the coming weeks, which will serve as a reference to the conclusion of a successful Annual Congress.

We would like to give special thanks to EmiratesGBC Corporate Members Majid Al Futtaim and Akzo Nobel who committed their support of the Congress as Venue Sponsor and Principal Sponsor, respectively.  Thank you!

On October 11^th, EmiratesGBC co-facilitated a workshop for over 70 of Dubai’s high school teachers hosted by Knowledge and Human Development Authority. In EmiratesGBC’s portion of the workshop, we sought to answer the question, “What can we do?” by demonstrating the Green Building Tooltips interactive platform for teachers to use with their students. Our message was clear: green buildings provide an optimal platform from which we can collectively meet the UAE’s energy, water and broader sustainability targets.

2017 is flying by and Emirates Green Building Council will be finishing the year strong! Make sure to block the following dates in your calendar for December. More to follow in the coming weeks.

• December 6: Green Building Tour of the Sustainable Autonomous House at Mohamed Bin Rashid Space Center
• December 12: EmiratesGBC Members-only Technical Workshop
• December 14: EmiratesGBC Annual General Meeting

We are pleased to invite Hotels, Shopping Malls and Schools in Dubai to participate in the Benchmarking Project carried out in a partnership with Dubai’s commitment to the Building Efficiency Accelerator, a global initiative under the United Nations program Sustainable Energy for All “SE4All”, in which EmiratesGBC is collaborating with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

Under this initiative, we will benchmark at least 100 buildings in three focus groups (Hotels, Schools and Shopping Malls). To participate in this project, contact the EmiratesGBC office at  04-3468244 or send an email with your interest to BEA@emiratesgbc.org.  You can learn more about the Benchmarking Project here.

BEA Sponsorship opportunities are also open, and we invite you to learn more by clicking here or contacting engagement@emiratesgbc.org.

EmiratesGBC Corporate Member and long-term partner Majid Al Futtaim took a new leap in their sustainability journey with a commitment to become Net Positive by 2040. Congratulations to Majid Al Futtaim and their continued efforts toward sustainability, we are pleased to share with you the region’s first Net Positive whitepaper

Please click here to read the whitepaper

Earlier this month, EmiratesGBC travelled to Jaipur, India to attend several meetings of the World Green Building Council, including participation in its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Members Day.  Nearly 30 green building councils were represented from around the globe, all committed to sharing knowledge, contributing ideas and discussing best practices over the course of three days.

EmiratesGBC is committed to connecting the work we do locally with the green building movement globally.  Thus, unwavering in our continued leadership, our Council has representatives serving on the WorldGBC Board of Directors, CEO Network, Membership Committee and also serves as Chair of the MENA Network of GBCs.  Attending the WorldGBC AGM and engaging other GBCs help us build stronger more connected relationships, allowing us to collectively have greater impact for the green building movement.

This month we encourage you to improve your lifestyle by adopting an EmiratesGBC Green Building LifestyleTooltip – “When stuck in traffic or stopped at an intersection, switch your gear to neutral. Did you know that car idling can waste 1.5 litres of fuel per hour of idling.”

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 a home, school and office building.  The initiative is powered by BASF and Legrand, EmiratesGBC board members underlining their commitment to promoting sustainability.

We strongly urge you to visit the Green Building Tooltips on our website to test out this valuable online tool and fulfil your goal of pursuing a greener lifestyle whether it be at home, school or at the office.

EmiratesGBC is proud to announce our support as a Knowledge Partner of the upcoming Energy Efficiency Expo at World Future Energy Summit from 15- 18 January 2018 in Abu Dhabi under the theme “Sustaining the Clean Energy Consensus; Empowering new players’. As with last year, we are offering our members the opportunity to join the Emirates Green Building Council’s pavilion in a key location on the show floor. Stay tuned for more details over the coming months. If you are interested to secure your space under the EmiratesGBC Pavilion, please contact us.

The 2nd Annual GCC HVAC Summit will be held on 14-15 November and will cover topics including: HVAC Regulations, Upcoming Projects in the Region, MEP Industry Challenges, IoT building, SMARTer HVAC, Ventilation Solutions, Automation Solutions, VRF, Ducting and Piping Systems and HVAC Certifications. Click here to learn more.

The Big 5 is the Middle East’s largest and most influential event for the construction industry. Organised by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa, the exhibition showcases 360-degree building solutions clustered in five product sectors: MEP services, Building Interiors & Finishes, Building Envelope & Special Construction, Construction Tools & Building Materials, and Construction Technology & Innovation. Last year’s edition of The Big 5 was the largest to date, attracting 78,579 participants from 142 countries, and 2,586 exhibiting companies. In 2017, on its 38th edition, the event introduces a new dedicated area for the HVAC-R sector, and a brand new co-located event The Big 5 Solar, while returning features include the Live Product Demonstrations and The Gaia Awards which celebrates its 10th anniversary. Gathering buyers and manufacturers of construction products from around the world, The Big 5 2017 also offers a broad educational agenda, with two high-level conferences and 70+ CPD-certified Big 5 Talks.  Register now and save AED 200: http://bit.ly/RegisterNow-TheBig5

The Big 5 Solar under the patronage of The Ministry of Energy, UAE is dedicated to driving a solar powered world through building the solar community of tomorrow. Source innovative products and technologies the solar industry and stay up to date with the latest trends.  Meet solar professionals from across the industry at the 3^rd edition of The Global Solar Leaders’ Summit on the 27 November. Brings together 300 top-level governments & a lineup of honourable speakers from across the industry. The summit is designed to provide ample opportunities for one-on-one meetings and networking, alongside thought-provoking discussions, to explore and nurture new partnerships and opportunities. Register for Free now and save AED 200: http://bit.ly/2lqtRFY

On 10^th October, EmiratesGBC hosted a workshop on Sustainable Construction Practices facilitated by Multiplex.  The workshop aimed to address the influx of local and international rating systems with a focus on LEED, Estidama and Dubai Municipality’s initiatives with this regard. Challenges of meeting local sustainability targets; encouraging an increasing need for construction practices to adapt and perform to these metrics;  the need for sustainable procurement; consistent documentation, and the conformance to design measures were also topics addressed during the workshop.

Special thanks to Sustainability Manager, Tushant Suri and Senior Sustainability Coordinator, Yohaan Cama of Multiplex for bringing such essential issues to light within the Contractors community and for offering their expertise.

On 31^st October, EmiratesGBC Members were invited to learn about the applications and associated advantages of EC motors and how they can impact the working of HVAC systems.

The workshop, held in EmiratesGBC’s office, discussed the various types of motors used commonly, the workings and advantages of an EC motor and its various applications.

The session was facilitated by our Corporate Member Ziehl Abegg, who offered deep insight into the working of EC Motors and how its use can foster energy efficiency to be incorporated into the most energy-intensive application in the Middle East: HVACs.

Technical briefs are prepared after each workshop, summarizing discussion points addressed during the workshop.  Please click here to view past briefs.

Looking ahead, the 7^th November Technical Workshop will look at the potential in energy optimization of pumps through studying improvements in pump technology. With many pumps wasting energy unnecessarily, with only 20% of them running close to their best efficiency duty point due to extreme oversizing, it can’t be argued that this is an important topic that needs to be addressed.  Register here and join us in exploring the energy optimization potential of pumps.

Are you an EmiratesGBC member or partner and would like to facilitate a workshop? Do you have any suggestions for topics to be addressed? If yes, then we’d like to hear from you – email us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org.

This month we look at the Global Opportunity Report 2017, a report DNV GL, UN Global Compact and Sustainia, which focuses on five global risks – cities disrupted by climate change; cyber threats; rising inequality; soil depletion; and unstable regions- and presents 15 corresponding opportunities that directly address them developed through digital conversations, opportunity panels, and a global online survey of 5,500 respondents. The key findings from the report show that water tops the list of the most impactful and actionable opportunities. Smart water technology enables consumers to use water in a more sustainable manner by enabling cities to better manage their water distribution networks in the face of climate disruption – an extremely vital issue being faced globally.

Other opportunities included, among others: microgrids that make cities more resilient to climate change, bacteria that brings depleted soil back to life, delivering education to conflict areas, intelligent cybersecurity and peer-to-peer energy trading on digital platforms. The report also identified six ‘Golden Global Goals’ as the most promising Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for business, which includes:  jobs and growth; good health; life on land; affordable energy; education and industry; innovation and infrastructure.

To find out more details of the global risks and opportunities, click here to read the report.

Global Action Days is on the horizon. Organised by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Global Action Days is taking place on 6-12 November 2017.

As the UAE National Operator of Green Key and proud to support FEE programs, Emirates Green Building Council encourages you to showcase your positive impact and achievements during FEE Global Action Days.  It’s simple, all you have to do is register here.

Mark November 10th on your calendar for a scheduled “social media blitz” as Global Action Days will be going viral!  #FEEGAD #globalactiondays

If you are part of the hospitality sector and interested in becoming Green Key Certified, please contact greenkey@emiratesgbc.org.

In collaboration with British University in Dubai, we offer a series of trainings that prepare attendees for examinations including LEED and AEE courses. Please contact us for more details.

• LEED AP (BD+C) November 9-11, 2017. Click here to access the flyer.
• CEM November 26-29, 2017. Click here to access the flyer.

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.

AkzoNobel, a leading global paints company, is supporting the region’s focus on promoting sustainable built environments as the Principal Sponsor of the EmiratesGBC Annual Congress to be held on October 17 & 18, 2017, in Dubai.

Organised by the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, the sixth annual congress will be held under the theme, ‘Urban Energy: Powering Smart, Happy & Efficient Cities.’

Read more

Held at Fairmont The Palm Hotel, the aim of the event was to discuss rethinking Infrastructure by incorporating spheres of sustainability: People, Planet, Peace, Prosperity and Partnerships, ‘five Ps’. It was organised by EEG, in association with Arabia CSR Network, Emirates Green Building Council and United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP. The Emirates Global Aluminium, EGA, sponsored the event.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC spoke about how effective partnerships are crucial in planning and developing infrastructure development, he said, “Working with other associations in the industry has proven to be a key success factor in building our capacity building program. Our involvement today serves as a great example of how we can support one another.”  Read more

The sixth Annual EmiratesGBC Congress was held on October 17 and 18 at the Pullman Dubai Creek City Center hotel, under the theme ‘Urban Energy: Powering Smart, Happy & Efficient Cities’ highlighting the various aspects of promoting human well-being in urban cities. Hosting global experts in the field of sustainability, the Congress is one of the most-anticipated industry events of the year that presents the green vision of the UAE and the region in the context of built environments.

In addition to in-depth discussions by global energy management experts, the Congress included a keynote presentation via video on well-being by John Alker, Campaign and Policy Director; Steering Committee Better Places for People, UK Green Building Council; World Green Building Council where he shared the learnings from the first-of-a-kind ‘Wellbeing Lab’ that was launched by UKGBC in September 2016.  Read more

The newest trends in powering smart, happy and efficient cities with a focus on urban energy management were highlighted at the opening day of the sixth Annual EmiratesGBC Congress at Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre hotel.

Organised by Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, and held under the patronage of the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment, the Congress hosted international experts in the field of sustainable built environments.

Welcoming delegates, Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “Now in its sixth year, the Annual EmiratesGBC Congress has evolved as a definitive voice that presents actionable and real-world studies on how urban environments can be made more energy-efficient. This year, with a larger remit, we have focused on smart cities, complementing the vision of our leadership in promoting intelligent and energy-efficient environments. The deliberations of the Congress serve as guidelines on how various stakeholders across the construction industry and the community can come together to develop sustainable built environments that promote human well-being. The transformational steps that we take today is our investment in a greener future for our coming generations.”   Read more

A changing climate across the Middle East in the coming years will force Gulf retailers to evolve, according to the head of Majid Al Futtaim’s shopping division.

The Gulf countries will experience a dramatic increase in temperature over the next 80 years, leaving large parts of the region beyond the limit of human survival, according to at least three studies published since 2015.

“If there’s one thing we observe about our species, it’s the ability to innovate and survive. Our species survives in places like Antarctica and elsewhere, so we innovate to survive,” said Gaith Shocair, CEO of Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim, speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the Emirates Green Building Council Congress on Tuesday.  Read more

The focus on sustainability is one of the biggest trends in the GCC’s building sector. This is underpinned by Dubai being ranked third in the list of global cities with the highest number of green-certified buildings in the ‘Sustainability and Wellness in Dubai’ report by Core Savills with over 550 projects under LEED certification and the implementation of the Estidama framework in Abu Dhabi.  Read more