Our Net Zero Centre of Excellence was launched 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 Advancing Net Zero Project. We invite you to explore our website to see the work we are doing. We have also summarised our objectives and actions in the EmiratesGBC Snapshot.

According to the 2019 Making the Case for Building to Zero Carbon report, Zero Carbon Buildings can be achieved with a positive financial return of 1% over a 25-year life-cycle and require a modest 8% capital cost premium. Building to Zero allows assets to remain resilient and increases in asset value over time, rather decreasing. The International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon and Zero Energy Certifications, can be used to verify the design of high performance, climate-positive buildings and help projects account for both operational and embodied carbon.

If you are working on a net-zero project and would like to learn more about the certification, email us at netzero@emiratesgbc.org and we will be happy to schedule a call to discuss the benefits and process of the certification. The first 10 pilot projects in the UAE that apply to ILFI’s ZE and ZC certifications receive a discounted rate.

World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment now has 100 signatories! We now have seven EmiratesGBC members, AESG, Buro Happold, Cundall, Majid Al Futtaim, Mott MacDonald, Multiplex and Shaw Contract committed. You can find the full list of current signatories here. The case study library also showcases industry leaders who have signed the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment: 66 businesses and organisations, 28 cities, and 6 states and regions.

If you would like to join the lines of these pioneering organizations, please contact us at netzero@emiratesgbc.org.

One Click LCA Planetary has been officially launched and is available in nine languages and covers the ten most carbon-intensive and significant materials categories in construction. It provides both materials efficiency and embodied carbon metrics at once. Through our partnership with Bionova Ltd, the One Click LCA Planetary is available for all UAE companies for free!

Held under the patronage of the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment, this year the Annual EmiratesGBC Congress will discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction and building sector and reflect on the opportunities that arise in these uncertain times to build a sustainable and resilient future for the UAE through its buildings and cities.

International and regional experts will discuss the role of sustainability in the transition from crisis to recovery and reflect on the trends that will shape the future of urban areas. Through a series of presentations and panel discussions we will explore how commitments to climate action and achieving the SDG’s can support organisations in these uncertain times.

This year’s Congress will be a hybrid online and in-person event providing the opportunity for delegates from across the region to join the conversation. Register to receive updates and be notified when delegate registration opens.

We are pleased to announce Knauf and Majid Al Futtaim as platinum partners for the Congress and we are grateful for their ongoing commitment to supporting EmiratesGBC flagship events which provide a platform and forum for discussion and collaboration in the industry. If you are interested in partnering with EmiratesGBC via our sponsorship opportunities please contact us on engagement@emiratesgbc.org. Partnership offers organisations an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and commitment to sustainability in the sector through branding, media coverage and speaking opportunities.

The application window is now closed for the 2020 MENA Green Building Awards!

We have received many high quality applications representing an exciting and diverse range of projects and organizations across the region. Our panel of expert industry judges now have the task of reviewing the applications as part of our rigorous evaluation process. The award process is audited by KPMG to ensure the high standards of fairness and transparency are carried out during this assessment phase. We will be announcing the shortlisted organizations at the end of October and the winners will be revealed at the prestigious MENA Green Building Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on 18^th November. Make sure you save the date and good luck to all our applicants!

We are pleased to announce that Knauf has joined Majid Al Futtaim as Platinum Partner for the 2020 Awards and we thank them both for their longstanding commitment and support. The support from our partners is invaluable in delivering this high quality regional program.

The awards are endorsed by World Green Building Council and held in partnership with regional Green Building Councils from Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco and Palestine. To encourage academia engagement, the awards also includes the Dr. Owainati Student Excellence Award, an award eligible for students based in UAE who showcase outstanding work in sustainability. The Student Excellence Award is sponsored by Dr. Sadek Owainati, a Co-Founder of EmiratesGBC.

Before we announce and celebrate our 2020 applicants, check out the previous winners of the MENA Green Building Awards from across the region. To find out more, please visit the MENA Green Building Awards website.

EmiratesGBC is excited to announce that we will be publishing the 2020 UAE Green Building Market Brief during World Green Building Week.

The Green Building Market Brief highlights the green building policies in the UAE and showcases facts, figures and achievements from the implemented initiatives that promote sustainable development in the country. The new and updated publication will provide a snapshot of the green building industry in the UAE and be a readily available and reliable source of information for sustainable buildings.

Join us on the 24th September at our Publication Launch Webinar where we will present an overview of the Green Building Market in the UAE and be joined by industry & government representatives to reflect on the current market situation and discuss the opportunities and trends that will be shaping the construction and building industry in the months ahead.

The UAE Green Building Market Brief has been developed with the support of the highlight sponsor, KEO and supporting sponsor, Majid Al Futtaim. To register to attend click here.

On August 11^th, EmiratesGBC Corporate Member, Siemens, facilitated a technical webinar on Creating resilient and futuristic workplaces with IoT solutions. The webinar highlighted how IoT can support employees’ work with confidence, while helping employers find the right balance between employee needs, evolving safety regulations, and the physical limitations of space. You can watch the webinar here.

More information will be sent out on the technical webinar being held on September15th. You can check our upcoming webinars and events here.

We are happy to announce that our 2020 calendar is fully booked for workshops/webinars. If you are interested in facilitating a workshop/webinar in Q1 2021 please email us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org.

Tell us what is important to your organisation!

Emirates Green Building Council is requesting your professional input to help shape the future of EmiratesGBC’s programs and deliverables.

The following market survey is targeted at private sector organisations working in the building and construction industry and should take approximately 15 minutes of your time to complete. The results will feed into EmiratesGBC’s 3-year strategy.

We thank you in advance for supporting our efforts and commitment to furthering sustainable development. Please leave your contact details at the end of the survey should you wish to be contacted for an interview to share more feedback.

Please consider supporting our education and technical programs by partnering with us and coming on board as a sponsor to one of our knowledge-sharing initiatives. EmiratesGBC has an exciting calendar of events throughout the remainder of 2020, from webinars and workshops on our priority areas such as Net Zero Carbon Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Health & Wellness and Building Retrofit to our flagship Annual Congress and Annual MENA Green Building Awards. Additionally, we have industry publications that will launch in September and October 2020, which will provide an opportunity to brand yourself with valuable technical studies we’ve been working on.

We have a range of partnership opportunities for members which is a great way to get involved and showcase your organization’s leadership and commitment to sustainability. We invite you to find out more – please view our sponsorship packages or contact engagement@emiratesgbc.org.

EmiratesGBC hosts multiple events throughout the year in a variety of formats and covering a wide breadth of topics. Drawing on our members’ expertise and knowledge, we curate panel discussions, webinars, presentations and conferences that go beyond the current conversation and discuss the latest innovations and issues in the sector. If you are a member with a story to tell or interested in getting involved through speaking opportunities or would like to share ideas, please contact us at events@emiratesgbc.org with details of the topic and nominated speaker.

EmiratesGBC corporate members can fill out the speakers form and submit to events@emiratesgbc.org.

Despite the challenging market situation due to the coronavirus, the hospitality industry has shown its commitment to the green movement in the UAE, with properties still applying for Green Key certifications and recertifications. We applaud these hotels for maintaining their commitment and we look forward to supporting you through this process.

Visit the UAE Green Key to see a list of the UAE’s Green Key certified hotels.

If you would like to find out more about the Green Key certification and how we can support you, please contact greenkey@emiratesgbc.org.

Register for the upcoming October and November Introductory and Advanced Building Retrofit Training courses and improve your skills, knowledge and employability. Learn the fundamentals of Building Retrofit, Energy Efficiency, Indoor environmental quality and much more through the Introductory course or learn how to undertake a retrofit and become a certified Specialist through the Advanced course. Each course has been divided into 4-hour modules and will be led by our expert facilitators through an online platform that can be accessed from anywhere in the region.

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 and provides knowledge of sustainability to industry professionals looking to understand the fundamentals of building retrofit.

Further information about the courses, dates and eligibility guidelines can be found on the Building Retrofit Training webpage. EmiratesGBC can also schedule in-house training for groups of 10 or more, please contact training@emiratesgbc.org to request a proposal. EmiratesGBC members and partners will receive a 20% discount off the registration fees.

“Schools generally have fewer paved and impermeable surface area than offices in urban districts – however, since playgrounds use artificial surface cover, they are still susceptible to absorbing heat and should be adequately covered.”

The above is one of many useful tips available through the EmiratesGBC Green Building Tooltips. The Tooltips is an 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 Rain Bird and is supported by Taqati.

This month, we look at the report published by World Economic Forum, The Future of Nature and Business, which provides the practical insights needed to take leadership in shifting towards a nature-positive economy. The report sets out how 15 transitions across the three systems can form the blueprint of action for nature-positive transitions which could generate up to US$10.1 trillion in annual business value and create 395 million jobs by 2030.

To read the report, click here.

Article: Circular Economy, special contribution by Faisal Rashid, Sr. Director Demand Side Management, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy

Globally, we are facing the pressures of climate change, population growth and limited resources. The bio economy is part of a larger, holistic concept: the circular economy, which aims to transform the way we live so that we do not exceed our planet’s boundaries. There is only one planet that we live in, but in the next 20 years, the world will  consume triple amount of resources vs what we consume today. [read more…]

World Green Building Week

World Green Building Council’s annual campaign will be held between 21 – 25 September 2020 and this year, we’re asking you to #ActOnClimate.

World Green Building Council are calling on the building sector, policymakers and governments to take urgent action to deliver net zero buildings.

Over five days, the World Green Building Council network of Green Building Councils and partners will showcase examples of global industry leadership and deliver a coordinated, collective voice of the industry to demonstrate the existing leadership in the net zero building movement, and call for bolder and more ambitious regulation to unlock these solutions. To find out more visit the World Green Building Week webpage and be sure to get involved by following #Actonclimate on social media.

Energy Institute Generation 2050

EmiratesGBC is pleased to support our strategic partner, the Energy Institute (EI), who is creating a new platform for young energy professionals and students to share their thoughts on the global debate about climate change and universal access to energy.  As part of this Generation 2050 programme, EI is conducting a global survey, the results of which will be assembled and published later this year.  Link to survey.

COVID19-Energy Survey

After completing the above EmiratesGBC Market Survey, we suggest you spend a few minutes contributing to another important survey. BUiD and the Institute for Energy Systems at UoE is conducting a survey to assess the impact of COVID19 on the energy industry. The study is intended to help the Energy Industry position itself for a quick and effective recovery from the COVID19 impacts. The details of the replies will remain confidential and only the aggregated results will be made public. The results of the study will be shared with all participants who wish to receive a copy of the major outcomes of this study. Link to survey.

EDGE Certification Training

JordanGBC is conducting the 2nd EDGE Expert Technical Training in the MENA region during September and will be extending a discount to all EmiratesGBC members on this training.

EDGE is an innovation of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. It is a Green Building Standard, Software, and a Certification System. EDGE allows developers and builders to quickly evaluate and compare design strategies targeting reductions in energy use, water use and embodied energy in materials. EDGE empowers emerging markets to scale up resource-efficient buildings in a fast, easy and affordable way.
The training teaches the EDGE Expert Candidate about the EDGE standard, the EDGE software application, and how to navigate the certification process and prepares them to successfully pass the EDGE Exam.

The training details are:

• Date/Time: September 5 – 6, 2020, 9:00am – 1:00pm (Amman time)
• Fees:  MENA GBC network members: 130 USD/Non-Members: 150 USD
• Language: Delivered in Arabic and resources in English.
• Certification: Jordan GBCi, GBCI, and IFC

Click here to register or contact greenacademy@jordangbc.org for more information.

In this issue of Emirates Projects, we speak to HE Ali Al Jassim, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, about his role in the organisation and the challenges and opportunities for the retrofit market in the UAE and wider Gulf territories; and the studies done by EmiratesGBC to push further push sustainability in the region. [read more…]