Announced during the 9^th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress, the EmiratesGBC Women’s Network (EWN) is a new initiative dedicated to the empowerment of women in the field of green buildings and sustainable development in the UAE and the wider MENA region. It will officially launch in 2021.

In support for Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality), the Network is a platform for knowledge-sharing, networking, and mentoring as well as for celebrating the positive female role models in the industry today. All female members of EmiratesGBC (individual or corporate membership), including members outside of the UAE, are eligible and welcome to join the EWN at no additional charge. Register today to receive further updates of how you can get involved and support the EWN.

We are also inviting corporate members to partner with us and support the initiative as EWN ‘Champions’, which offers organizations to demonstrate their commitment and leadership in gender equality and help shape the program through participation on the EWN steering committee. To find out more click here or contact events@emiratesgbc.org.

We are proud to announce our partnership with TÜV Rheinland Middle East, to endorse the Advanced Building Retrofit Training Certification. The Advanced Building Retrofit Training program in partnership with Masdar and Dubai Supreme Council of Energy is a capacity building program aimed at teaching the fundamentals to improve energy and water efficiency of buildings as well as indoor environmental quality. Participants undertake a 2-day taught workshop before taking an examination.

Those who pass the examination conducted by PersCert TÜV will receive the ‘Building Retrofit Specialist with TÜV Rheinland Certified Qualification’, an internationally recognised certificate for building retrofit.

The training consists of four modules and will cover several important elements of building retrofit such as Auditing and Commissioning, HVAC, motors, pumps and fans, HVAC Electronically Commutated Motors (ECMs), Air Quality, Lighting, Energy Management System & Building Automation System, Electric Network, Solar Systems, Water, Waste, Economic Evaluation, Measurement Instruments, Retrofit Procedures and Case Studies, and Retrofitting to Net Zero. Visit our website to find out more and register to attend.

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.

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!

According to the Global Status Report 2019, the manufacture of building materials and products account for 11% of energy-related global CO2 emissions. To keep global warming to below 2 degrees, and ideally below 1.5 degrees, we must reduce the operating emissions from buildings. We invite the industry to explore and pursue the International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon and Zero Energy Certifications, which promotes the design of high performance, climate-positive buildings that account for their total carbon impacts by reducing and offsetting 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 110 signatories! We now have eight EmiratesGBC members, AESG, Buro Happold, Cundall, JLL, 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: 76 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.

We are excited to invite all EmiratesGBC members to the 2020 AGM on 16th December at 3.30pm GST. The AGM is an important opportunity for Corporate and Individual Members to learn about the recent progress of the Council and to voice opinions and suggestions on the future direction and activities of EmiratesGBC. This year’s AGM will be held virtually for the safety and convenience of all our members. We aim to keep the AGM as interactive as possible. Please do share your questions, comments and feedback on EmiratesGBC’s current programs and activities in advance.

We encourage your participation and look forward to welcoming you on Wednesday 16th December.

This event is for EmiratesGBC corporate and individual members only and registration is free of cost. Click here to register.

On 17^th & 18^th November EmiratesGBC welcomed members, partners and industry & government representatives to the 9^th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress. It was a pleasure to meet with colleagues and friends in-person in a safe and socially distanced environment whilst welcoming our regional and international delegates online with the live-streaming.

Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change & Environment, with the theme ‘Building a Sustainable Future in Uncertain Times’, this year the Annual EmiratesGBC Congress discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction and building sector and reflected on the opportunities that arise in these uncertain times to build a sustainable and resilient future. With over 20 international and regional experts joining us for panel discussions and presentations over two days, the conversation covered the market overview, healthy buildings, circular economy and much more.

Given the challenges facing us all in 2020, we were delighted to deliver this year’s Congress as a hybrid online and in-person event providing the opportunity for delegates from across the region to join the conversation.

A big thank you to platinum partners Knauf and Majid Al Futtaim – we are grateful for their commitment to the EmiratesGBC flagship events which provide an important platform and forum for discussion and collaboration in the industry. We also thank corporate members, Ramboll and Cundall as the Congress sessions sponsors.

On the 18^th November we announced the much anticipated shortlisted and winners of the 2020 MENA Green Building Awards at the prestigious Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Live broadcast to our online audience, the Ceremony was an opportunity for those across the region to help celebrate and showcase the organisations, projects and products leading the way in making the region sustainable!

A big congratulations to all the winners and shortlisted organisations! This year we received an unprecedent number of applications and the judges praised the high quality and close competition between applicants. All applicants deserve to be applauded. Visit the MENA Green Building Awards website to meet the winning and shortlisted applicants.

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. Thank you to our partners Majid Al Futtaim and Knauf for their ongoing support and commitment to the awards program and thanks to our category sponsors Enova and Multiplex.

If you are interested in participating in the 2021 MENA Green Building Awards Cycle, make sure to sign up to our mailing list for announcements in early 2021.

On November 3^rd, EmiratesGBC Corporate Member, Siemens, facilitated a technical webinar on how to improve Delta T and save energy with Intelligent Valves. The webinar highlighted how controlling delta T is amongst the most critical aspects for buildings efficiency and also showcased how intelligent valves can facilitate work, save time, ensure comfort in buildings and control Delta T with a higher energy efficiency. You can watch the webinar here.

If you are a corporate member and interested in facilitating a workshop/webinar in 2021 please email us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org.

Please consider supporting our education and technical programs in 2021 by partnering with us and coming on board as a sponsor to one of our knowledge-sharing initiatives. Opportunities range from webinars and workshops on our priority areas such as Net Zero Carbon Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Green Schools, Health & Wellness and Building Retrofit to our flagship Annual Congress and Annual MENA Green Building Awards.

Partnership opportunities are a great way for members to get involved and showcase your organization’s leadership and commitment to sustainable development initiatives. We invite you to find out more – please view our sponsorship packages and contact us to learn more.

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.

Last month, Green Key joined other leaders in the tourism industry in calling for urgent action on the climate crisis through the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency initiative. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. According to a study published in the Nature Climate Change journal, tourism alone was responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2018. As a major player in the world economy, the tourism industry has the opportunity to play a significant role in the fight against climate change.

Fight climate change in 2021 by contacting us on greenkey@emiratesgbc.org to learn more about becoming Green Key certified.

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 Advanced Building Retrofit Training is endorsed by TUV Rheinland Middle East Those and participants who pass the examination conducted by PersCert TÜV will receive the ‘Building Retrofit Specialist with TÜV Rheinland Certified Qualification’, an internationally recognised certificate for building retrofit.

The program is in partnership with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) and is endorsed by Etihad ESCO. The Building Retrofit Specialist certification is now also recognized by RSB Dubai as part of its ESCO accreditation scheme.

The program offers two levels:

• 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. EmiratesGBC are partnering with a global recognized organization to provide certification to the qualification. Contact us for more details on training@emiratesgbc.org.
• 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.

“Covered car parks can also prevent the heat-island effect by reflecting heat before it reaches the ground. In addition, the roofs of these structures provide ample surface area for the installation of solar panels.”

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 HSBC and EY, Built to last: sustainable buildings frameworks for Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE. The report offers a snapshot of the building sector in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and highlights the key strategic, financial, market and technological enablers for green buildings in these countries. It particularly looks at how green building practices can deliver environmental and socio-economic benefits to achieve the global sustainability and climate change goals.

To read the report, click here.

World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) launched its Health & Wellbeing Framework — a comprehensive educational tool for a healthy and equitable built environment — after a multi-year global consultation in a global online summit on November 4^th 2020, followed by the MENA launch on November 5th.

With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing the link between the built environment and human health into focus, the Framework is a welcomed piece of work with a plethora of information.  The Framework’s six principles span indoor air quality, human rights in the supply chain, climate change resilience, and more. Click here to view the Executive Report of the Framework.

With a special opening address by Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Honorary President of Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) and CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability, EmiratesGBC also marked the conclusion of its 9th Annual Congress held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment with the theme ‘Building a Sustainable Future in Uncertain Times.’ [read more…]

The inaugural d3 Architecture Festival in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects Gulf Chapter (RIBA Gulf Chapter), with the support of RIBA, has officially started, raising the curtain on the emirate’s first platform showcasing architecture, urbanism and development. [read more…]