Last month EmiratesGBC launched the EmiratesGBC Women’s Network!

During the event we will brought together a panel of esteemed speakers who discussed some of the challenges and opportunities for women in the building and construction sector and discussed the importance of sustainability and gender equality in supporting the UAE’s green economy. We’d like to thank WSP for their support of the event as EWN champions.

In support for Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality), the EmiratesGBC Women’s Network (EWN) is a new initiative for 2021, that aims to act as a platform to encourage and promote gender equality in the sustainability and green building sector across the region. To find out more click here or contact ewn@emiratesgbc.org

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.

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.

EmiratesGBC has partnered with Bionova Ltd, developer of One Click LCA. The partnership is based on raising awareness around embodied carbon with an objective of transforming the market towards low carbon design, construction, and manufacturing practices. To facilitate this, Bionova is offering the One Click LCA Planetary free of charge for companies in the UAE. The software has several capabilities which allows the calculation of material and carbon efficiency (A1-A3 stages).

EmiratesGBC is focusing on creating awareness towards embodied carbon in the UAE by creating a publication. We encourage companies and manufacturers to reach out to EmiratesGBC office team and learn more about this project.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Net Zero Carbon Cities Report 2021, cities cover 3% of the earth’s land surface yet they create more than 70% of all carbon emissions. To keep global temperature increases to 1.5°C or below, cities must achieve net-zero.

Buildings play a vital role in achieving net zero cities and we invite the industry to improve their performance through 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 132 signatories! We now have ten EmiratesGBC members, AESG, Arup, Buro Happold, Cundall, JLL, Majid Al Futtaim, Mott MacDonald, Multiplex, Siemens, 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: 98 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 announce our latest publication in partnership with EmiratesGBC Corporate Board Member, Saint-Gobain, Making UAE Schools Healthy: In-depth Measurement of Indoor Air Quality. In this report, we evaluate the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) of a UAE school, supporting the Emirates Coalition for Green School’s vision and objectives of ensuring that every child in the UAE learns in a green school within this generation.

Join us on 3rd of March at this knowledge sharing webinar where we will present an overview of the study findings, recommendations, and the stakeholders Call to Action. We will also be joined by industry experts and representatives to discuss the opportunities and challenges for improving IEQ in typical schools in the UAE and the region.

The publication has been developed in partnership with Saint-Gobain.

Click here to register.

On February 9th, EmiratesGBC corporate member, KIMMCO-ISOVER, facilitated a technical webinar on the Innovative Duct Systems. This workshop showcased Pre-Insulated Ducts (PID) and highlighted how this is an excellent alternative to the conventional ducting system, in terms of both performance and sustainability features. The session also presented a case study demonstrating the features, applications, BIM, and acoustic calculation of a PID solution. You can watch the webinar here.

On March 9^th, EmiratesGBC Corporate Member, Spec Write International, will also be facilitating a technical webinar on door insulation. More information for both webinars will be sent through email invitations, so be sure to keep an eye out and register through the links!

Our 2021 calendars are getting booked quickly, so if you are 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.

We would like to congratulate Bvlgari Resort as a newly certified Green Key property. We would also like to congratulate all the properties that have recently renewed their Green Key certification. Well done to Sheraton Grand, La Ville Hotel and Suites, Radisson Blu Yas Island, Park Inn by Radisson Yas Island, Citadines Metro Central Hotel Apartments, Radisson Blu Media City, Millennium Airport Hotel and Le Meridien Abu Dhabi.

Are you interested in certifying your hotel property with Green Key? If you would like to find out more about the Green Key certification and how we can support you, please contact greenkey@emiratesgbc.org.

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

Learn the fundamentals of Building Retrofit, Energy Efficiency, Indoor environmental quality and much more through EmiratesGBC’s Building Retrofit Training Introductory course or learn how to undertake a retrofit and become a Certified Specialist through the Advanced course, now internationally recognized through TUV Middle East. 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 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 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 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.

“There are several options to growing vegetables and fruits locally within the house’s premises, as provides a great learning opportunity for students to get acquainted about local production, factoring in the climate conditions of the UAE. Examples of climate resilient vegetables are tomatoes, zucchini, basil, and spinach (sabanek).”

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 World Economic Forum’s Net Zero Carbon Cities Report 2021. The report provides a global framework and recommends an integrated energy approach, defined as “systemic efficiency”, as a solution to the current environmental, economic, health and social crises. The report also highlights that by taking a holistic approach, cities have an opportunity to boost their resilience to withstand a range of potential future climate- and health-related crises.

To read the report, click here.

EmiratesGBC corporate member and Facility Management company, the Adeeb Group, organized an Awarding ceremony to recognize 55 of its employees for their 10 years of Service. The move has been initiated to celebrate and appreciate those employees as they have dedicated themselves to the organization’s growth and development.

EmiratesGBC is pleased to share with you the 2021 Living Business Programme – an initiative from Globally and in partnership with HSBC.

Living Business is a programme for businesses who would like to develop their sustainability strategy and initiatives in 2021.

It takes 5 minutes to register and is free to join. The programme provides:

• Expect coaching to evolve your sustainability agenda and strategies
• Help to identify opportunities for positive action
• Access to a panel of industry experts who will work with you to get projects done
• Participation in a graduation event to be held at Expo 2021 at the UK pavilion

Winners receive the opportunity to send a staff on an online sustainability course at Cambridge university.

If you would like to:

• Talk to an expert about how sustainability can benefit your business OR
• Get a sustainability project off the ground and you want some help to nudge it along OR
• Better case the sustainability strategies you already have planned

then register to join Living Business Programme 2021 now!

On 22^nd & 23^rd of March 2021 WorldGBC invite you to the Middle East and Africa Green Building Congress 2021.

The Congress is an opportunity to innovate, network and learn more about transforming the built environment. A distinguished list of over 30 speakers will share with you some of the latest developments in our fast growing part of the world.

We are pleased to announce that our patron for this year will be the Rt. Hon. (Eng.) Raila Amolo Odinga, who serves as the Africa Union High Level Representative for Infrastructure Development and the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya. We’re also proud to have Majid Al Futtaim Holdings as our partners for the third year in a row.

Building on the success of our past two regional events held in 2020 and 2019, the scope of the event now includes Africa and the event is shaped around the expectation of global and regional professionals, business leaders, policy makers and change champions. The three primary themes are:

• City Regeneration and Reconstruction
• Transitioning towards a Net-zero future
• Health and Wellbeing in the built environment

Save your seat here: Register for the Middle East and Africa Green Building Congress 2021. And in case you’d like to engage with us on social media please use the hashtag: #MEAGreenBuildings2021. EmiratesGBC Corporate members are eligible for a discounted rate, please contact events@emiratesgbc.org for further details.

EmiratesGBC is proud to support the CIBSE NET Zero Conference on the 10^th & 11^TH March as knowledge partners. With regional and international speakers, including our Technical Manager Majd Fayyad, the conference will be a informative discussion of net zero buildings in the region. We very much look forward to attending and discussing this important topic. To find our more and register for this free event click here.

EmiratesGBC is pleased to support the 4th Annual HVAC Show from 24th-25th March 2020 in Dubai. the summit brings together the speakers and participants to exchange facts as well as information on the latest developments in HVAC technologies concerning VRF Systems, HVAC Controls, piping, thermal, Indoor Air and Environment Quality and solutions for the future. Click here to find out more on how to register for this free event.

The 6th Annual Retrofit Tech MENA Summit taking place from 23-24 March 2021 at the Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan Dubai, UAE, will address the latest retrofit innovations to accelerate the growth of the retrofit sector in the UAE and MENA region.

This prestigious annual gathering of high-level decision makers and industry trailblazers presents an ideal platform for energy efficiency management services companies and solution providers to showcase their innovative technologies and solutions, and learn more about the upcoming projects in the UAE and the MENA region as a whole.

Click here for more information. EmiratesGBC members can receive a 10% discount on delegate tickets. Contact events@emiratesgbc.org for more information.