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.

EmiratesGBC held its 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) virtually on 16th December. Each year, 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.  Thank you to the members who participated.  If you did not have the chance to voice your opinion or new ideas, there is still time to share your thoughts with the EmiratesGBC team – reach out to us at office@emiratesgbc.org.

On 17^th & 18^th November EmiratesGBC welcomed members, partners and industry & government representatives to the 9^th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress.

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 Visit our youtube channel to view the highlights from this year’s event.

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. 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 unprecedented 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 and our youtube channel to view the highlights.

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.

With the new year, we are excited to announce a new lineup of Technical Webinars for 2021. On January 19th, EmiratesGBC Corporate Member, Grfn, will be facilitating a technical webinar on Preservation of Modern Architecture in the UAE. On February 9th, EmiratesGBC Corporate Member, Saint-Gobain, will facilitate a technical webinar on innovative ducting solutions. 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 are proud to announce that EmiratesGBC is offering Green Key certified properties 50% discounted corporate membership fees for 2021. Should you be interested in EmiratesGBC membership, please contact us by emailing greenkey@emiratesgbc.org.

Visit the UAE Green Key webpage 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.

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.

“Air leakage is the most common cause of increased energy consumption in air conditioning as well as occupant discomfort. Through the use of simple air tightness tests such as blower door fan and thermal imaging, areas of air leakage can be easily detected. Using weather-strips along the windows and doors can help in sealing and air tightness.”

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 Dubai Chamber Centre for Responsible Business’ latest publication, Greening Existing Buildings. This Toolkit provides a broad direction to companies aiming to retrofit their buildings in terms of sustainable building materials, Indoor Air Quality, and Green Procurement for Eco-Cleaning and Sanitization.

To view the toolkit, click here.

We also look at the 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. The report provides an update on the drivers of CO2 emissions and energy demand globally since 2018, along with examples of policies, technologies, and investments that support low-carbon building stocks. The report also highlights that emissions from the operation of buildings hit their highest-ever level in 2019, moving the sector further away from fulfilling its huge potential to slow climate change and contribute significantly to the goals of the Paris Agreement.

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.

Congratulations to Multiplex for their 2020 accomplishment of turning their RGS Guilford Dubai site office to a nearly zero site! The site is operating at a yearly EUI of 61kWh/m², successfully realizing the contents of the white paper they published in 2019 on the topic in line with EmiratesGBC’s nearly zero guidelines. If you would like to know more about our guidelines, more information can be found on our Net Zero Centre of Excellence webpage here.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has won two awards at the MENA Green Building Awards. This was during a ceremony organised by the Emirates Green Building Council (Emirates GBC) at the conclusion of the 9th Emirates Green Building Council Congress, said a DEWA statement on Thursday. [read more…]