The countdown to the EmiratesGBC 10^th Annual Congress is almost coming to an end and we are excited!

With so many great speakers from government entities as well as key players from the private sector, we look forward to an insightful and knowledge filled event. The EmiratesGBC 10^th Annual Congress under the theme of 15 YEARS OF EMIRATESGBC: FROM GREEN BUILDINGS TO SUSTAINABLE CITIES 2030 will take place on the 2^nd of November and will include panel discussions, case study presentations, and for the first time a session by the EmiratesGBC Women’s Network (EWN).

This is the last call to register to the EmiratesGBC 10^th Annual Congress, don’t miss the opportunity to learn more on the sustainable buildings industry. Registration closes today by 4 PM. Click on this link to register.

We are getting ready to announce the shortlisted and winners of the MENA Green Building Awards at the prestigious Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on 24th of November in Dubai, at the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina.

The Awards are supported by Platinum Partners, Majid Al Futtaim & Knauf, Gold Sponsor UK CARES and KEO and Industry Partner Exeed are Category Sponsors.

The Awards are endorsed by World Green Building Council and held in partnership with regional Green Building Councils from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Qatar. To encourage academia engagement, the Awards also include 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.

Information about sponsorship opportunities can be found here, and you can register to attend the Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner here.

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.

Our last webinar was be facilitated by EmiratesGBC Corporate Member, Siemens, on 12^th October at the Siemens Experience Centre at EXPO 2020! The in-person workshop was also streamed live. The workshop discussed how to increase your energy savings using intelligent lighting controls and demand-based HVAC control.

You can view the recording here.

We have filled out our slots for 2021 calendars, so if you are interested in facilitating a workshop/webinar in 2022 please email us at technicalworkshops@emiratesgbc.org.

We are proud to announce that our Net Zero Program is being sponsored the Net Zero Centre of Excellence Champions, Majid Al Futtaim! We are delighted to have them join the net zero movement through their leadership and their commitment to Net Positive by 2040!

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.

Embodied Carbon Assessment Study

During World Green Building Week 2021, we launched an Embodied Carbon Case Study, which is the first embodied carbon case study in the UAE for a shopping mall. The case study was conducted under the patronage of the Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai, with Majid Al Futtaim as the Net Zero Centre of Excellence Champion and Ramboll as Consultant.

The assessment evaluates the impact of sustainable material procurement as compared to business-as-usual material procurement on the embodied carbon emissions of the asset.

To read the report, click here.

On the 20^th of October, the EmiratesGBC Women’s Network had a very successful webinar that tackled the importance of diversity & inclusion in the ESG of organizations. The webinar was moderated by the Chairperson of the Network, Farah Yassine, and featured Habiba Al Marashi, the Treasurer and Co-founder of EmiratesGBC, Olga Litkovets, who is the Director of Marketing and Business Development MENA at Cundall, and Daniel Gribbins, who is a Corporate Sustainability Lead at WSP. Valuable insights were shared about the importance of diversity & inclusion in the workplace, specifically within the context of the UAE. Habiba shared her experience with how the workplace has become more accepting of women and different ethnicities, while Olga and Daniel discussed how Cundall and WSP are ensuring the creation of an inclusive environment for all.

If you meet the above eligibility requirements and are interested in joining the Network, please complete the registration form found here.

If you are not yet a member of EmiratesGBC, but would like to join, please also complete the membership application form here.

EmiratesGBC is also seeking champions to support the EmiratesGBC Women’s Network through financial sponsorship. Please see sponsorship opportunity here.

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, please contact us with details of the topic and nominated speaker. EmiratesGBC corporate members can fill out the speakers form and submit to events@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.

• Why is the partnership with the EmiratesGBC/the Awards/Congress important to your organisation?

AD Ports Group is committed to sustainability principles- to be financially sound, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly.

We believe that EmiratesGBC Congress held under the Patronage of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is a great initiative dedicated to fostering industry dialogue and engaging stakeholders to influence sustainable practices in the built environment further.

The annual Congress aims to support strengthening the UAE’s green economy, which aligns with AD Ports Group’s commitment to be a crucial contributor to the long-term sustainable development of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, and the region.

• How does your partnership resonate with your own CSR goals/vision?

With our businesses spread across trade, maritime, and tourism sectors, and now different countries, we recognise the great opportunity to give back more to a broader cross-section of society. We thoroughly enjoy making a difference by giving back to our communities through many campaigns and initiatives.

Our ceaseless commitment to corporate social responsibility and sterling efforts to advance global best practices enable us to strengthen our CSR strategy and achieve our long-term strategic goals of entrenching sustainable initiatives, policies, and plans to protect and preserve the ecosystem and communities around our projects.

Recently, AD Ports Group became the first-ever company from the Middle East to win a prestigious international CSR award from the UK-based CSR Accreditation (CSRA) for excellence in corporate social responsibility following an independent assessment by an accreditation panel. We were rated across four areas: environment, philanthropy, community, and workplace.

This year’s Congress will celebrate 15 years of the Council, highlight the Green Building achievements in the sector to date, and reflect on the challenges and opportunities ahead to create a sustainable built environment for the UAE by 2030. This is aligned with our vision to continuously seek solutions and create opportunities for the UAE to contribute to United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) by advancing clean energy, sustainable economic growth, healthy ecosystems, and increased resource efficiencies well into the future.

• How is built environment sustainability ingrained in your operations?

At AD Ports Group, we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously, which is why we continuously develop innovative environmental solutions that work with our ecosystems to help preserve the natural beauty of our extensive coastlines. Through close coordination with local agencies such as the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), we have relocated hundreds of corals from the northern revetment to the eastern breakwater of Khalifa Port and placed it adjacent to the Ras Ghanada reef, one of the most diverse and vibrant coral reef communities in the Arabian Gulf.

We have also undertaken other key sustainability initiatives to ensure continued rapid business growth and fast-paced community development. We have also introduced several measures to safeguard the local marine environment:

• We monitor and track spinney tailed lizards in their natural terrestrial environment so as to understand more about this protected species.
• We design and build marine infrastructure that enhances marine biodiversity.
• We track our GHG emissions through annual greenhouse gas inventory and take reactive action to reduce energy and water consumption accordingly.
• We have introduced onshore electrical connections, which provide power to idling marine vessels, thus reducing air emissions within the port environment.
• We launched the “We Care” initiative in 2018, a marine awareness campaign to collect floating sea debris and raise awareness on marine sustainability.
• We host an annual clean-up campaign that had huge success in cleaning up the local environment: 120 tonnes collected in 2018 and 77 in 2019.
• SAFEEN has dedicated more than 8,300 work-hours visiting local schools to raise awareness on marine sustainability.
• We have deployed an environmentally friendly marine debris collection vessel. A second vessel of a similar type has been commissioned.

As we grow and expand, our sustainability programme will continually evolve and adapt to meet and respond to the needs of the maritime industry, our community, our environment, and our nation.

• What is the value-add you have got from partnering with the Congress/Awards and EmiratesGBC?

EmiratesGBC was formed in 2006 to advance green building principles for protecting the environment and ensuring sustainability in the UAE. Over the last 15 years, the Council has developed a wide range of knowledge exchange initiatives to promote green buildings and sustainable development in the country.  The Council’s flagship event, EmiratesGBC Congress, functions as a recognised industry platform for local, regional and international participants in the building industry supply chain to meet, discuss, interact, and exchange ground-breaking ideas and help promote a sustainable built environment.

At AD Ports Group, we share the same values on sustainability and the vision for the UAE to be a global leader for sustainability in the built environment. Therefore, we are pleased to partner with EmiratesGBC and discuss the latest trends in sustainability and ways to advance sustainable development in the UAE by a long-term integrated commitment to environmental, social, and economic progress.

• How can the industry further support the nation in achieving the sustainability goals and how is your organisation supporting this?

When economies grow rapidly, as is the case in Abu Dhabi, special consideration must be given to this development’s impact on the local environment. AD Ports Group has taken several steps that will both benefit a diversified economy and contribute to a thriving environment. The most significant example of this is the construction of the award-winning 8-kilometre-long Environmental Protection Breakwater that seeks to minimise the environmental impact of ship movement in Khalifa Port on one of the region’s most valuable marine ecosystems, the Ras Ghanada Reef. The port was built on a man-made island, 4 kilometres offshore, to preserve the natural flow of currents along the coastline. The environmental breakwater provides substrate for corals and habitat for fish, reptiles and marine mammals.

Elsewhere across Khalifa Port and KIZAD, AD Ports Group works with customers to implement responsible technologies and practices. Additionally, we have installed advanced air monitoring equipment in both sites and conduct marine surveys to assess the health of the marine ecosystem surrounding the port.

There is extensive solid waste and wastewater recycling, including construction waste recycling, and AD Ports Group supports the construction of energy-efficient buildings within its ports and industrial zone. In addition, the Terminal Operating Software and e-Gate system ensure the efficient movement of cargo through Khalifa Port while minimising the time that trucks spend on the port site waiting and idling. Furthermore, we have introduced the Smart Container Initiative to cut carbon emissions with the help of environmentally friendly technologies and accelerate eco-friendly digital transformation solutions in the emirate in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) put forward by the United Nations. Overall, AD Ports Group remains committed to driving both local and global initiatives to introduce new technologies and solutions that protect marine life and limit the impact of port activities on the local environment. Over the years, we aim to continuously seek solutions and create opportunities for the UAE to contribute to United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) by advancing clean energy, sustainable economic growth, healthy ecosystems, and increased resource efficiencies well into the future.