Dear EmiratesGBC Members and Partners,
First and foremost, I would like to wish everybody a Ramadan Kareem and a blessed holy month in April. This week marked the first ever Middle East & North Africa Climate Week hosted by the UAE government in collaboration with other global entities such as the UNFCCC and the UNDP that are key advocates for climate action. With COP27 and COP28 held in Egypt and the UAE respectively, we are proud to see the region’s increased attention to the issue of climate change, as this is a cause that EmiratesGBC has been passionate about since its inception in 2006. EXPO2020 has also drawn to a close after an impactful 6 months of engaging the global community and raising awareness about different cultures and relevant challenges.
March was incredibly busy and exciting month for us here at EmiratesGBC—it was marked by our involvement in many events, including but not limited to WorldGBC’s Middle East and Africa Green Building Congress, the Retrofit Tech MENA Summit, and the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction’s Symposium, as we continue to advocate for a sustainable built environment in the UAE. The “Smart & Green Buildings Mission” organized by Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) where we met with various Dutch companies working on innovative solutions and products to tackle different environmental challenges in the built environment. We have also organized the STARS event with Linxion Dubai, with the purpose of educating the audience about how using splicing technologies for steel can reduce steel consumption for more sustainable construction projects. The EmiratesGBC Women’s Network, sponsored by WSP and Cundall, launched the first cohort of its mentoring program with the aim of providing young women who are new to the industry with a mentor to guide them and offer career advice.
In addition to our active participation with various organizations and platforms, we have been preparing for our own flagship event, the 11th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress, which will be happening on June 15th of this year under the topic of ‘Path to Net Zero 2050: Connectivity, Livability, and Sustainability’. As the Congress draws closer, I would like to invite our members to engage with us to promote the sustainable built environment in the UAE. For this year, sponsorship and speaking opportunities are still available for the EmiratesGBC flagship events, the Congress and Awards. To learn more about these opportunities, please reach us at events@emiratesgbc.org.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ali Al Jassim
Chairman
Emirates Green Building Council
Upcoming EmiratesGBC Events
11th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress
This year’s Congress theme is Path to Net Zero 2050: Connectivity, Livability, and Sustainability.
The UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative was announced in October 2021, exhibiting the nation’s unwavering commitment to achieving net zero and climate neutrality. Using the principles of connectivity, livability, and sustainability to guide the way towards net zero, the Congress will celebrate the progress of the UAE so far, as a trailblazer in the region, and what steps need to be taken to achieve net zero by 2050. With conversations around urban planning, well-being, and public & private sector collaboration, the Congress is certain to be an informative platform to exchange ideas and examine the roadmap to our future.
- Date: June 15th, 2022
- Time: 9 am – 2:30 pm
- Location: Pullman Dubai Creek City Center
Past EmiratesGBC Events
EmiratesGBC Women's Network Mentoring Program Launch
The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) Women’s Network (WN) recently launched its mentoring program in honour of International Women’s Day, supporting the campaign’s efforts to ‘Break the Bias’.
The inaugural event to launch the program took place at GHD’s offices in Abu Dhabi to give attendees an overview of the program and the opportunity to meet and participate in ‘speed mentorship’ sessions.
Retrofit Tech MENA Summit
As part of the MENA Tech Retrofit Series, EmiratesGBC’s Director, Mr. Abdullatif Al Bitawi Presented at the 7th MENA Tech Retrofit Summit, which took place on 22-23 March at Movenpick Grand Al Bustan. Mr. Al Bitawi spoke about deep retrofitting and showed a case study on how deep retrofitting can make buildings more efficient and energy and water saving.
STARS Event
Along with LINXION Dubai, EmiratesGBC co-organized the STARS event to put a new light on mechanical splicing system as a solution for reducing the amount of steel in the reinforced concrete structure (20%+), while increasing the quality of the structure.
This event was supported by CARES, Clean energy Business Council, and IStructe and took place on Friday, March 25th, at Le Meridien Hotel & Conference Center.
A Trip to the Netherlands
EmiratesGBC took part in The “Smart & Green Buildings Mission” organized by Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) where we met with various Dutch companies working on innovative solutions and products to tackle different environmental challenges in the built environment.
EmiratesGBC Trainings
Building Retrofit Training
The program was created to provided awareness and technical guidance to industry professionals on the economically viable methods that can be implemented to improve a building’s environmental performance by reducing a building’s use of energy and water and improving the indoor environmental quality. The course provides knowledge and skills to deliver improved operational efficiency and achieve financial savings.
The program has introductory and advanced courses, and a 20% off discount is given for EmiratesGBC Corporate and Individual Members, Group Bookings (3 or more) & Khalifa University (including Masdar Institute) Students.
If interested, please register here.
EmiratesGBC Programmes News & Updates
Net Zero Centre of Excellence
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.
Green Key
Did you know that being Green Key certified gives you the Travel Sustainable badge on booking.com?
Green Key has been a leading standard of excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry since the eco-label was developed in Denmark in 1994. Since 2013, Emirates Green Building Council has been the National Operator of the Green Key in the UAE.
If you would like to find out more about the Green Key certification and how we can support you, please contact greenkey@emiratesgbc.org.
EmiratesGBC Women's Network (WN)
This month marked the exciting launch of the first-ever cohort of the EmiratesGBC WN mentoring program!
One of the main goals of the Network is to uplift women in this male-dominated industry, and so the program’s goal is to pair young women starting their careers in sustainability with more experienced professionals who can advise them on how to advance their careers.
We’re proud to involve the EmiratesGBC WN membership in this 6 months long program, and we are incredibly happy to be able to give young women in STEM this platform that is dedicated to their growth.
Members Opportunities and Engagement
Call for Sponsors
Please consider supporting our education and technical programs in 2022 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, The EmiratesGBC Women’s Network 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.
Become a Member
