Dear EmiratesGBC Members and Partners,
Today marks less than 2 weeks away from the 11th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress, with this year’s theme focusing on the historic Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative that was announced by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on October 7th, making the UAE the first country in the region to announce policy of this kind. By focusing on ‘The Path to Net Zero 2050: Connectivity, Livability, and Sustainability’, this year’s Congress will capture the evolution of EmiratesGBC and celebrate the progress of the UAE, while encouraging a holistic approach to net zero strategies.
This year, a wide variety of topics focusing on the future of our cities will be covered, such as rethinking connectivity in cities, creating sustainable and inclusive spaces, and public and private sector leadership in achieving net zero 2050. The Congress will feature presentations about Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan and Ajman’s plan to become the region’s first 15-minute city, to exemplify the UAE’s commitment to sustainable cities. With the help of our members, we have created a conference that is an intersection point for the many different stakeholders in the journey to carbon neutrality—not only that, but it opens up discussions that go far beyond green buildings to include infrastructure, transport, and cities. I would like to extend a warm thank you to our sponsors, platinum partner Majid Al Futtaim and silver sponsor KEO International Consultants, for their support of the Congress and their belief in the importance of our work for a more sustainable built environment in the UAE.
This month, EmiratesGBC will also be participating in the WorldGBC Net Zero Solutions around the World in 24 hours event. After the Congress, we will return to our regular participation in conferences and events, in addition to planning our own networking events and training. Until then, please register for the Congress, contact registration@emiratesgbc.org for any help you may need, and I look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ali Al Jassim
Chairman
Emirates Green Building Council
Upcoming EmiratesGBC Events
11th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress
“EmiratesGBC’s achievements throughout the past years positively impacted the UAE’s strategy and proved to be an active contributor” –Khaled Bushnaq, Vice-Chair of EmiratesGBC
To see the Congress’ full program, view the agenda here and learn more about the Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, and take the conversation beyond climate neutrality to include urban planning, well-being, transport, and public-private partnerships by attending the Congress.
Meet our Moderators
“The UAE’s commitment builds on the country’s climate efforts and represents a strategic target for the next decades making it the first Middle East and North Africa (MENA) nation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050”
— Habiba Al Marashi, Co-founder and Treasurer of EmiratesGBC and Founder and Chairperson of EEG
“I look forward to listening and participating in the very timely and important discussions that are planned in the Congress, and to take key takeaways and action steps for the way forward to a Net Zero UAE”
— Farah Yassine, Chair of the EmiratesGBC Women’s Network
“In looking toward the EGBC Congress on 15 June 2022 it will be – without a doubt – great to be ‘amongst’ the crowd and have some post-COVID face time with the many sustainability thinkers in attendance – where we can come together to discuss; debate; challenge; provide new ideas of all things sustainability in relation to the built environment. Let’s not forget that the built environment is key component of market forces, which allows congresses like EGBC’s to play a key role in responding to the many sustainability-related market-based issues”
— Hanife Ymer, Head of Sustainability Services MENA, JLL
EmiratesGBC Programmes News & Updates
EmiratesGBC becomes part of the Circular Economy Steering Committee - WorldGBC
This programme will tackle one of the core themes of WorldGBC’s ‘Sustainable Buildings for Everyone, Everywhere’ strategy, published in September 2020 strategic impact area ‘Resources & Circularity,’
The Circular Built Environment Accelerator global programme will pursue the ambition of the North Star goal established within the strategy of: ‘A built environment that facilitates the regeneration of resources and natural systems, whilst providing socio-economic benefit through a circular economy.’ These activities will contribute to the development of a framework of principles for circularity and regeneration for the built environment.
It’s a privilege to collaborate with visionary people who see that we need to do things differently in the building sector and are at the front line of driving change.
Green Key
The Green Key programme is operated internationally under the management of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) with Head Offices in Copenhagen, Denmark. FEE has national member organisations in more than 70 countries worldwide where Emirates Green Building Council is the national Operator in United Arab Emirates.
The Green Key award is a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This prestigious eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their tourism establishments adhere to the strict criteria as stipulated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). A Green Key stands for an establishment’s promise to its guests that by opting to stay with such an establishment, they are helping to make a difference on an environmental and sustainability level. The high environmental standards expected of these establishments are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent audits.
Recently, the Green Key National Jury of United Arab Emirates awarded the internationally recognised Green Key certificate award to the following Hotels:
- Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort
- Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotels & Towers
- Address Dubai Marina Hotel
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
