A LETTER FROM EGBC FAMILY

EmiratesGBC NEWS AND UPDATES

Emirates Green Building Council Announces Newly Elected Management Committee

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) is pleased to announce the election of its new Management Committee, who will serve for the upcoming two-year term. The newly elected leadership brings together a wealth of experience, strategic insight, and a shared commitment to advancing sustainability and green building practices across the UAE.

The Management Committee for the new term is led by Khaled Bushnaq, who has been elected as Chairman. Supporting him in steering the Council’s strategic direction are Dr. Habiba Al Marashi, as Vice Chair and Treasurer, along with Sayeeduddin Mohammed and Manal Shawish, who will serve as Vice Chairs. Dr. Michael Schmidt has been elected as Secretary, completing the Committee’s leadership team.

The newly elected Committee will guide EmiratesGBC through an important phase of growth and impact, as the Council continues to support the UAE’s sustainability ambitions, promote best practices in the built environment, and contribute to national net-zero goals. Over the next two years, the Committee will focus on strengthening stakeholder engagement, expanding knowledge-sharing initiatives, and reinforcing EmiratesGBC’s role as a leading voice for sustainable development.

EGBC Logo Redesign Competition Advances to Phase Two

Emirates Green Building Council has concluded the submission phase of its Logo Redesign Competition and has now moved into Phase Two of the evaluation process. Launched in celebration of two decades of leadership in sustainable development and green building advocacy across the UAE, the competition attracted strong interest from young and emerging designers eager to contribute to a refreshed visual identity for the Council.

Phase Two will focus on reviewing and assessing submitted designs to identify concepts that best reflect EmiratesGBC’s mission, values, and future direction. The winning entry will receive a cash prize of AED 2,500 and will be adopted as the official new logo of Emirates Green Building Council, representing its next chapter of innovation and impact within the built environment.

EGBC CEO Highlights the Nature–City–Mobility Nexus at WFES

As part of the Sustainable Cities & eMobility Conference at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES), our CEO participated in a high-level panel titled “Building the Nature–City–Mobility Nexus.” The discussion explored the integration of nature, smart city technologies, the built environment, and sustainable mobility as key drivers in shaping vibrant, human-centric urban environments. The panel highlighted how this holistic approach can enable cities to become not only technologically advanced, but also carbon negative, water positive, zero waste, and rich in biodiversity.

EmiratesGBC Women Network Joins Expo City’s Return to Work Program as Ally

The EmiratesGBC Women Network took part in the Return To Work Program by the Expo city Women’s Pavilion. The particpation took the form of being an Ally to a group of women who are taking part in the Return to Work Program, to provide support and share experience. The participation is part of series of sessions, called the Ally Circle, which are part of the whole program that is aimed at helping women rejoin the workforce with confidence, skills, and community, after having a career break. 

EGBC CEO Highlights Sustainability Trends at Hilti Middle East Kick-Off Event

Emirates Green Building Council’s CEO participated as a panelist in the “Industry Trends in 2026” discussion at the Hilti Middle East Kick-Off event. The session explored key sustainability developments in the UAE and wider regional market, with a forward-looking focus on how the built environment is expected to evolve by 2026, highlighting emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the sector.

EmiratesGBC Highlights the Role of the Built Environment in Advancing Sustainable and Smart Communities

As part of KOTOOK: Green Ecosystem Towards Sustainability Solutions, Emirates Green Building Councils’ CEO contributed to the discussion “The Value and Benefits of the Built Environment in Sustainability, Smart Cities, and Green Communities.” The session highlighted the critical role of the built environment in advancing sustainability outcomes, supporting smart city development, and fostering resilient, low-carbon communities. Discussions focused on integrated design approaches, innovative technologies, and collaborative frameworks that enable more efficient resource use, improved quality of life, and long-term environmental stewardship

EmiratesGBC Engages Students and Emerging Talent at AUS Internship Recruitment Day

Emirates Green Building Council participated in the Internship Recruitment Day at the American University of Sharjah’s College of Arts and Sciences, engaging with students and fresh graduates interested in sustainability and the built environment. The event provided a valuable platform to connect with emerging talent, while EGBC delivered dedicated information sessions introducing the Council’s mission, initiatives, and opportunities for youth engagement. Highlights included promoting the EGBC logo redesign competition, aimed at inspiring the next generation of sustainability leaders, as well as raising awareness of the Dr. Owaitani Student Excellence Award, which recognizes outstanding academic and leadership achievements among students.

PREVIOUS EMIRATESGBC EVENTS

EmiratesGBC Hosts Launch of Water Monitoring and Conservation Playbook for Schools

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), through the MENA Alliance for Green Schools, successfully hosted the launch of the Water Monitoring and Conservation Playbook for Schools at the EmiratesGBC Sustainability Lounge. The event brought together education, sustainability, and built environment stakeholders to highlight the critical role of water stewardship within school communities across the region.

The launch event opened with welcome remarks from Amira Ayoub, Regional Head – MENA at WorldGBC, who emphasized the importance of empowering schools with practical tools to address water efficiency and conservation challenges. The newly launched Playbook provides schools with clear guidance, actionable strategies, and best practices to monitor water use and promote responsible consumption among students and staff.

A key highlight of the event was the interactive workshop session, which engaged participants in hands-on discussions around implementing water monitoring systems, fostering behavioral change, and integrating water conservation into school operations and curricula. The session encouraged collaboration and knowledge exchange, reinforcing the role of schools as catalysts for sustainability awareness and action.

EmiratesGBC Hosts Stakeholder Roundtable on Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet

Emirates Green Building Council convened a Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet Roundtable, led by Dr. Habiba Al Mar’ashi, bringing together representatives from Dubai Municipality, Public Work Department (Government of Sharjah) , Al Qasimi Foundation, Aldar, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, and the EmiratesGBC team. The roundtable aimed to introduce the Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet to key stakeholders and familiarize participants with its scope, objectives, and practical applications. Developed by EmiratesGBC as a contribution to the Greening Schools Pillar of UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership (GEP) and aligned with the Green School Quality Standard, the booklet serves as a technically robust and practical reference for designing and delivering climate-ready, sustainable school buildings. Initially focused on hot and heat-affected regions, the guidance is adaptable to diverse contexts. The booklet was officially launched online during COP30 at the Annual General Meeting of the UNESCO GEP. Read the Full Booklet

UPCOMING EMIRATESGBC EVENTS

Women Network Ramadan Iftar

In the spirit of the holy month, Emirates Green Building Council will be hosting a Women’s Network Iftar, bringing together members of the EGBC Women’s Network for an evening of connection, reflection, and community. The gathering will provide a welcoming space for women across the built environment and sustainability sectors to engage, share experiences, and strengthen professional relationships in a meaningful and inclusive setting

Sustainable School Building Guidance booklet Webinar Series

Following its recent high-level stakeholder engagement in the UAE, Emirates Green Building Council is pleased to announce Phase 2 of the Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet Insight Series—a three-part online webinar series designed to support the design, delivery, and adoption of climate-ready, sustainable schools.

Developed under the Emirates Coalition for Green Schools and aligned with UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership, the series will explore the Guidance Booklet chapter by chapter, offering practical insights from contributors and industry practitioners. The series will open with remarks from Marina Ader, Associate Project Officer, Section for Education for Sustainable Development, UNESCO GEP.

The webinars will be delivered online via Microsoft Teams as follows:

• Webinar 1 | Design Foundations
  3 February 2026 | 2:30–3:45 pm (UAE)
  Registration: WEBINAR LINK

• Webinar 2 | Energy, Water and Waste
  10 February 2026 | 2:30–3:45 pm (UAE)
  Registration: WEBINAR LINK

• Webinar 3 | Outdoor Spaces, Health & Wellbeing, and Adoption
  17 February 2026 | 2:30–3:45 pm (UAE)
  Registration: WEBINAR LINK

EMIRATESGBC TECHNICAL WORKSHOP FOR MEMBERS BY MEMBERS

The EmiratesGBC 2st (2026) Technical Workshop

For members by members will be by Huda Lighting on the 13th February 10:30 Aa – 11:30 am, in lighting solutions. The workshop will be held online format via Teams; invitation sent to all Members.

GREEN KEY

The Green Key programme is a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. It is operated internationally under the management of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) with Head Offices in Copenhagen, Denmark. FEE has national member organizations in more than 70 countries worldwide where Emirates Green Building Council is the national operator in the United Arab Emirates.

New Green Key Hotel Certified:

• Palace Dubai Creek Harbour
• Grand Hyatt Hotel Emirates Pearl

MEMBERS & PARTNERS

Life Cycle Assessment: Back to the Basics

Dr. Diedre Wolff

Emirates Green Building Council Individual Member

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique used to assess the potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle, from raw material acquisition to final disposal. LCA is unique in that it considers the entire life cycle of the product system and assesses multiple impact categories. Impact categories represent environmental issues of concern, such as (but not limited to) acidification, eutrophication and climate change. Impact category indicators are the quantifiable representation of impact categories, such as infrared radiative forcing (as per ISO 14044) for the climate change impact category, also referred to as global warming potential (GWP) in EN 15804. LCA differs from Product Carbon Footprint, which focuses solely on the climate change impact category.  LCA can thus be used to identify potential trade-offs and optimize for reduction while considering all impact categories assessed, as well as to identify hotspots to apply potential reduction measures

ECO-ERGONOMICS – Merging of human-centred and planet-centred design

Jennie Stallings

Partner/ Commercial Manager

Chelseagreen

Eco ergonomics combines human wellbeing and environmental responsibility in workplace design,
acknowledging that environments should support people without harming the planet.
Its roots lie in mid 20th-century when the concept of ergonomics and human-first design developed
in response to industrialisation and wartime production. At this stage, the focus was on tools, furniture
and layouts that reduced injury, improved efficiency and enhanced physical comfort. Success was
measured in fewer accidents and higher output.
By the 1970s, the environmental movement began asking how buildings and products affected air
quality, waste and resource use. Attention turned towards energy and materials, but governance
remained limited.
Green ergonomics itself emerged in the late 1990s when people realised that workplaces can’t be
healthy if they harm the environment, nor sustainable if they harm people.
More recently, structure has followed intent through frameworks such as LEED, BREEAM and WELL,
alongside advances in indoor environmental quality, sit-stand work, circadian health and products
designed for disassembly and re-use.
Since 2015, things have continued to evolve, shaped by circular design, biophilic thinking and a
growing focus on neurodiversity and inclusivity. Looking ahead, regenerative design, transparent
carbon data and evidence-based wellbeing will guide the next generation of healthier, more
responsible workplaces.

MEMBERS OPPORTUNITES

We want to feature your success stories. Please share with us your accomplishments in relation to the green building industry and allow us to feature you in our newsletter.

For more information, please contact [email protected].

EmiratesGBC WOMEN NETWORK SPOTLIGHT!

Ayah Rahmoun

Graduate Engineer – Arup

• • 1. Who You Are:
    • Beyond your professional role, tell us a bit about yourself. What drives and inspires you personally? Whether it’s hobbies, interests, or values, we’d love to learn more about the person behind the professional achievements
    1. • What drives me is curiosity. I was always that person who asked a lot of questions and wanted to understand how things work. That curiosity grew into a love for learning and wanting to find better ways to create, contribute and even improve. I like many value growth, kindness, and meaningful connections. This is why I actively participate in women’s networks, as I meet people who like me, enjoy exploring new ideas and trying new things. Sometimes I turn to reading as it helps me unwind and also to photography which helps me think creatively and see things from different
         perspectives.

      2. Career Journey and Achievements:

    • • • Can you share a brief overview of your career journey in the field of sustainability? What achievements or projects are you most proud of in advancing sustainable practices?
    1. • Looking back, sustainability has always been part of my journey even in small ways. I always cared about the impact of my actions starting with recycling and taking part in small environmental initiatives. At university, this interest developed into a deeper understanding of sustainability within the built environment where I explored how engineering decisions directly affect the environment. In my academic research I focused on the impact of dust accumulation on photovoltaic systems in the MENA region, which later received a nomination from EmiratesGBC that I hold dearly. After graduating I began to see how sustainability translates into real world projects.
         Today, I embed sustainability into my work daily with the guidance of my seniors and I hope to one day contribute meaningfully to shaping a more sustainable built environment.
    1.  
    2. 3. Challenges and Triumphs: 
    • • • As a woman in the sustainability sector, have you faced any specific challenges, and how did you overcome them? On the flip side, what triumphs or successes have been particularly meaningful in your career? 
    1. • I will mainly reflect on my university experience when speaking about challenges as I’m fortunate to now work in an environment where women are leading. As a student, I noticed how technical spaces were often male-dominated. While I could see that progress was being made I also realised that there was still a lot to build. At times, this made me question my voice, but it also motivated me to push myself to participate, speak up, and take ownership of my ideas. Which lead me to some of my most meaningful successes including receiving recognition through the CIBSE
         Graduate of the Year award as I saw that all three top winners were women it made the moment even more powerful. Another has been the opportunity to speak at two major summits alongside leaders in the field. Finally, being part of supportive women’s communities (like WEGBC, WIA, WIBSE , LEANIN) and meeting inspiring women who lead across different roles. These moments remind me what is possible and why representation truly matters.

     

      4. Impact and Advice:

    • • • How do you see your role contributing to the broader goals of sustainability? Additionally, what advice would you offer to other women aspiring to make a difference in the field of sustainability? 
      • Moving forward I hope to contribute to sustainability through the everyday choices I make on projects by asking thoughtful questions, speaking up, and committing to continuous learning. I plan to keep building my knowledge and further developing research whether in renewable technologies or the sustainable use of emerging tools such as AI. As someone early in my career my advice to students is to trust your voice, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to start small. Also seek mentors, keep learning, and remember that your perspective is valuable. And to women in leading
        roles I must say we look up to you. Please continue sharing your stories and creating space for women because your presence truly shapes what the next generation believes is possible.

REACH US

Members of the Emirates Green Building Council can join in any of our technical programs, to advance their knowledge on the program’s relevant topics, contribute to its growth, and sponsor its events. We are working on several ideas related to our programs: Coalition for Green Schools, Health and Wellbeing, Net Zero Center of Excellence, Energy Efficiency, Green Key and Benchmarking Program.

Kindly send us an email to [email protected] to inquire about any of the mentioned technical programs.

EmiratesGBC Sustainability Lounge is now available for meetings and workshops!

If you are interested in using the EmiratesGBC Sustainability Lounge for a workshop or a meeting, kindly get in touch with us at 04-3468244 or send us an email to [email protected]. The office room is fully equipped with AV and provides a pleasant environment for focused meetings or training workshops.