EmiratesGBC NEWS AND UPDATES
EmiratesGBC Launches New Members Portal to Enhance Member Experience
The Emirates Green Building Council is pleased to announce the successful launch of its newly developed Members Portal, designed to enhance engagement, streamline services, and provide members with a more efficient and interactive digital experience.
All members will receive their account login details, enabling full access to the portal and its range of self-service features aimed at simplifying membership management and strengthening collaboration within the EmiratesGBC community.
Through the Members Portal, members will be able to:
Update and manage their membership profile
Download official membership logos and certificates
Renew individual memberships through direct online payment
Request renewal or upgrades for corporate memberships
Book the Sustainability Lounge co-working and lounge spaces
View and register for upcoming EmiratesGBC events
Access member discount codes for eligible events
Add or remove authorized delegates to the membership forum
Communicate directly with the relevant EmiratesGBC team based on support requests
The launch of the Members Portal marks an important step in EmiratesGBC’s ongoing efforts to digitize member services, improve accessibility, and deliver greater value to its growing network of sustainability professionals and organizations.
EmiratesGBC Women Network Participates in Holcim’s Women in Sustainable Construction Initiative
The Emirates Green Building Council Women Network participated in the launch of the Holcim UAE & Oman Women in Sustainable Construction (WISC) initiative on 11 February 2026 at Holcim’s Fujairah Cement Plant, held under the theme “Shaping Sustainable Construction, Building Resilient Cities and Driving Decarbonization Through Inclusive Leadership.”
Representing EmiratesGBC, the Women Network shared insights on key levers to reduce embodied carbon in buildings, the role of cross-sector collaboration in accelerating low-carbon solutions, and how inclusive leadership can move sustainability beyond compliance toward real impact. The panel also offered reflections for young women entering sustainability, reinforcing the importance of curiosity, collaboration, and purpose-driven careers.
Connecting Education with Green Building Practice: EmiratesGBC at AUD
As part of its academic outreach efforts, Emirates Green Building Council delivered a guest lecture at the American University in Dubai for the course ARCH 321: Environmental and Building Service Systems. The session formed part of a lecture series aimed at enriching students’ learning journeys through industry insights and practical perspectives.
The lecture explored emerging trends in the UAE’s built environment, alongside an overview of green building certifications and their real-world application. Delivered through a data-driven and interactive format, the session connected academic learning with industry best practices, supporting the next generation of built environment professionals.
Emirates Green Building Council Engages in Climate-Resilient Cultural Initiatives
The Emirates Green Building Council actively participated in the National Workshop on Culture and Climate Change, hosted by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on 17 February 2026 at the Ministry’s headquarters in Dubai (Emirates Theatre). The workshop brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore the intersection of cultural heritage and climate resilience in line with the UAE’s ambitious national climate goals and the recently adopted UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience during COP28.
The session focused on:
Assessing the challenges and opportunities in linking culture and climate adaptation.
Evaluating the readiness of heritage sites and traditional practices to withstand climate impacts.
Developing frameworks to measure and monitor the effects of climate change on the cultural sector.
Strengthening governance, coordination, and partnerships to integrate culture and climate strategies within national and international policies.
PREVIOUS EMIRATESGBC EVENTS
Emirates Green Building Council Hosts Roundtable on Sustainable School Building Guidance
The Emirates Green Building Council recently convened a stakeholder roundtable, led by Dr. Habiba Al Mar’ashi, to introduce the Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet and highlight its scope, objectives, and practical applications. Developed under the Greening Schools Pillar of UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership (GEP) and aligned with the Green School Quality Standard, the booklet provides a technically robust framework for designing climate-ready, sustainable schools. While initially tailored for hot and heat-affected regions, the guidance is adaptable to a variety of contexts.
The roundtable featured opening remarks by Marina Ader, Associate Project Officer, Section for Education for Sustainable Development, UNESCO GEP. It achieved several key outcomes, including raising awareness of the booklet, deepening understanding of its applications, and collecting valuable feedback from government authorities, regulators, and industry practitioners to support its effective implementation.
The booklet was officially launched online during COP30 at the Annual General Meeting of UNESCO GEP, marking a major step forward in promoting sustainable education infrastructure across the UAE and beyond.
📖 Read the full booklet: http://emiratesgbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/EGBC-SSB-Guidance-Booklet-V5.pdfhttps://lnkd.in/d2wsm3y6
Emirates Green Building Council Wraps Up Sustainable School Guidance Webinar Series
The Emirates Green Building Council concluded Phase 2 of the Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet Insight Series, a three-part online webinar series supporting 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 (GEP), the series unpacked the guidance booklet chapter by chapter, featuring insights from contributors and practitioners, and opening with remarks from Marina Ader, Associate Project Officer, Section for Education for Sustainable Development, UNESCO GEP.
Feedback from the sessions was overwhelmingly positive. 62% rated their likelihood of implementing the guidance at 4 or 5, indicating a clear moderate-to-high intent to apply the guidance. Participants highlighted key challenges—including low buy-in, budget constraints, and fragmented responsibilities—but also identified practical opportunities such as clearer checklists, incentives, stronger awareness, and easier integration into school workflows. Overall, the feedback confirms that adoption will grow faster when guidance is simplified, supported, and institutionally backed.
you can watch the recorded webinar at our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EmiratesGreenBuildingCouncil
EMIRATESGBC TECHNICAL WORKSHOP FOR MEMBERS BY MEMBERS
The EmiratesGBC 3st (2026) Technical Workshop
For members by members will be by Energy Management Services on the 13th March 10:30 Am – 11:30 Am, in the Sustainability in Design Delivery – embedding sustainability into engineering design, including passive and biophilic design strategies.
The workshop will be held online format via Teams; invitation will be sent to members and will be updated at the members portal.
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:
- AL DHAFRA RESORT – L.L.C – S.P.C
- Queen Elizabeth 2 hotel
- Grand Millennium Hotel Dubai Barsha Height
EmiratesGBC in the News
EmiratesGBC and UNESCO GEP Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet champions call to build sustainable schools
The Emirates Green Building Council, in collaboration with UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership (GEP), was recently featured in the media following the launch of the Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet, unveiled during COP30 at the UNESCO GEP Annual General Meeting. Aligned with the UAE’s Green Agenda 2030, the booklet highlights the importance of embedding sustainability and climate resilience into educational infrastructure and provides a practical roadmap for designing climate-ready schools, particularly in hot and heat-affected regions. Developed with contributions from EmiratesGBC members and partners, the guide empowers policymakers, educators, and industry stakeholders to translate global sustainability ambitions into actionable solutions for healthier, future-ready learning environments.
🔗 Read the full news coverage: EmiratesGBC and UNESCO GEP Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet champions call to build sustainable schools
MEMBERS & PARTNERS
From Certification to Capability: Turning Sustainability Targets into Daily Operations
Nancy Hassan
individual Member – Emirates Green Building Council
Sustainability targets are increasingly clear. Execution on the ground is where most organizations struggle.
Operational teams are often presented with polished sustainability strategies and performance dashboards yet are left without practical guidance on how those targets translate into daily decisions. The result is a familiar pattern: data is reported, certifications are achieved, but performance remains uneven.
This gap becomes visible when indicators such as Energy Use Intensity, water consumption, waste diversion, indoor environmental quality, or carbon intensity are reviewed. Teams may see that performance is off target but lack the operational tools to diagnose root causes or identify which actions are feasible within existing constraints such as staffing, equipment limitations, budgets, or guest and occupant expectations.
Another challenge lies in fragmented ownership. Sustainability outcomes depend on engineering, procurement, housekeeping, facilities, and management working in alignment. When education does not address how these functions interact in practice, accountability becomes diluted and execution slows.
Operationally focused sustainability education shifts the emphasis from awareness to action. It equips teams to interpret KPIs in context, understand trade-offs, prioritize interventions, and implement corrective actions that fit real operating conditions.
Closing the gap between certification and capability is not about adding more frameworks. It is about enabling the people closest to operations to make better decisions, every day, that collectively deliver measurable sustainability performance.
3rd Retrofit Success at St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort
Leading Hospitality Services
Emirates Green Building Councils’ Corporate Member
LHS implemented a targeted retrofit programme at St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort to reduce thermal load and improve indoor environmental quality within a live hospitality environment. Three complementary innovations—i2Film, i2Coating, and AQMC—were applied across glazing, roof, and service areas following technical assessment.
At Sontaya Restaurant, a west-facing glazed façade of approximately 360 m² was treated with i2Film to reduce solar heat gain while maintaining daylight. Based on post-installation technical assessment and regional solar-load assumptions, the intervention is estimated to deliver ~192,720 kWh/year in cooling energy savings, equivalent to ~38,544 AED/year, and ~80.9 tCO₂/year avoided (0.42 kg CO₂/kWh).
In the Regal Ballroom, i2Coating (iPaint) was applied to mitigate peak heat absorption. On-site measurements recorded surface temperatures operating up to 22.7 °C cooler during peak conditions, with the intervention estimated to deliver ~10% annual cooling energy savings for the ballroom.
A third retrofit phase addressed persistent odour issues in basement and service areas using AQMC, which neutralises odours at source without consumables, chemicals, or water, reducing material use and maintenance inputs.
Overall, the project reflects LHS’s role in supporting retrofit strategies that improve energy performance and sustainability outcomes in existing buildings.
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!
Eilya Nadeem
Sustainability Manager
MAPEI CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS L.L.C
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
- Beyond my professional role, I am someone who is deeply curious about the world. I love to travel, explore new destinations, and experience different cultures through their food and local traditions. Discovering new places and perspectives constantly inspires me and broadens my understanding of sustainability on a global level. I also enjoy taking care of my plants, which reminds me of the importance of patience and responsibility toward our environment. In my free time, I value meaningful conversations with friends, especially discussions around philosophy, ideas, and personal growth.
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?
- I am an Environmental Scientist by background, but sustainability is something I consciously chose to pursue beyond my formal education. With encouragement from a former mentor, I began expanding my knowledge through additional studies and practical projects alongside my environmental work. Over the years, I have been involved in initiatives focused on waste reduction, recycling, and promoting the reuse of materials- particularly in high-impact sectors like construction. I am most proud of contributing to practical, on-the-ground changes that reduce environmental impact while remaining realistic and achievable for businesses.
- 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?
- I have been fortunate to work in the UAE, which provides strong opportunities and support for women. I did not face major barriers; however, working in construction often meant being surrounded mostly by men, with limited opportunities to connect with other women in the field. I felt that sense of representation and peer exchange was sometimes missing. I overcame this by actively building my own network- joining professional groups, attending industry events, and engaging in sustainability forums where I could connect with like-minded women. Creating and seeking those communities made a meaningful difference in my journey.
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?
- I see my role as a bridge between strategy and practical implementation, translating sustainability goals into realistic actions within business environments. True impact happens when sustainability is integrated into daily decisions, not treated as a separate function. By promoting measurable initiatives and encouraging collaboration, I aim to make sustainability both practical and achievable.To women aspiring to enter this field, I would say: invest in continuous learning, trust your expertise, and don’t hesitate to speak up. Sustainability needs diverse perspectives, and your voice and contribution truly matter.
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.
