A LETTER FROM EGBC FAMILY

EmiratesGBC NEWS AND UPDATES

As part of this year’s Earth Day engagements, Emirates Green Building Council took part in Reconnecting People & Planet — a thoughtful dialogue exploring the connection between wellbeing, leadership, and the built environment.

The session brought together diverse perspectives across two themes: inner landscapes, focusing on the human dimension of sustainability, and outer landscapes, examining how the spaces we design influence resilience, connection, and belonging.

The discussion offered a reflective and timely exchange on navigating complexity, highlighting the importance of integrating personal and systemic approaches to sustainability.

EmiratesGBC Supports Future Leaders as Judge for Saint-Gobain Student Content Award 2026

EmiratesGBC served as a judge for the Saint-Gobain Student Content Award for 2026, judging several entries from talented students for the national level competition. Year on year, students reflect the increased knowledge in sustainability of the built environment, integrating better understanding of passive design strategies, material selection, and health and wellbeing considerations.

EmiratesGBC Engages with Future Changemakers at AUS Ecorep Talks

EmiratesGBC participated in the Ecorep Talks, an American University of Sharjah, student-led initiative, that brings together experts and practitioners to discuss sustainability and environmental engagement. During the presentation, EmiratesGBC highlighted trends and certifications in the built environment of the UAE and shared examples from impactful work done by members and by the EmiratesGBC for a more sustainable built environment. 

EmiratesGBC Supports Future Architects as Jury Member for AUD Final Presentations

EmiratesGBC participated as a Jury member for final presentations of architecture students from the American University of Dubai. EmiratesGBC has been involved in the early development of the project details, which were inspired by the Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet, developed by EmiratesGBC as its contribution to the Greening Education Partnership of the UNESCO,

which you can read here:

https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000396416?posInSet=1&queryId=d51ad661-36d3-4101-aecd-ab05b…

EmiratesGBC Inspires Ajman University Students with Sustainable School Design Workshop

EmiratesGBC delivered an engaging presentation for Ajman University architecture students, on insights from the Sustainable School Building Guidance Booklet, with focus on chapters related to design, health and wellbeing, as well as universal design and furniture. The presentation was followed up by a short hands-on workshop to design a school in few minutes incorporating lessons learnt. 

PREVIOUS EMIRATESGBC EVENTS

Knowledge Sharing Webinar: From Challenge to Resilience: Water in the Built Environment

As part of last month’s World Water Day activities, Emirates Green Building Council hosted a roundtable webinar on water resilience in the built environment, bringing together industry experts to discuss the UAE’s growing water challenges, including scarcity, rising demand, and the need for smarter building design and operations. The discussion highlighted key priorities such as addressing water scarcity, designing for climate resilience, leveraging smart systems for improved efficiency, advancing on-site water reuse, and strengthening the link between water efficiency, energy performance, and net-zero goals. Overall, the session reinforced the importance of collaboration in developing practical solutions for more water-resilient and low-carbon buildings across the UAE and beyond.

Advancing Low-Carbon Materials: Insights and Collaboration from the EmiratesGBC Members Workshop

EmiratesGBC hosted a members-only workshop to share key findings from its in-depth research on low and near-zero carbon materials. The session focused on the challenges identified across the value chain, the recommendations proposed to address them, and the roles and responsibilities required from different stakeholders to drive implementation.

The workshop also served as a valuable platform for member engagement, bringing forward practical insights and on-the-ground perspectives from industry practitioners. These contributions will be integrated into the research, ensuring the final outputs reflect both technical analysis and real market experience.

During the visit, members explored innovative approaches to water management, energy efficiency, and operational reliability, with insights into how these solutions are applied across real projects in the region. The session combined a guided facility tour with in-depth discussions, enabling meaningful knowledge exchange between industry professionals.

UPCOMING EMIRATESGBC EVENTS

Launching Sustainable Buildings: Case Studies in the UAE – Driving the Financial Case for Green Real Estate

launching of Sustainable Buildings: Case Studies in the UAE, a landmark publication that showcases sustainable developments across the country while highlighting the financial value of green real estate. This data-driven resource provides valuable insights for developers, investors, and sustainability professionals, and is aligned with the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). The launch event will take place on 14 May 2026 at The Sustainability Lounge, EmiratesGBC, bringing together industry leaders from finance, real estate, and sustainability to discuss how capital is driving the transition toward a greener built environment. Members are encouraged to attend this engaging session, which will offer valuable perspectives and networking opportunities. The registration link is available on the members portal and has also been shared via email.

EMIRATESGBC TECHNICAL WORKSHOP FOR MEMBERS BY MEMBERS

The EmiratesGBC 5th (2026) Technical Workshop

For members by members will be by Holcim on the 22nd May . The workshop will be held in person format at Emirates Green Building Council Sustainability Lounge; invitation will be sent to all Members, and the link 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:

• Jumeirah Saadiyat Island
• INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL ABU DHABI – SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP L.L.C.
• Jumeirah Mina Al Salam
• Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas
• The Chedi Al Bait Sharjah Hotel

MEMBERS & PARTNERS

Enova Earns the EcoVadis Gold Medal Sustainability Rating

Enova has been awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal, placing them among the top 5% of companies assessed globally. Ranking in the 95th percentile, this recognition reaffirms their commitment to sustainability, strong ESG compliance, and responsible business practices, delivering measurable impact through integrated energy efficiency solutions. In parallel, Enova has been recognized as a Carbon Management Leader, highlighting their advanced GHG management and structured decarbonisation strategy.

Integrating Controlled Environment Agriculture into Residential Infrastructure

Iman Naraghi
General Manager
Urban Agritechs

Urban food supply chains face inefficiencies due to transportation, storage, and environmental constraints. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) offers a decentralized alternative by integrating multi-layer hydroponic systems within residential buildings. These systems regulate light, nutrients, temperature, and humidity to enable consistent crop production independent of external conditions.

A 4–5 layer configuration can increase yield density by 3–5× per square meter while reducing water consumption by up to 90% through recirculation. Typical growth cycles for leafy greens range from 18–30 days.

Key technical challenges include nutrient balance, disease control in closed systems, light uniformity, and thermal load management, addressed through automation and environmental controls.

Integration requires alignment with structural, electrical, water, and HVAC systems. CEA provides a scalable framework for improving urban food production efficiency, contributing to food security, nutrient optimization of produce, eliminating food waste and reducing our transport and logistics foot print.

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!

Katrin Loeschenkohl

Managing Director Middle East and Africa

Nhance

Emirates Green Building Council Individual Member

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. • Beyond my professional role, I’m someone who genuinely enjoys seeing people grow and succeed. That has been a consistent thread throughout my life—whether in leadership roles or coaching. I’m curious by nature and continuously invest in learning, especially around human behavior, leadership, and personal development. Living in the UAE has been an inspiring experience, both culturally and professionally. What drives me most is creating meaningful impact—helping people and organizations move forward in a way that is both successful and responsible.

  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. • My career started in procurement and evolved into leadership and organizational development across different industries. Over time, I became increasingly interested in how businesses can operate more sustainably—especially within the built environment. Today, I lead regional growth for nhance, where we use digital twin technology to make buildings smarter and more efficient. I’m particularly proud of helping organizations turn sustainability goals into measurable action, and of building strong partnerships in the GCC that enable long-term, scalable impact

1.  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. • Working in both technology and sustainability, I’ve often been in environments where I had to actively make my (female) voice heard. Rather than seeing this as a barrier, I learned to approach it with clarity, confidence, and respect. One ongoing challenge is closing the gap between sustainability ambition and real implementation. A meaningful success for me is when clients start to truly use data to make better decisions. Seeing that shift—from intention to action—is incredibly rewarding and shows that change is possible.

  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?
  • At nhance, I contribute by helping organizations gain transparency on how their buildings perform and where they can improve—environmentally and operationally. For me, sustainability becomes real when it is measurable and actionable. My advice to other women: trust your perspective and don’t wait until you feel “perfectly ready.” Step in, ask questions, and keep learning. Surround yourself with people who support and challenge you. There is so much opportunity in sustainability, and every voice that brings clarity and practicality makes a difference

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.