• Two Level 1 workshops to be delivered in Abu Dhabi on April 17 and in Dubai on April 30
• The BRT programme is organised in partnership with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company)

Dubai, UAE; April 9, 2018: Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has rolled out its 2018 Training Calendar and is conducting two Building Retrofit Training (BRT) workshops this month. Registration is currently open for Beginner Level 1 courses of the programme. Conducted in partnership with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company), the certification-based training will be held in Abu Dhabi on April 17, and in Dubai on April 30.

The Level One is an introduction course to Building Retrofit and registration is encouraged for less technical participants, industry professionals and students, with the aim of introducing the purpose and benefits of retrofitting existing buildings and the impact it has on enhancing energy efficiency and in mitigating carbon emissions.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “We have set two important targets for zero carbon emissions – the first is achieving Net Zero Carbon in new buildings by 2030 and the second is ensuring all buildings are Net Zero Carbon Buildings by 2050, as directed by the World Green Building Council based on the Paris Climate Change Agreement. There are many critical elements required for the UAE’s building stock to reach these goals, one of which is conducting deep retrofits of existing buildings due to high energy consumption associated with a large building stock. The BRT programme has been designed to strengthen awareness and the skillsets of building industry stakeholders to enhance the energy efficiency of their existing and new projects. We are confident the programme is a great first step in guiding the industry towards achieving these critical emission targets.”

The BRT programme is based on the EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings that is available in Arabic and English, and serves as a valuable handbook for all industry stakeholders to achieve higher levels of energy and water efficiency by retrofitting existing buildings.

Level One of the BRT Programme is a one-day beginner course covering five building management categories including: energy, water, air quality, materials and waste and innovative management, and is conducted by expert facilitators. The course also provides an overview of viable retrofit methods applicable in the Gulf region.

An Advanced Level Two course will be launched later this year. Course dates have been scheduled for the 2018 calendar and can be viewed along with other details on the EmiratesGBC BRT webpage.

For more information and registration, visit the BRT homepage on the EmiratesGBC website.

EmiratesGBC regularly hosts and participates in multinational events, conferences and forums. It has also developed a suite of activities, inclusive of networking events, technical workshops, focus days and facilitated training based around specific issues related to the built-environment that meet the needs of its members, of the UAE community, and the wider Middle East.

-ends-