• Event to be held on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit
• Expert to highlight the key challenges in managing demand for energy in line with UAE’s vision for sustainable development
• EmiratesGBC to present the first Abu Dhabi and Dubai city briefs on the green building landscape prepared in association with the US Green Building Council

Dubai, UAE; January 21, 2014: Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, is joining hands with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) to organise the first seminar of the Council this year on January 22, 2014, from 9.30 to 11.30am at the Capital Suite 19 of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Organised on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit (WFES), the seminar will discuss ‘Demand Side Management 2030,’ reflecting the vision of DSCE to reduce demand for electricity in the Emirate of Dubai by 30 per cent and water by 40 per cent by 2030.

Faisal Ali Hassan Rashid, Sr. Project Manager Demand Management, DSCE, will present the keynote address followed by an interactive discussion with the audience, comprising energy sector stakeholders and representatives of the construction industry supply chain.

Faisal Ali Hassan Rashid said: “Demand side management of energy and water resources has a critical role to play in promoting sustainable development. We are working towards achieving our goal of reducing electricity and water use, as per our set targets of 30 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, by 2030. This can be further led by the active collaboration and involvement of the various stakeholders including owners, users, service providers and government agencies, particularly the key players in the building sector. Dubai will soon benefit greatly from the new building code already launched as thousands of office and residential buildings will be built on the horizon of 2030. The seminar will serve as a sounding board for discussing the opportunities and challenges in demand side management of energy resources.”

Saeed Alabbar, Acting Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “Through our partnership with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, we are highlighting an extremely relevant topic at our first seminar this year. Managing demand use is a strategic pillar of sustainable development and contributes to achieving the ‘green economy’ vision outlined by the UAE. The targeted reduction in energy and water use can be achieved only through the concerted efforts of all stakeholders. We expect that the seminar will lead to tangible initiatives that help drive the focus on built environment sustainability.”

He added: “By hosting the event at the World Future Energy Summit, we aim to bring together experts from across the supply chain to discuss the importance of a comprehensive strategy to reduce demand for energy and water in the region, and preserve our resources for future generations.”

Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, mandated to explore alternate energy sources and work towards driving the sustainable growth of Dubai, has been at the forefront of several landmark energy projects including the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.

At WFES, EmiratesGBC is also launching and distributing for the first time green city briefs on Abu Dhabi and Dubai, prepared by the Council in partnership with the US Green Building Council. These briefs are also being uploaded on EmiratesGBC’s website, and will be distributed at the various events of the Council.

For more information on the event, please email to: events@emiratesgbc.org. The fee for EmiratesGBC members is AED 50 and for non-members is AED 150.

EmiratesGBC regularly hosts and participates in multinational events, conferences and forums. EmiratesGBC 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.

For more details of the Congress, contact: events@emiratesgbc.org

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About Emirates Green Building Council:

The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) was founded in June 2006, and became the 8th full member of the World Green Building Council in September 2006. EmiratesGBC is an organization that promotes and educates on green issues in the built environment and is the official body for the UAE endorsed by the World Green Building Council. EmiratesGBC currently has around 260 members in the UAE which represents 1000s of individuals interested and involved in Green Building in the UAE and the region. In addition, EmiratesGBC members receive discounts on a number of programmes such as those related to conferences, seminars, training and green building events.

For further information, please contact:

Kelly Home / Mohammed Al Tawil

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

+9714 4507600

kelly.home@bm.com / mohammed.altawil@bm.com