Will provide educational resources on sustainability

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), avowedly an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has announced launching its Academy page on its official web site: http://www.emiratesgbc.org/egbc/emirates/index.php, which, EmiratesGBC says will provide technical papers and resources on sustainability.

EmiratesGBC claimed that it was a valuable resource to the industry, and a one-stop-source for publications related to green building practices, with over 300 technical reports by different authors already accessible online. The Academy page was created in collaboration with various global and regional green building councils, strategic partners and other industry stakeholders, it added.

Elucidating on the launch, Adnan Sharafi, EmiratesGBC Chairman, said: “One of the primary goals of EmiratesGBC is to strengthen awareness on sustainable built environments by sharing global best practices with the industry stakeholders. Serving as a link between the various organisations working in the sector and the industry, we continuously update our members and the public at large on the various measures that can be pursued to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. The Academy is a strong repository of information on sustainable building development practices drawn from around the world, and will serve as an invaluable referral source.”

Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry has reportedly contributed a case study to the Academy section of the EmiratesGBC website and shares its experience of ‘greening’ their existing office complex without massive investments, serving as a model for the region. Commenting on this, HE Hamad Buamim, Director General, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said: “We are happy to share our example of being the first existing building in the Arab world and only the fourth outside North America to achieve the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Existing Building certification from the US Green Building Council. Through our green initiatives, we have been able to reduce water and energy consumption by 77% and 47% respectively, leading to accumulated savings of around AED 7.1 million between 1998 and 2008. We want to encourage other organisations to follow our lead and realise the benefits that green buildings provide for our country and the wider region.”

According to The Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA), it has added a valuable report on solar power being viable across the MENA region to the Academy. Commenting on this, Vahid Fotuhi, President of ESIA, said: “The Emirates Solar Industry Association is delighted to be part of this latest EGBC initiative. This new portal will serve as very useful research tool and ESIA is very happy to be able to contribute to it as a testament of our ongoing cooperation with EmiratesGBC.”