Will focus on climate, well-being, economy, innovation and policy

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has announced that it has a distinguished line-up of speakers at its fourth Annual Congress, to be held on October 20 and 21 in Dubai, under the theme How do green buildings scale up? – Bridging the Gap between Green Buildings & Sustainable Cities.

Claiming that it is the largest-of-its-kind gathering of experts representing the sustainable built environment, EmiratesGBC said that the Congress is being held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Public Works.

The event, EmiratesGBC informed, will commence with an address by Engineer Dhaen AlMeheiri, Director of Technical Studies Department & Executive Director for Innovation, Ministry of Public Works, followed by the Director of Energy & Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr Thani Ahmed Al-Zayoudi.

EmiratesGBC highlighted other event details: A session on policy will focus on how to align regulations, expectations and industry performance. Masdar City will provide an industry update on ‘Global Renewables & Sustainable Cities,’ presented by Anthony Mallows, Director of Masdar, followed by a panel discussion, ‘Is the UAE Green Economy driven by Green Buildings?’, focusing on the economic aspect of green building. Also on the agenda is a presentation on green buildings as the silent heroes of a city in mitigating climate change, delivered by Curt Garrigan, Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative Coordinator of UNEP. A panel discussion on well-being will follow, moderated by Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC. The first day of the Congress will conclude with a presentation and a case study on innovation by Dr Mousa Mohsen, Director of RAK Research and Innovation Centre and Marwa Nahlawi, Architectural Design Manager of The Sustainable City. The second day includes a visit to The Sustainable City.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said, “The UAE is at the forefront of promoting sustainable cities for the future, underpinned by several world-leading programmes supported by the ‘green economy for sustainable development’ vision announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.” He added: “As an independent forum focused on promoting green building practices, we strive to provide a platform for all those involved in the industry to share their experiences and expertise. The Annual EGBC Congress allows us to look back at the projects developed during the year and recognise and benchmark best practices and support the industry in its efforts towards creating a fully sustainable metropolis.”