Emirates Green Building Council developing rating system to assess environmentally friendly buildings in the UAE

The voluntary system, due for release in the next few months, will be tailored to the local climate and culture and will set a range of benchmarks including the reduction of energy demand and water consumption, and satisfying sustainability criteria for the use of materials.

According to a report released last year by the global conservation group WWF and the Global Footprint Network, the United Arab Emirate's Ecological Footprint, a measure of human demand on ecosystems, is the largest per capita in the world.

The EmiratesGBC plans to discuss its new rating system with facilities management professionals at FM EXPO, taking place from June 3 - 5 at Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

The event, organised by Streamline Marketing Group, is now in its second year and is the first exhibition in the region to be dedicated to facilities management, the integrated management of all types of built environments from commercial towers, resorts and hotels to oil refineries and hospitals. This year's event will have a 'green' focus with seminars examining environmental issues, including energy efficiency, solar power and 'Green Buildings'.

Dr Sadek Owainati, EmiratesGBC Chairman said: "The rating system being developed by Emirates GBC will enable buyers, leasers and renters to know that the building has been designed and built to achieve certain standards of efficiency and sustainability. This means lower operating and maintenance costs and an enhanced internal environment for the occupants. It will also enable those of us that care about the environment to make informed choices about the buildings or apartments that they want to purchase or occupy."

The EmiratesGBC was formed last year by six founders, with the support of 39 founding member corporations operating within the UAE, to promote environmental sustainability in the UAE's built environment and encourage the implementation of Green Building principles by developers and building owners. Its membership is growing rapidly and includes developers, architects, consultants, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, financial institutions and hospitality organisations.

The new rating system will be a modified version of "The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ developed by the United States Green Building Council. LEED recognises performance in five key areas; sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

Methods of saving energy put forward by the EmiratesGBC include improving insulation and use of energy efficient appliances, minimising glazed areas and using special glazing to reduce transmission of solar heat and decrease demand for air-conditioning. Water saving measures can include water-efficient sanitary fittings, flow-restricted taps, low-volume flush cisterns and recycling waste water for landscaping.

"Authorities and developers in the UAE are now starting to embrace 'green' thinking and embody it in future schemes," said Dr Owainati. "It isn't just about energy saving but a whole host of other aspects involved in the built environment from minimising the depletion of natural resources and maximising recycling to using alternative energies. We consider FM EXPO to be an excellent opportunity for developers, operators and designers to exchange technical information relevant to their projects with emphasis on supporting Green Building technologies."

FM EXPO takes place alongside the Hotel Show, Office and InRetail exhibitions and is supported by Aruba Networks and Oxygen ME as platinum sponsor, Transguard Group and FM provider MAB Property Service & Development as support sponsors and GRESCO as associate sponsor.