Sustainability fundamental to Abu Dhabi's Urban Plan 2030, says Sultan Bin Tahnoon

Addressing delegates to the 'Building A Sustainable Future: Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges' conference being staged by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the non-profit research and educational organisation dedicated to responsible land use, His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan said the Government of Abu Dhabi is totally committed to pursuing sustainability through its entire urban planning structure.

Sheikh Sultan, the patron of the ULI's Middle East Council, said the conference - the first in the ULI's international series for 2008, was "the right initiative, in the right place, at the right time."

"It is the right initiative because in Abu Dhabi we believe in partnering world-class institutions to assist us going forward. The ULI meets that criteria," he said. "It is also the right initiative because we welcome steps which will bring best-of-breed standards here and help educate Emiratis wishing to enter the real estate sector.

"It's the right time because of the scale of development that is going on in the Middle East. And it's the right place because we in the Middle East are very much at the start of our real estate development and because we in Abu Dhabi have embraced the fundamentals of sustainability in our urban planning structure."

Sheikh Sultan said Abu Dhabi's Plan 2030, produced by the Urban Planning Council under the directives of Their Highnesses Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, lays out the framework for the emergency of the city as a stately global capital.

He told delegates: "You will be encouraged to hear that the plan calls for the protection and enhancement of Abu Dhabi's natural environment as fundamental to development. It also calls on us to pursue green building standards in design and construction, and to pursue sustainable technologies for the management of energy, waste and water. The political will to pursue sustainability is there at the highest level."

Sheikh Sultan said the ULI conference, which was addressed by some of the world's leading sustainability experts would "help us achieve our goals by sharing knowledge from some of the most eminent experts in the field."

The conference also heard a call from Chandran Nair, one of Asia's foremost thinkers and the Founder and CEO of Hong Kong-based Global Institute For Tomorrow, for the Middle East to seek "world class advice" in its development going forward.

Nair also urged regional leaders to implement regulatory frameworks for the adherence of sustainable programmes.

A challenge facing advocates of sustainability, he said, was not to be seen as "anti development."

"It is important for you to seek world-class advice to confront this dilemma and engage stakeholders," he said.

The ULI Middle East Council is now celebrating its second anniversary and has a regional membership now numbering of 200.

"This conference is the first of a series of initiatives the ULI will roll out in the Middle East this year and which will envisage will substantially lead to a significant increase in our regional membership profile," said Richard Rosan, President Worldwide, ULI. "We are also gearing up for the opening next year of the planned ULI Real Estate Education Centre which will be in the new Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority/Tourism Development & Investment Company headquarters."