EcoVentures to address the challenges of construction industry on climate change

The lecture is a first of a series of lectures on environmental issues to be held at the British University in Dubai and will be co-hosted by The Emirates Green Building Council in association with The British University in Dubai.

Speaking at the event will be EcoVentures' Shezan Amiji and also Nicola Clarke, the health and safety manager and environmental advisor for Saudi property and investment company Sabban Property Investments.

"The construction industry is beginning to realise the importance of having a green agenda; however implementing the necessary strategies to address the issues is a real challenge for developers and construction companies alike," said Shezan Amiji, Managing Director of EcoVentures. "Our role is to help and support these organisations and companies in their bid to reduce their environmental impact and to advise on the best ways to offset their carbon footprint.

Studies by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Commerce have shown that 70% of Dubai's power consumption is currently utilised in commercial and residential buildings, a trend which will only increase with the large number of property developments in the city. Although individuals can take a wide number of actions to reduce their carbon footprint, the majority of the environmental impact created by a building is set by the design and construction of the building itself. Efficient cooling systems, insulation and a number of other aspects of building design and construction have a much greater long term impact on how 'green' the building is.

"The critical challenges faced by the construction and real estate development industry in creating viable projects with a lower environmental impact have to be met at every stage of the process, from site selection ,design through to selecting the final finishes of a building. Meeting these challenges in an informed, effective and yet cost-effective manner is a huge task and we recognise the difficulty of that task," said Amiji. "However, help is at hand and we'll be sharing some of the solutions at the Climate Change and Construction event."

"We are delighted to be participating in this event and hope to present a number of innovative solutions that can help property developers and construction companies tackle these challenges," Amiji added.

EcoVentures is the Middle East strategic partner of the CarbonNeutral Company, the worldwide pioneer in the provision of carbon management services. The CarbonNeutral Company is the world's leading carbon offset and climate consulting business: founded over 10 years ago the company works with over 200 clients in the private and public sectors worldwide.

TCNC helps companies to measure their carbon emissions, make changes to reduce those emissions, and acquire carbon credits from third parties to offset the remainder, allowing them to become carbon neutral. TCNC sources carbon credits either from projects that meet its own CarbonNeutral Protocol standard, or have been certified under other globally recognized schemes, including the UN's CDM and CER schemes, Gold Standard and the Voluntary Carbon Standard.

The lecture is taking place in BUiD Auditorium, Block 17, Knowledge Village, Dubai, from 6:30pm till 8:00pm and it's open to public.