UAE Minister of Environment inaugurates conference

The Middle East region is experiencing a major construction boom that puts increasing pressure on natural resources and energy thus raising the need for sustainable construction.

The conference was opened by HE Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment & Water opened the conference. As many as 500 delegates including ministers of environment, under secretaries from the ministries of environment, scientists and public and private sector officials from around the world converged in Dubai to participate in The Dubai International Conference on Sustainable Construction. The delegates will also be attending the Zayed International Prize for the Environment tomorrow.

Nils Larsson, Executive Director of the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) presented a paper about the many factors in the design of individual projects that affect the potential for performance. He recommended the Integrated Design Process (IDP) that helps clients and designers to avoid choosing the wrong path early in the design process, and experience has shown that this approach can result in 50% improvements in energy consumption at very little additional cost.

Peter Neuschaefer, Divisions Manager Middle East for the Environment Technologies Division of Waagner Biro Gulf presented a paper about sustainable wastewater treatment practices and the challenge of climate change. He underlined solutions that are cost effective and demonstrate the possibilities that environmentally friendly construction enables economical, ecological and more sustainable development.

Stéphane Pouffary, Head of the International Expertise in Energy Management Unit, Renewable Energies, Energy Networks and Markets Division of the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and Chairman of the UNEP SBCI Climate Change Think Tank spoke about the building and construction sector facing climate change challenge.

Mr. Pouffary underlined that the building and construction sector is accounting for a significant and increasing part of the worldwide energy consumption and is responsible for an important greenhouse gas emissions share and spoke about the challenges of reducing climate change impacts.

Parasu Raman. R, Chief Executive Officer, BMTC, Vice Chair- World Green Building Council and Founding & Immediate Past Chairman - Indian Green Building Council commented on the WGBC's role at the forefront of creating global awareness and appropriate action in controlling the negative impact of built spaces on the environment.

Other topics covered during the one-day conference included Policies for Sustainable Construction and Urban Development, Making the World's Mega-Projects Sustainable, Sustainable Construction Practices and the Challenge of Climate Change, Value Engineering and Sustainability, Sustainable Construction and Climate Change and A Historical Concept of Building and Construction Sustainability among others.