The Big 5 launches the Gaia Awards 2009

Environmental awareness is becoming increasingly important within the construction industry in the Middle East, new building regulations in the UAE, for example, require that all new buildings meet international green building standards.

Recognising this, The Big 5 has made the environment a key priority for the 2009 exhibition. The event is uniquely placed to provide a platform for the industry to discuss environmental matters and to showcase best practice, as it brings together construction companies from across the globe.

Launched in 2008, The Gaia Awards aim to promote a company or an individual's responsibility to the environment by recognising their achievements and providing a platform for companies to highlight their 'green' products and discuss future developments.

Named after the Greek goddess of the earth, the Awards have proved to be a great success, and have been shown to be much more than just a trophy, they have actually helped business.

Previous winners have said that the Awards provide a 'green' stamp of approval, increasing clients' confidence in their products and encouraging them to develop further initiatives and products which will be showcased at this year's event:

Simon Mellor, Vice President of Construction for dmg world media, said:

'The Big 5 has the opportunity to help shape the environmental agenda for the construction industry in the region. Feedback from previous Gaia Award winners has been extremely positive, and it is great to hear that the Awards are having a significant positive impact on their business. The Gaia Awards, in addition to our moves this year to become carbon neutral, demonstrate that we are not just paying lip-service to these issues, we are actually leading by example, and we look forward to some innovative and ground-breaking environmentally-friendly products featuring in this year's show.'

Rosy Salameh, assistant executive director at Tiger, Gaia Award 2008 winners, said: 'Winning the Gold Gaia Award last year for Solasteel as well as two Silvers for our Solacoat products was a significant achievement for the company and this year we hope to repeat our success as we launch a range of new 'green' products at The Big 5. For clients, it is a sign of added value that we can say we are Gaia Award winners.'

Hatim A. Abu-Eideh from Concrete Technology LLC a 2008 finalist, echoed Salameh's comments: 'Being a finalist at the Gaia Awards 2008 was, and still is, a huge achievement for the company and it gives our clients extra confidence in our products. The production of 'green' products has continued and we are hoping to release this information at The Big 5 2009.'

Mayur Porecha of Constromech FZCO, also a finalist in 2008, added: 'Being named as a finalist at the Gaia Awards 2008 meant we were recognised for contributing towards a greener future. Since receiving this award we have been developing further 'green' products to provide alternative cooling products to the traditional air conditioning for the industrial sector, something which has in the past had a great negative impact on the environment.'

The Gaia Awards are judged by a panel of industry experts who consider various criteria, including: does the product meet fundamental innovation criteria; does it show world leading technology; does it have innovative features; does it generate high-level benefits to other building systems; and is it energy efficient or fully recyclable. Awards are presented to one overall 'gold' winner, with 'silver, 'bronze' and 'finalist' accolades presented to companies who, to varying degrees, have developed products that are environmentally conscious.

The Big 5 is working with the region's premier emissions reduction firm, EcoVentures, to reduce its own carbon footprint this year, as it takes the first steps towards going Carbon Neutral.

A recent survey carried out by EcoVentures on UAE based companies and local branches of multinationals in the UAE showed an advanced level of environmental awareness and a motivation for action amongst all companies, with the majority having already having taken substantive steps towards reducing their environmental footprint.

The survey found that 86% of UAE based companies and 78% of multinational companies already have an environmental strategy, and this is expected to increase within the next two years.

Many companies either already have environmental committees in place, or will establish one within the next two years.

Customers are increasingly environmentally conscious, with 91% of companies reporting that their customers care about their environmental performance.

Despite this high level of environmental awareness, only a surprising 28% of companies report having calculated their carbon footprint - although 71% of UAE-based companies and 61 percent of multinationals report that they will calculate it within two years.

Ninety three percent of UAE-based companies and 78% of multinationals have attempted to reduce their firms' environmental footprint through energy-saving measures, and this is expected to increase over the next two years.

All Gaia Award entrants should visit www.thebig5exhibition.com for further information. The closing date is end of September 2009, winners will be announced early November 2009.