The Second 'Sustainability Week' conference in framework of Project Lebanon 2010 opened

Highly acclaimed by key industry people, the event was attended by the president of the Order of Engineers & Architects - Beirut, Mr. Bilal Alayli, diplomats & VIP's, a score of environmental experts & green activists and the media.

Organized by the Order of Engineers and Architects in Beirut and the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC), in cooperation with the Ashrae Lebanon Chapter and the Lebanese Green Building Council (LGBC), the Sustainability Week aims at creating heightened environmental consciousness and awareness pertaining to the need of renewable, sustainable and green solutions through workshops & seminars.

The inaugural session hosted a special awards ceremony during which 5 important personas were duly honored for their outstanding Green initiatives that helped Lebanon acquire green public awareness to better protect & conserve its natural resources.

The awards were handed out by the organizers & the co organizers: Mr. Albert Aoun- Chairman & CEO of IFP Group- Organizers of Project Lebanon handed out the award to HE Engineer Gebran Bassil; Mr. Bilal Alayli, President of the Order of Engineers & Architects -Beirut presented MR. Mohamad Ali Beyhum- deputy executive general manager of Bankmed representing Mr. Mohammad Hariri, Chairman of BankMed; Mr. Rabih Khairallah Member of the Order of Engineers & Architects - Beirut, handed the award to MR. Philippe Skaff, President of the Lebanese Green Part; Mr. Pierre Khoury, Manager at the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation honored Mr. Mrs. Nada Zaarour, President of the Association for Forest Development; and Mr. Walid Al Baba, founder of the Lebanese Green Building Council (LGBC) honored Mrs. Iffat Edriss Chatila, President of Cedars for Care.

Launched last year during Project Lebanon 2009, the Sustainability Week was highly acclaimed by key people from the industry's, namely for creating heightened environmental consciousness and awareness pertaining to the need of renewable, sustainable and green solutions; speakers will exchange, debate & discuss urgent environmental matters of which: Climate Change, Green Buildings in Lebanon, Workshop on LEED Ratings and Sustainable Design Practices Sustainable Transportation, the Masdar Initiative and the Sustainability Challenge, Smart Homes Programme Experience Energy Efficiency Retrofitting of Buildings.

First Day Sessions:

The first session started with Mr. Maxime Chaaya- who is known to be the first Lebanese to climb Mount Everest- and chaired by Mr. Pierre El Khoury . Mr. Chaaya elaborated upon two topics-each separated by a coffee break. The former was about "Climate Change: A Different Perspective"- it was followed by a Q&A session and the latter pertained to "Sustainability and the Vision of an Architect"-which was chaired by Ms. Suzanne Baaklini from L'Orient Le Jour .

The 3rd Session featured Mr. Samir Traboulsi- a Lebanese financier- his presentation was about LGBC; the Lebanese Green Building Council and Building Labeling. The second presentation; during that session; was chaired by Mr. Aram Yeretzian and presented by Ms. Maya Karkour- her topic was about "BREEAM in Lebanon-(case study)".

The final section was followed by a question and answer session and a workshop that lasted from 6:30 pm till 8:15 pm. The seminar related to LEED Ratings and Sustainable Design Practices and was presented by Dr. Tom Lawrence of the United States of America; Mrs. Divina Abou Jaoudeh was the moderator.

The first day of the second annual sustainability week marked the beginning of a fruitful succession of educational lectures and seminars that will hopefully impact our behaviors and simultaneously the planet we call "Home".