According to a statement, the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has organised its first ‘Developers Forum’ in Dubai, in an effort to shine a light on green building practices in the UAE. The independent body says this is the first in a series of planned events for members of the EmiratesGBC Developers Forum.
Held under the theme of ‘A Business Case for Green Buildings in the UAE’, the roundtable was attended by local semi-government and listed developers, including senior representatives from Emaar Properties, Diamond Developers, TECOM and RAK Properties.
The event promoted a vision of sustainable development and advancing green building practices, in an effort to achieve the goals of UAE Vision 2021. It also shared insights on market trends and focused on integrating developer perspectives into industry-wide dialogues that have been initiated by EmiratesGBC.
“The Developers Forum Roundtable by EmiratesGBC was the first initiative of its kind that aims to bring together one of the most important stakeholders in the construction sector to advance sustainable built environments. With their hands-on experience in project development and management, the developers have strong insights on the practical challenges and concerns in promoting green buildings. They also have a trove of information on industry best practices that will benefit all the stakeholders as well as the community. The recommendations of the Roundtable will serve as guidelines for EmiratesGBC in advancing the UAE’s green agenda for sustainable development,” said Saeed Al Abbar, chairman of EmiratesGBC.
Al Abbar kicked off the roundtable with an introduction to the UAE green building market and how it links with the global movement. This was followed by ‘Government Spotlight’ presentations on regulatory initiatives by Graeme Lindsay Sims of the Regulatory Supervisory Bureau (RSB) Dubai, and Existing Buildings by Mustapha Aanzi, assistant director Business Development of Etihad ESCO. Albinas Kontrimas, associate – Project & Development Services, Middle East & North Africa, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) presented a business case study, which was followed by an open discussion.
According to the EmiratesGBC, participants offered different perspectives on green building development in the UAE, with practical insights on how to advance sustainable built environments. They also outlined the challenges and opportunities in developing green buildings, and in undertaking the retrofitting of existing buildings, and underlined their commitment to supporting the green vision of the nation.