UAE progresses towards goal of net zero carbon buildings by 2050

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) releases 2020 UAE Green Building Market Brief study to coincide with World Green Building Week.

According to the 2020 UAE Green Building Market Brief, the UAE has 63.96 million square metres of built up area adapted to local green building regulations or certification programmes.

The in-depth publication also reveals the number of buildings under various green building ratings across the UAE region.
 
His Excellency Ali Al Jassim, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said the study presents evidence-backed insights on the progress achieved by the UAE in promoting sustainable built environments.

"With a growing footprint of buildings being developed under green building regulations, the nation is progressing towards its goal of achieving net zero carbon buildings by 2050," said Al Jassim.

He said the council is committed to strengthening this by offering insights on green building best practices and knowledge sharing.

"With buildings and the construction sector accounting for nearly 39 per cent of energy-related emissions globally and more so in the UAE, it is important to continue to focus on deep retrofitting and net zero carbon buildings,” Al Jassim concluded.
 
The brief also highlights the number of buildings complying to Estidama Pearl Rating System in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Green Building Regulations and Specifications in Dubai and Barjeel Green Building Regulations in Ras Al Khaimah.

Since 2006, uptake of international green building standards became increasingly common with the first UAE project receiving the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, an internationally recognised green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
 
Recently, EmiratesGBC has witnessed that the health and wellbeing of building occupants has become a focal point within the green building realm, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought even more attention to how indoor environmental quality is a major factor influencing wellness.
 
In all, the UAE has 386 LEED certified projects as of April 2020 with a total built up area of 5.9 million sq.m. Additionally, 4,000 sq.m of built-up area in the UAE is WELL certified, an international performance-based system for certifying buildings based on their impact human health and well-being.

EmiratesGBC is an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices.

It aims to support the UAE and wider region for a sustainable built environment with the help of various studies, technical trainings and programmes in order to push the boundaries of sustainability across all its stakeholders.