bgreen april 2014

Issue 44 | APRIL 2014

InsideSuStainable airSpaceSbuSting paper mythSSalvaging plaSticSpreview: SuStainable eXpO 2020 Seminar

SuStainability in the Middle eaSt

Please recycle after use

Publication l icensed by iMPZ

The energy saversStephan le Gentil and GraeMe SiMS team up togive energy makeover to dubai’s building sector

www.equate.com

commitmentto make a positive difference in the community

Corporate Social Responsibility is at the heart of everything we do. We share our success with the community in which we serve and with the people in it.

At EQUATE, we create partnershipsthat succeed.

Scan this code with your mobile device for further information.

www.bgreen.aeApril 2014 1

EDITOR’S PAGE

Dubai is targeting 30% improvement in the efficiency of its energy use by 2030. The strategy to achieve this goal mainly revolves around retrofitting 30,000 existing buildings and applying green building regulations to all

new construction. But why this emphasis on buildings? As a top Dubai Munici-pality official pointed out: “Buildings account for 70% of energy consumption in Dubai, so to make the city green, you might as well tackle your biggest energy consumer.” (More about that on 0).

How Dubai proposes to retrofit 30,000 buildings is the central theme of our cover story. This initiative could herald the emergence of an energy efficiency market in the emirate built around ESCOs or Energy Service Companies. What makes ESCOs different from a facility management company, for example, is that they are prepared to enter into ‘performance contracts’ that guarantee energy savings for the client. ESCOs also take on some risk for delivery of the energy saving measures. We spoke to Etihad ESCO and Dubai’s Regulatory and Supervi-sory Bureau for Electricity and Water Sector to understand how they are working together to create an ESCO sector in Dubai from scratch. All the details are on Pages 14 -17.

Historically, ESCOs have pursued energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings rather than new buildings, where owners often find it difficult to come to an agreement on ‘baseline’ energy usage. However, Etihad ESCO’s Stephane Le Gentil feels that irrespective of whether a building is new or old, energy efficiency is mainly about how the building is operated, how the equipment is working.

But I believe that Dubai’s ESCOs could take advantage of mandatory application of green building regulations effective from this year, and offer energy-related services that support compliance with these regulations. This could also open up an additional market in terms of new building projects.

What remains to be seen are the additional costs a customer would have to incur after signing up for the ESCO route to energy savings. Only after the first few large-scale projects get done, we will know how the figures add up. In the developed markets, the cost impact tends to be confined to the ESCO’s profits and performance guarantee; the rest of the costs wouldn’t be fundamentally different to what the customer would incur if they implemented the retrofit internally.

Do you think ESCOs have a role to play in Dubai’s building sector? Let us know your views on this topic, and anything else about the magazine that caught your attention.

Ambitious About efficiency

Editor,Bgreen

GROUPGROUP CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER

DOMINIC DE SOUSAGROUP CEO NADEEM HOOD

GROUP COO GINA O’HARA

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR RAZ [email protected]

+971 4 375 5471EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VIJAYA CHERIAN

[email protected]+971 4 375 5713

EDITORIALCONTRIBUTING EDITOR ANOOP K MENON


ASSISTANT EDITOR SHRUTHI [email protected]

+971 4 375 5715

ADVERTISINGCOMMERCIAL DIRECTOR JUDE SLANN


SENIOR SALES MANAGER JUNAID [email protected]

+971 4 375 5716

MARKETINGMARKETING MANAGER LISA JUSTICE


MARKETING ASSISTANT BARBARA [email protected]

+971 4 375 5499

DESIGNART DIRECTOR SIMON COBON

SENIOR DESIGNER MARLOU DELABEN

CIRCULATION AND PRODUCTIONCIRCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

ROCHELLE ALMEIDA [email protected]

+971 4 368 1670DATABASE AND CIRCULATION MANAGER

RAJEESH [email protected]

+971 4 440 9147PRODUCTION MANAGER

JAMES P [email protected]

+971 4 440 9146

DIGITALDIGITAL SERVICE MANAGER

TRISTAN TROY MAAGMAWEB DEVELOPER

JOEL AZCUNA

Published by

REGISTERED AT IMPZPO BOX 13700, DUBAI, UAE

TEL: +971 4 440 9100FAX: +971 4 447 2409

WWW.CPIMEDIAGROUP.COM

Printed by Printwell Printing press LLCPrinted on wood-free paper

© Copyright 2014 CPI. All rights reserved

While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this

magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

contents

www.bgreen.ae April 20142

ContentsApril 2014

PReVIeW

20Sustainable EXPO 2020Bgreen seminar in May to focus on construction opportunities at the Expo Village and Dubai’s new green building regulations

AVIAtIon

22Sustainable airspacesIan Jopson, head of environmental and community affairs at NATS on the sustainability challenges for the Gulf region’s fast growing aviation industry

ConstRUCtIon

24For the love of woodRoderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania explores why wood often loses out to other materials despite being sustainable, versatile and beautiful

26Sustainable interiorsAndrew Jackson, Director of SAS International on how using metals in commercial office buildings not only enhance their aesthetic appeal but also contribute towards achieving a green status

28Upbeat on energy efficiencyBASF claims that its innovations in thermal insulation raise the bar in building energy efficiency

30Serious about greenDubai Municipality sees mandatory green building regulations as central to the emirate’s goal of becoming one of the top 10 sustainable cities globally by 2020

news

8AED1.1 bn Silicon Park project launched

10Kuwait gets its first LEED Platinum certified project

12You and I will monitor the environment

Cover story

14The energy saversStephan Le Gentil and Graeme Sims are working together to transform Dubai’s energy hungry buildings into paragons of energy efficiency

14

20

22

26

30

contents


PAPeR & PULP

40Busting some paper mythsGrupo Portucel Soporcel’s Marketing Director Hermano Mendonça dispels the ‘environmental myths’ around consumption of office paper

LIGHtInG

42UAE adopts new indoor lighting standardCountry-wide ban on import of inefficient bulbs to save $182-m annually in energy bills

FACILItY MAnAGeMent

44Planning aheadAlan Millin, Consultant Trainer, Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA) on the challenges facing the FM industry

soCIetY

46Green personalityBrad Pitt started the Make It Right foundation in 2007 to rebuild green homes for residents in New Orleans who lost theirs to Hurricane Katrina

47 Diary DatesEvents, conferences and roundtables

48 Sustainable pastPresent-day environment conservation movement traces its roots to efforts undertaken in the US in the 19th century to save the Yosemite

eneRGY & WAteR

32Valuing every dropJohn Abi-Hanna, Business Development Director, Black & Veatch, Middle East lists the myriad ways in which the region can step up its water management

WAste MAnAGeMent

34Salvaging plasticsProper disposal of plastic is a crucial prop that will support and propel the region’s recycling industry

URBAn PLAnnInG

36Ajman’s Eco-city AspirationEngineer Khalid Moeen Al Hosni, Executive Director of Public Health and Environment, Ajman Municipality on the emirate’s sustainable development plans

40

32 48

4446

Co

nt

en

ts

Apr

il 2

014

Find out more info on products and local branch listings at www.kone.ae KONE Middle East LLC - P.O. Box 21474, Dubai, UAE - Tel. +971 4 2221393

Kone_bGreenMar2.pdf 1 3/26/14 9:54 AM


expert panel

Dr Michael KrämerSenior AssociateTaylor Wessing (Middle East) LLPLegal CounselMiddle East Solar Industry Association

William WhistlerManaging DirectorGreen Building Solutions International

Thomas Bohlen NCARB,LEED AP, BD+C, ESTIDAMA PQPChief Technical OfficerMiddle East Centre for Sustainable Development

Dr Mutasim NourDirector of MSc EnergyHeriot Watt UniversitySchool of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Tanzeed AlamPolicy DirectorEWS-WWF

Paolo CerviniVice president & General managerPhilips Lighting Middle East & TurkeyPhilips

Saeed AlabbarLEED AP, Estidama PQPChairman Emirates Green Building CouncilDirectorAlabaar Energy and Sustainability Group

Alan MillinLEED AP, Chartered Engineerconsultant/trainerMiddle East Facility Management Association

Roderick WilesDirector - Africa, Middle East, India and OceaniaAmerican Hardwood Export Council

Jose AlberichPartnerAT Kearney

Ivano IannelliChief Executive OfficerDubai Carbon Centre of Excellence

Abdulrahman JawaheryPresidentGulf Petrochemical Industries CompanyChairmanGPCA Responsible Care Initiative

His Highness Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al NuaimiEnvironmental AdvisorAjman GovernmentChief Executive OfficerAl Ihsan Charity CentreChairmanInternational Steering Committee for the Global Initiative Towards a Sustain-able Iraq (GITSI), based in the UAE

The BGreen experT panel provides a plaTform for Those who are acTive in encouraGinG susTainaBle pracTices across a wide secTor of indusTries. real experTs who can share Their views, analyses, and research wiTh our informed readers.

Our panellists meet every few months to discuss news, strategies and solutions on focussed topics related to sustainability.

Our panellists write for the magazine - opinions and analyses - as well as on our website in a portfolio format documenting their contributions.

The panel is growing as we seek to form the ultimate taskforce of decision makers, academics, consultants and engineers that contribute and encourage a sustainable watershed across industries.

If you would like to nominate an expert to join our panel, please email [email protected]

SUPPORTED BY:

news UAe


Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority

(DSOA) recently launched Sili-

con Park, the first integrated

smart city project to be built in Dubai

Silicon Oasis (DSO) at a cost of $299m

(AED1.1 bn) and spanning an area of

150,000 sq m. The project will comprise

97,000 sq m of office space, 25,000 sq m of

commercial space, 20,000 sq m of residen-

tial area, and a 115-room business hotel.

The project is compliant with the

UAE Green Building Regulations and

Specifications and the international

LEED standard, and seeks to enhance

environmental sustainability. It will be

built using ‘green’ building material

and control mechanisms, as well as so-

lar panels and double-glazed windows

to reduce heat absorption.

Silicon Park is expected to feature

smart lighting systems with motion

sensor systems that respond to ve-

hicular traffic and pedestrians. It will

also have advanced technologies that

conserve water through recycling and

re-use it for irrigation.

Electricity-powered vehicles will

serve as the primary form of transpor-

tation within the Silicon Park complex.

The project, which will be complet-

ed by Q4 of 2017, is in line with Dubai’s

vision of becoming the smartest city in

the world over the course of the next

three years.

Masdar Institute of Science and Tech-

nology launched its Institute Centre

for Water and Environment (iWater)

to consolidate and drive research pro-

jects in this key strategic area. The cen-

tre will produce knowledge and tech-

nologies that address the clean water

production, climate change, and wa-

ter resource management challenges

faced by Abu Dhabi and the region.

Some of the research areas iWa-

ter will cover include water and en-

vironmental technologies, (including

desalination, water and wastewater

treatment), water re-use and recycling,

and advanced materials for water appli-

cations. Additionally, it will cover water

resource management and engineering,

environmental sensing and monitoring,

and climate change and adaption.

Dr Taha B.M.J. Ouarda, Head of iWa-

ter, and Professor of Water & Environ-

mental Engineering, said, “In addition

to facilitating resource sharing, the

centre will lead to enhanced funding

opportunities while offering flexibility

and maintaining a nimble research

task force.”

$299m Silicon park project launched

iWater to focuS on SuStainability

Istidama to sell solar water heaters

UAE, Bahrain to conserve flora, faunaThe UAE Ministry of Environment and

Water (MoEW) and Bahrain’s Ministry of

Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning

have signed a Memorandum of Under-

standing (MoU) to preserve the countries’

agriculture, livestock, and live aquatic

wealth and resources.

Both ministries agreed to cooperate

in the area of agriculture, including or-

ganic and protected agriculture, labora-

tories and agricultural services related

to plant and animal health, and food

safety. They will also be collaborating

in the conservation of live aquatic re-

sources by further enhancing aquacul-

ture and management of fisheries and

setting up additional agricultural and

veterinary quarantines.

In line with their efforts towards

developing innovative solutions to pro-

mote environmental sustainability and

protect the natural resources, the two

countries also agreed to create new in-

teractive channels allowing exchange

of expertise, and sharing of knowledge

and research works on agricultural,

livestock, and marine resources. The

governments would arrange for a se-

ries of training programs and scientific

visits, while leveraging opportunities

to establish new projects which cater

to mutual aspirations, based on the

mechanisms adopted by multilateral

financing organisations.

2017expected year of

completion for the silicon park project

15,000sq m

the total area of the project

Istidama has entered into a five-year

distribution agreement with Auhua

Clean Energy to sell split-unit solar wa-

ter heater systems in the GCC. As per the

deal, there is a minimum annual perfor-

mance requirement of 10,000 units an-

nually, increasing to 50,000 units over a

five year period. Auhua has also granted

Istidama the non-exclusive right to dis-

tribute its products solely in the Gulf

region, where the company enjoys an

extended network. The contract has the

potential to generate in excess of $100-

m revenues in the mid-term for Auhua.

This deal marks a significant mile-

stone in Auhua’s international expan-

sion strategy. As the first distribution

deal outside of China, Auhua expects

contracted revenues to materialise over

the next five years.

Dr Taha B.M.J. Ouarda

50,000number of auhua solar water units

expected to be sold in the Gcc over the

next five years

The agreement was signed by Dr Abdulaziz Mohammed Abdulkareem, Director for flora wealth at Bahrain’s Municipal and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry and Sultan Abdullah Alwan Al Habsi, Assistant Undersecretary of External Audit, UAE MoEW

news uae


news uae

Kuwait gets its first LEED Platinum certified project

Hilton Sharjah hosts sustainability summit

Key figures from Sharjah Commerce and Tourism

Development Authority (SCTDA), Sharjah Elec-

tricity and Water Authority (SEWA) and Bee’ah

Environment and Waste Management came together

at the second annual Hilton Sustainability Summit.

Hosted by Hilton Sharjah in line with Hilton World-

wide’s commitment to eco-friendly initiatives, the

summit focused on sharing eco-best practice to fur-

ther enhance environmental developments across the

Sharjah community.

SCTDA’s guest speaker H. E. Khaled Al Midfa, who

opened the summit, said that environmental sustain-

ability has been an indispensable component of Shar-

jah’s tourism and commerce development strategy.

Keynotes were also delivered by Mohammad Abdalla

Bin Ali, Director of Strategy and Excellence, SEWA and

Richard Gosling, general manager of Hilton Sharjah.

During the summit, Vinesh Hurrychurn, director of

engineering operations, Hilton Worldwide Middle East

& Africa shared insights on environmental efforts

across Hilton Worldwide hotels including LightStay,

a proprietary measurement system developed by

Hilton Worldwide to calculate and analyse sustain-

ability performance across Hilton Worldwide hotels.

Amongst some of the latest achievements were ac-

cumulated energy and water savings amounting to

17% and 16% respectively.

The summit also included a tour of Bee’ah Waste

Management Centre, where guests, which included

team members from across the region’s Hilton World-

wide hotels, observed Sharjah’s leading environmental

and waste management organisation at work.

Najib Faris, Chief Commercial Officer, Bee’ah Envi-

ronment and Waste Management Company said: “At

Bee’ah, we are pioneering forward-thinking initiatives

in an effort to achieve a zero- waste to landfill ratio in

Sharjah by 2015, making Sharjah the first Arab city to

divert 100% of its waste from landfill. The Hilton Sus-

tainability Summit is setting the stage for the discus-

sion of these important environmental measures as

we aim to create a truly sustainable Sharjah.”

75%of the building’s commonly occupied spaces

benefit from daylighting

US Green Building Council awards new ALARGAN International Head Quarters in Kuwait with its highest level of LEED certification

Annual summit puts spotlight on sustainability developments in Sharjah

Eng. Khaled K Al-Mashaan

The Head Quarters of ALARGAN In-

ternational Real Estate Company in

the waterfront Argan Business Park

in Shuwaikh Free Trade Zone, has been

awarded LEED Platinum certification for

Commercial Interiors, marking the first

such certification for any project in Kuwait.

The ALARGAN International Head Quar-

ters building achieved points for Platinum

level, the highest rating, for implementing

practical and measurable strategies and

solutions aimed at achieving high perfor-

mance in sustainable site development,

water savings, energy efficiency, materials

selection and indoor environmental quality.

“The LEED Platinum certification is a

strong endorsement on our commitment

to the highest standards of environmen-

tal sustainability and our commitment to

strengthen energy efficiency in our head-

quarters building,” says Eng. Khaled K Al-

Mashaan, Chairman and MD of ALARGAN

International Real Estate Company.

Among the features of the new building

that assist in increased energy use efficiency

and all-round environmental sustainability

include: High-performance glazing to man-

age exterior heat, energy-efficient lighting

and air conditioning systems, energy-sav-

ings through lighting control using motion

detectors and daylight sensing technology,

water-use reduction through installation of

low flow fixtures, a scientific waste man-

agement plan, and use of reused, recycled,

regional, natural materials in finishes and

furniture.

The building has been smartly designed

to ensure that nearly 75% of the commonly

occupied spaces receive abundant daylight,

in addition to thermal comfort and control.

Further, the use of low-emitting adhesives,

paints, coatings, carpets and furniture im-

prove indoor air quality.

“ALARGAN International Head Quarters’

LEED certification demonstrates tremen-

dous green building leadership,” says Rick

Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair,

US Green Building Council. “The urgency of

USGBC’s mission has challenged the indus-

try to move faster and reach further than ev-

er before, and ALARGAN International Head

Quarters serve as a prime example with just

how much we can accomplish.”

news really

www.bgreen.ae april 201412

You and I wIll monItor the envIronmentCyclists, bus drivers and the man in the street in Oslo, Norway will be able collect environmental data about CO2, airborne dust and pollen, thanks to an EU-funded project

“Air quality is a matter of public

concern in Norway, too,” adds Nuria

Castell, the NILU Scientist working

on the project. “We will fit sensors to

streetlamps, for example, to cover city

centre areas where pollution is high.”

NILU is planning to deploy a total of

40 static sensors in Oslo.

Twenty portable sensors will be is-

sued to volunteers in the city and to

employees such as traffic wardens who

are exposed to urban pollution at work.

The citizens of Oslo will also be able

to measure air quality when cycling,

and at least one sensor will be fitted to

an electric bike. Measurements will be

carried out in the city throughout 2015.

In December last year, SINTEF tested

hand-held units for collecting weather

and wind data as well as a small lapel

button for measuring UV radiation.

“We have now sent the equipment to

Bilbao for large-scale testing,” says Berre.

Around 30 partners in Europe are

busy with measurements and tests.

for the project Among other things,

they will provide both indoor and

outdoor measurements of CO2 levels

in schools. With such a large amount

of data, the EU will be able to make

comparisons and obtain a basis for de-

veloping joint solutions as well as for

sharing technology.

The next step will deal with how to

successfully involve people in future

by means of user participation and

work groups. The plan is to test the

technology with selected individuals

in 2014 and then make it more gener-

ally available during 2015.

2016time frame for eU’s Citi-sense projeCt

30nUmber of

eU organisations involved in Citi-sense

Getting the general public involved

in monitoring and protecting the

environment is going high-tech.

European Union recently initiated the

EU Citi-Sense project which involves

ordinary people in the collection en-

vironment data through mini-sensors

and other electronic equipment, the

ultimate objective being to improve

quality of life in towns and cities. The

project, which will run up to 2016, aims

to measure the pollution to which indi-

vidual citizens are subjected to.

“At present, environmental meas-

urements are made using expensive

stations spread around the country.

However, now that everybody has a

mobile phone, and with the develop-

ment of technology, we ourselves can

contribute with various types of data,”

says Arne Berre, Chief Scientist at

SINTEF ICT, which is working on the

Norwegian contribution to the project

with the Norwegian Institute for Air

Research (NILU).

“We are now having discussions

with Oslo Municipality about fitting

buses with sensors to measure air

quality along the roads. The bus driv-

ers themselves will also find this infor-

mation useful as they will see how ac-

celeration and driving style affects the

results and can learn to drive in a more

ecologically friendly way,” says Berre.

The ciTizens of oslo will also be able To measure air qualiTy when cycling, and aT leasT one sensor will be fiTTed To an elecTric bike

You expect a clean, healthy workspace. But can you get it without harsh chemicals, noisy scrubbers and high maintenance costs? We don’t think that‘s too much to ask. Next time you talk about long-term facility

plans, meet these issues head-on and ask for unique materials like nora® flooring— which cleans up with little more than water.You deserve a clean environment without all the side effects.

The floor is yours. Visit our website at www.nora.com/corp or talk to our Dubai office at +971 (4) 450 8175.

THE MOST POWERFUL CLEANING AGENT COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE TAP.

97701_Anz_Reinigung_240x300_Dubai.indd 1 13.02.14 08:12

You expect a clean, healthy workspace. But can you get it without harsh chemicals, noisy scrubbers and high maintenance costs? We don’t think that‘s too much to ask. Next time you talk about long-term facility

plans, meet these issues head-on and ask for unique materials like nora® flooring— which cleans up with little more than water.You deserve a clean environment without all the side effects.

The floor is yours. Visit our website at www.nora.com/corp or talk to our Dubai office at +971 (4) 450 8175.

THE MOST POWERFUL CLEANING AGENT COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE TAP.

97701_Anz_Reinigung_240x300_Dubai.indd 1 13.02.14 08:12

cover story esco


a strong incentive to adopt and imple-

ment energy efficiency measures on

the demand side as well.

A key component of Dubai’s De-

mand Side Management (DSM) strat-

egy, formulated by the Supreme Coun-

cil of Energy (SCE), is improving energy

efficiency in buildings through retrofits.

The responsibility for executing the ret-

rofits has been vested with Etihad En-

ergy Services (Etihad ESCO), launched

last year by the Dubai Electricity & Wa-

ter Authority (DEWA).

Stephan Le Gentil, CEO of Etihad ES-

CO explains: “Having studied Dubai’s

energy demand, the SCE formulated

a Demand Side Management plan to

reduce the demand. Building retrofits,

which aims to reduce energy demand

in existing buildings, is one of the

eight programmes that make up the

DSM plan.”

SCE’s target is to retrofit around

30,000 existing buildings in Dubai to

save energy. Etihad ESCO will act as a

super energy services company or Su-

per ESCO to develop an ESCO market in

Dubai for building retrofits.

“Etihad ESCO won’t be doing the

work by itself; rather, we will help build-

ing owners find out how they can retro-

fit their buildings,” says Le Gentil.

About ESCOsAn ESCO offers ‘energy performance

contracting’ wherein it undertakes to

deliver energy saving measures pro-

posed to the building owner; it also

assumes some performance risk dur-

ing the project’s lifetime. The ESCO

is compensated for its investments

through a contractually agreed level

of energy efficiency improvement or

energy cost reduction.

While no two building retrofit pro-

jects are same, Le Gentil feels that

energy savings in the range of 20-25%

are achievable.

“From what we have seen so far, if

the buildings are not in a good condi-

tion, you can easily get 30-40% energy

savings through retrofits. If the build-

ing is in good condition, you can still get

savings of 10-15%.”

Stephan Le Gentil and Graeme Sims are working together to transform Dubai’s energy hungry buildings into paragons of energy efficiency

By Anoop K Menon

Graeme Sims, Execu-tive Director, Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau for Electricity and Water Sector (RSB). The regula-tory framework for Dubai’s fledgling energy services sector is an RSB landmark

The energy savers

The energy efficiency market in the

Middle East is set to get more inter-

esting thanks to Dubai. Provided

the emirate’s plans stay on track, we may

soon be welcoming some new blokes on

the block with viable ideas on transform-

ing your typical energy-hungry buildings

into paragons of energy efficiency.

The construction sector has been

integral to Dubai’s agenda of develop-

ing its non-oil economic sectors. On the

flip side, the Dubai Green House Gas

(GHG) inventory, completed in 2012,

established that the consumption of

electricity and water in buildings rep-

resent 35% of the emirate’s GHG emis-

sions. Buildings - residential and com-

mercial - consume approximately 70%

of the energy produced in the emirate.

Among the many approaches to re-

ducing energy and fuel consumption,

energy efficiency is one which is the

most attractive financially with typical

payback periods ranging from a few

months to a few years. Recognising the

potential of The Fifth Fuel, as energy ef-

ficiency is sometimes referred to, Dubai

has boldly embedded it in its Integrated

Energy Strategy, targeting 30% reduc-

tion in energy intensity and demand

by 2030.

Unlike its more privileged Gulf

neighbours, Dubai has been successful

in reigning in the growth in demand for

electricity (which reportedly hit 17% in

2007) to a manageable five per cent per

annum. The slab tariff system and fuel

surcharge that made this achievement

possible also ensures that utility bills

are no small change for building own-

ers and their tenants. This has created

cover story esco


Stephan Le Gentil, CEO of Etihad ESCO. As a super ESCO, Etihad’s mandate is to develop an ESCO market in Dubai for building retrofits

With air-conditioning accounting for

60-70% of the energy consumption of

buildings in Dubai, Le Gentil expects

ESCOs to provide services like cooling

system optimisation, replacement of

inefficient equipment and better tem-

perature control. In the case of lighting,

which is the second largest consumer

of energy, ESCOs are expected to pro-

vide energy efficient lighting retrofits

and improved control strategy.

Historically, in the developed coun-

tries, ESCOs have primarily pursued en-

ergy-efficiency improvements in exist-

ing buildings. However, Le Gentil feels

that irrespective of whether a building

is new or old, energy efficiency is main-

ly about how the building is operated,

how the equipment is working.

“For example, a new building could

have lots of new equipment, but these

may not be connected to the Building

Management System (BMS) or working

properly. In the case of old buildings, it

depends on the age of the equipment

even if the building itself is in good

shape. If the equipment is old, we can

do something there too.”

Regulatory supportHowever, for the ESCO market to take

wings, a sound regulatory framework

and long-term reliable source for fi-

nancing are critical. In February this

year, Dubai’s Regulatory and Supervi-

sory Bureau for Electricity and Water

Sector (or RSB) launched a regulatory

framework for ESCOs, a first in the re-

gion, to support the development of this

sector in the emirate. The framework

comprises an accreditation scheme

for ESCOs, standard contracts for use

by ESCOs and their clients, a protocol

for measuring and verifying energy and

water savings, and a tailored approach

to resolving disputes.

Graeme Sims, Executive Director at

the RSB, says: “The important thing,

from the point of view of an ESCO, is

that there is an accreditation scheme

which allows them to demonstrate to

clients their capability, financial robust-

ness and track record of successfully

delivering energy saving projects. From

a client’s perspective, the accreditation

system produces a group of companies

which they can regard as credible.”

He noted that applicants are expected

to have an understanding of the energy

services market, the technical expertise

and equipment to measure savings. Ad-

ditionally, to achieve full accreditation,

they will also need to demonstrate a

track record of successfully delivering

energy saving projects in Dubai or else-

where. For ESCOs who meet all the cri-

teria but do not have the required track

record of project delivery, provisional ac-

creditation has been made available.

Grounds for agreementWhat marks out an ESCO, for example,

from a facility management company

which offers some or all of the services

expected from a typical ESCO is their

willingness to enter into binding energy

performance contracts with clients.

Sims says: “We are looking for com-

panies who are prepared to enter into

energy performance contracts, which

is different from a contract under

which you provide goods and services.

You are essentially promising to deliver

energy savings and if you cannot fulfil

that promise, you are prepared to incur

some penalty.”

The accreditation scheme is support-

ed by a Measurement and Verification

(M&V) protocol and standard contracts.

“The M&V protocol makes it easier

for clients and ESCOs to identify and

agree on the savings made on the con-

tracts while standard contracts are de-

signed to be balanced and fair between

the ESCO and the client by appropriate-

ly allocating the risks,” explained Sims.

With standard contracts, neither

the ESCO nor the client need to wor-

ry about coming up with a contract

in the first place. This also addresses

the client’s concern about contracts

drafted by the ESCO being biased to-

wards the latter.

“It is all about increasing the confi-

dence of the market participants to do

business and invest while clients can

be confident they will get a good deal,”

says Sims.

The RSB has designed standard

contracts for the two main approaches

to energy performance contracting:

Shared Savings, where the ESCO pro-

vides the financing, and Guaranteed

Savings, where the client provides fi-

nancing. In the former, the ESCO puts

the upfront investment and the savings

that arise in the contract is shared in

a pre-determined percentage between

ESCO and the client.

“When the ESCO is putting up the

finance, they would want to receive

higher share of the savings,” says Sims.

In the case of guaranteed savings

contract, the client carries out the in-

vestment and the ESCO provides the

service. But this doesn’t mean that the

ESCO is any less liable to deliver the

promised energy savings, and is subject

to penalty if there is a shortfall.

By answering the question of who

funds the retrofit, the contracts adroit-

ly address the affordability factor too.

“If the client is well financed, they

may want to finance the building ret-

30%Dubai’s 2030 target

in terms of reDucing energy DemanD

cover story esco


rofit investment themselves, and ac-

cordingly receive a higher share of the

savings. On the other hand, if a client

doesn’t have the financial resources,

is very new to the concept or wary of

getting involved or both, they could still

avail the benefits, on a much lower risk

basis, by finding an ESCO which is will-

ing to put in the money.”

The foundation to the long-term suc-

cess of any energy performance con-

tract is measurement and verification

(M&V) of the energy savings as most of

the disputes revolve around them.

“A distinctive aspect of energy per-

formance contracts is that disputes that

tend to arise are mainly disagreements

over energy savings,” explains Sims. “It

is a bit unusual in that we are trying

to show what the consumption of the

client would have been had we not car-

ried out these measures. So it is counter

factual, you can’t know for sure.”

The RSB has incorporated into its

ESCO regulations a standard M&V ap-

proach tailored for Dubai based on in-

ternational best practices, experiences

and existing protocols like the Interna-

tional Performance Measurement and

Verification Protocol (IPMVP), the M&V

Guidelines for Federal Energy Projects

by the US Department of Energy and

also stakeholder consultation. Addi-

tionally, M&V skills have been made a

key criterion for accreditation.

The regulations also provide a dis-

pute resolution mechanism.

“We have put into the contracts that

technical disputes should not go to the

courts or even arbitration at least in the

first instance; rather, they should be

determined by an expert who will dis-

passionately look at the evidence and

pronounce their view. We hope that will

provide an efficient and cost effective

way of resolving such disputes.”

To ensure that ESCOs are on the same

page when it comes to Dubai’s M&V pro-

tocol, Etihad ESCO has been organising

training programmes on the topic.

“M&V is a critical skillset for ESCOs,”

says Le Gentil. “If they are not able to

measure the savings in a proper way, it

will be difficult to guarantee any kind of

savings. So we have to make sure that

capability is being developed in this ar-

ea. But we have also seen that in many

markets, it is an additional competency

that ESCOs have to acquire. “

In the developed markets of Europe

and North America, M&V is recog-

nised as an essential activity to value

the asset created by energy efficiency

projects, which is mainly the cash flow

generated by these projects.

Business issuesA major hurdle to the development of

a viable ESCO market, and something

that all failed stories testify to, is access

to project finance. Banks accustomed

to ‘asset-based’ lending are often un-

10-25%range of energy

savings achievable through builDing

retrofits

35%builDing sector’s share of Dubai’s

green house gases (ghg) inventory

To ensure ThaT esCos are on The same page when iT Comes To Dubai’s m&V proToCol, eTihaD esCo has been organising Training programmes on The TopiC

cover story esco


or replacement of equipment, followed

by recurrent revenue on the service

and gadgets provided. These contracts

could last from five to seven years or

even more.

“The ESCOs also have to provide a

certain guarantee on the savings that

could last a certain number of years,”

says Le Gentil.

The bread and butter of ESCO activi-

ties in developed markets like the US

has been the public building sector. In

the private sector, the tenant versus

landlord conflict can be quite a drag

where the owner is not really interested

in saving energy because the tenant is

paying the bill. When the owner is also

the occupier of the building, which is

the case with most government enti-

ties and they are footing the energy

bills themselves, there is more interest

in saving energy.

In Dubai, Etihad ESCO will initially

focus on public sector buildings, bun-

dling retrofit projects and subcontract-

ing them to ESCOs.

“We need to start somewhere and

the government is very keen to lead by

example. By starting to do such pro-

jects, the government and the ESCOs

would be able to develop capabilities

which will naturally pull the private

sector along,” says Le Gentil.

Etihad’s 2030 target is to generate

energy savings of 1.7 TWh and reduce

CO2 emissions by 1-m tonnes in Dubai’s

building sector.

Le Gentil elaborates: “There is a tar-

get for 2030 but there are also yearly

targets that kick in from next year. We

will be able to see very quickly if we are

on track for 2030. Moreover, the SCE is

establishing a body that will be follow-

ing the performance of each of the eight

DSM programmes.”

The development of the ESCO mar-

ket is being kicked-off with projects to

retrofit some DEWA buildings. These

are expected to be awarded by the third

quarter of 2014. Recently, Etihad ESCO

and Economic Zones World (EZW)

signed a pact paving the way to identify

opportunities for the reduction of wa-

ter and electricity usage across EZW’s

commercial, residential and industrial

facilities within Jebel Ali Free Zone and

other sites in Dubai.

In the near futureIn terms of future developments, the

RSB is looking at the possibility of fram-

ing an audit regime for buildings in

Dubai. In such a scenario, buildings of

a certain type, age, size and other char-

acteristics have to be audited every so

often in terms of their energy perfor-

mance and retrofits options.

“Something like that would probably

have to become regulatory. Evidence

from other markets like the UK is that it

needn’t be overly expensive,” says Sims.

Dubai could also take a cue from

the UK where Energy Performance

Certificates (EPCs) are needed when-

ever a property is built, sold or rented.

An EPC contains information about a

property’s energy use, its typical energy

costs, its energy efficiency rating [from

A (most efficient) to G (least efficient)].

This ensures that an end-user becomes

an active stake-holder in such energy

efficiency programmes.

The initiative taken by Dubai to build

a viable market around energy efficien-

cy, starting with building retrofits, is a

step in the right direction. The close co-

operation between the policy, regulato-

ry and executing organisations leading

up the launch of the regulatory frame-

work has set the tone and direction for

the future and if sustained, bodes well

for the development of a vibrant en-

ergy efficiency market in Dubai and a

benchmark for the region.

familiar, and therefore uncomfortable

providing project-based lending to en-

ergy efficiency projects. They are also

deterred by the smaller transaction

sizes of these projects. But in Dubai’s

case, Etihad ESCO has also been given

the mandate of facilitating access to

project financing for ESCOs.

“We will be sourcing and organising

the financing for our customers,” says

Le Gentil.

Other options that Dubai could ex-

amine include setting up a specific

‘green fund’ to finance energy efficien-

cy contracting projects or create pools

of capital from private sector lenders

for ESCOs to access.

Le Gentil points out that ESCOs

would get business all the year round

from energy efficiency projects as they

tend to be long term.

“When you do monitoring and meas-

urement, for example, it will tell you

where things are going wrong, and you

could get on average 10-15% energy

savings. But significantly more savings

could be got by replacing inefficient

equipment. Of course, there could be

projects where just monitoring would

be enough but that wouldn’t produce

the savings that customers would be

looking for.”

When an ESCO starts on a project,

there would be revenue initially from

the construction work or installation

1.7 TWhetihaD esco’s 2030 goal for energy

savings through the esco marketplace

30,000 number of existing builDings targeteD

for retrofit by etihaD esco

Dubai CoulD also Take a Cue from The uk where energy performanCe CerTifiCaTes are neeDeD wheneVer a properTy is builT, solD or renTeD

MENASOL20146th Middle East & North Africa Solar Conference & Expo

May 6-7 | Hyatt Regency | Dubai | UAE

Researched & Organised by

B U S I N E S S I N T E L L I G E N C E

CLAIM YOUR EXCLUSIVE €100 DISCOUNTUse this exclusive discount code to claim an extra €100 off your pass. Simply quote the code when booking, or use it on the online booking form.

CODE: Bgreen100

BOOK YOUR PLACE TODAY TO IMPROVE YOUR SOLAR PROSPECTS IN MENA FOR 2014 AND BEYOND!

+44 (0) 207 375 7584 [email protected] www.csptoday.com/mena

Create an unbeatable proposal with the perfect combination of market insight and a robust desert plant design to win projects in MENA • Beyond policy updates: Discover lucrative industrial opportunities and

get top level insight on development issues in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and more to take the lead in the region

• Build an attractive business case: Understand the investment criteria for solar in MENA and the changes you need to make to guarantee your project’s bankability

• Make profi table partnerships: Identify and solve key challenges in local ventures with expert advice and case studies to seize hold of the MENA market and fulfi l national requirements

• Engineer for PV success: Design the highest performance plants with low cost strategies from PV experts to create profi table projects

• Global CSP lessons learnt: Get essential information from international CSP developers on the challenges in constructing in desert conditions to lower your costs

• Optimal O&M: Learn how environmental factors aff ect performance with valuable operations insight from leading developers to increase yield

DON’T MISS THIS EVENT! WWW.CSPTODAY.COM/MENA

The leading CSP and PV conference for the MENA region• Government ministries and agencies

such as DEWA and ONÉE, with major plans for PV & CSP will be attending

• Unique combination of Petroleum Development Oman, ACWA Power and other stakeholders on how to capitalize on solar in industrial applications

• Technical case studies from Sun & Life, Belectric, Brightsource and SolarReserve on designing and operating high-performance plants

• A rare opportunity to see the Shams One CSP Plant on a site tour and get extended networking time

Lead Sponsor:

Global Exhibitor: Premier Exhibitors: Exhibitors:

Silver Sponsors: Bronze Sponsor: Wifi Sponsor:

Lanyard Sponsor:

Sponsors:

PLENARY SPEAKERS

CSP SPEAKERS

PV SPEAKERS

“MENASOL is the place to be when it comes to renewables in the region.”

- EDP Renewables

Continue your MENASOL experience with an exclusive tour of the 100MW Shams I - the world’s largest parabolic trough project!

Shams Power Company will give attendees the exclusive opportunity to tour the Shams I CSP power plant on 8th May. Not only will you get a chance to see solar power live in action at the Middle East’s only operational CSP power plant, where 11,000,000 man-hours have already been put in, you’ll have a full day of intimate networking time with the tour group.

DAY 3

PLENARY SESSIONS: The biggest on and off -grid solar opportunities and how to secure themFind out exactly where the opportunities are in the top markets of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and go beyond policy to fi nd out what the key requirements in fi nancing, land and technical specifi cation will be.

Don’t miss the panel on desalination for a fi rst-time debate on technology choice, pricing and how to build a solar business in this exciting new niche.

DAY 1 AM

CSP TRACK PV TRACKAt MENASOL you’ll get a full day and a half agenda bursting with incomparable CSP specifi c technical and commercial insight through presentations, exciting panel discussions and extended Q&A’s with the CSP experts!

Top sessions include: • CSP international lessons learnt: get case studies on

Shams 1 and Crescent Dunes as well as CSP technology comparisons in desert regions

• Financing a CSP Power plant: hear from major CSP investors on what makes a project bankable to ensure your proposal secures fi nance

• Joint Ventures: learn from the key developers and advisors on how to build the most competitive consortium to win bids in the upcoming tenders in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and beyond

From cutting construction costs to ensuring that you understand the inverter specifi cations in diff erent grids, over 1.5 days you’ll be armed with the commercial and technical knowledge to become one of the fi rst PV leaders in MENA.

The unmissable track includes:• Essential construction and labour advice from Belectric

and Sun & Life sharing knowledge on key markets so you take home strategies for immediate success

• The last word on performance expectations of Thin Film vs c-SI to help you make the best technology decisions for your site

• Crucial commercial knowledge from top-decision makers such as DEWA and Masdar on taking advantage of exciting markets including Morocco, Dubai, and many more

DAY 1AM

DAY 2AM/PM

During the site visit you will: ü Tour Shams 1 with CSP engineers who will give you the expert insight into how the plant operates and the key lessons learnt during construction and operation

üBe taken to a spectacular viewing platform on the desert dunes to overlook the power plant

ü Take part in an exclusive networking lunch with the tour group and leading CSP experts

Global Premier Exhibitor:

MENASOL2014_Advert2_v6_awX.indd 1 24/03/2014 10:49

MENASOL20146th Middle East & North Africa Solar Conference & Expo

May 6-7 | Hyatt Regency | Dubai | UAE

Researched & Organised by

B U S I N E S S I N T E L L I G E N C E

CLAIM YOUR EXCLUSIVE €100 DISCOUNTUse this exclusive discount code to claim an extra €100 off your pass. Simply quote the code when booking, or use it on the online booking form.

CODE: Bgreen100

BOOK YOUR PLACE TODAY TO IMPROVE YOUR SOLAR PROSPECTS IN MENA FOR 2014 AND BEYOND!

+44 (0) 207 375 7584 [email protected] www.csptoday.com/mena

Create an unbeatable proposal with the perfect combination of market insight and a robust desert plant design to win projects in MENA • Beyond policy updates: Discover lucrative industrial opportunities and

get top level insight on development issues in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and more to take the lead in the region

• Build an attractive business case: Understand the investment criteria for solar in MENA and the changes you need to make to guarantee your project’s bankability

• Make profi table partnerships: Identify and solve key challenges in local ventures with expert advice and case studies to seize hold of the MENA market and fulfi l national requirements

• Engineer for PV success: Design the highest performance plants with low cost strategies from PV experts to create profi table projects

• Global CSP lessons learnt: Get essential information from international CSP developers on the challenges in constructing in desert conditions to lower your costs

• Optimal O&M: Learn how environmental factors aff ect performance with valuable operations insight from leading developers to increase yield

DON’T MISS THIS EVENT! WWW.CSPTODAY.COM/MENA

The leading CSP and PV conference for the MENA region• Government ministries and agencies

such as DEWA and ONÉE, with major plans for PV & CSP will be attending

• Unique combination of Petroleum Development Oman, ACWA Power and other stakeholders on how to capitalize on solar in industrial applications

• Technical case studies from Sun & Life, Belectric, Brightsource and SolarReserve on designing and operating high-performance plants

• A rare opportunity to see the Shams One CSP Plant on a site tour and get extended networking time

Lead Sponsor:

Global Exhibitor: Premier Exhibitors: Exhibitors:

Silver Sponsors: Bronze Sponsor: Wifi Sponsor:

Lanyard Sponsor:

Sponsors:

PLENARY SPEAKERS

CSP SPEAKERS

PV SPEAKERS

“MENASOL is the place to be when it comes to renewables in the region.”

- EDP Renewables

Continue your MENASOL experience with an exclusive tour of the 100MW Shams I - the world’s largest parabolic trough project!

Shams Power Company will give attendees the exclusive opportunity to tour the Shams I CSP power plant on 8th May. Not only will you get a chance to see solar power live in action at the Middle East’s only operational CSP power plant, where 11,000,000 man-hours have already been put in, you’ll have a full day of intimate networking time with the tour group.

DAY 3

PLENARY SESSIONS: The biggest on and off -grid solar opportunities and how to secure themFind out exactly where the opportunities are in the top markets of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and go beyond policy to fi nd out what the key requirements in fi nancing, land and technical specifi cation will be.

Don’t miss the panel on desalination for a fi rst-time debate on technology choice, pricing and how to build a solar business in this exciting new niche.

DAY 1 AM

CSP TRACK PV TRACKAt MENASOL you’ll get a full day and a half agenda bursting with incomparable CSP specifi c technical and commercial insight through presentations, exciting panel discussions and extended Q&A’s with the CSP experts!

Top sessions include: • CSP international lessons learnt: get case studies on

Shams 1 and Crescent Dunes as well as CSP technology comparisons in desert regions

• Financing a CSP Power plant: hear from major CSP investors on what makes a project bankable to ensure your proposal secures fi nance

• Joint Ventures: learn from the key developers and advisors on how to build the most competitive consortium to win bids in the upcoming tenders in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and beyond

From cutting construction costs to ensuring that you understand the inverter specifi cations in diff erent grids, over 1.5 days you’ll be armed with the commercial and technical knowledge to become one of the fi rst PV leaders in MENA.

The unmissable track includes:• Essential construction and labour advice from Belectric

and Sun & Life sharing knowledge on key markets so you take home strategies for immediate success

• The last word on performance expectations of Thin Film vs c-SI to help you make the best technology decisions for your site

• Crucial commercial knowledge from top-decision makers such as DEWA and Masdar on taking advantage of exciting markets including Morocco, Dubai, and many more

DAY 1AM

DAY 2AM/PM

During the site visit you will: ü Tour Shams 1 with CSP engineers who will give you the expert insight into how the plant operates and the key lessons learnt during construction and operation

üBe taken to a spectacular viewing platform on the desert dunes to overlook the power plant

ü Take part in an exclusive networking lunch with the tour group and leading CSP experts

Global Premier Exhibitor:

MENASOL2014_Advert2_v6_awX.indd 1 24/03/2014 10:49


preview expo 2020 seminar

ment opportunities and infrastructure

upgrades and budgets. The other topic

that will be discussed is the New Green

Building Legislation in terms of the chal-

lenges and benefits of implementing

green building codes, using sustainable

building materials and energy efficiency

technologies at the Expo village.

Key panellists at the event include

Engineer Kamal Mazayem (Dubai Mu-

nicipality), Ibrahim Al Zubi (Head of

Sustainability, Majid Al Futtaim Prop-

erties), Daniel Hajjar (Principal, HOK

Middle East and Africa), Vahid Fotuhi

(President, Mesia), Tariq Abbas (Head

of Sustainability, Hilson Moran) and

Amelie Zegmout (Head of Sales & Busi-

ness Development, Legrand).

For more information,

email [email protected]

Bgreen seminar in May to focus on construction opportunities at the Expo Village and Dubai’s new green building regulations

SuStainable eXPO 2020

At the Sustainable EXPO 2020 seminar, a panel of industry experts and govern-ment authorities will discuss construction opportunities for 2020, which will cover new architectural landmarks at the Expo Village, renew-able energy opportunities, employment opportunities and infrastructure upgrades and budgets. The other topic that will be discussed is the New Green Building Legislation in terms of the challenges and benefits of implementing green building codes, using sustainable building materials and energy efficiency technolo-gies at the Expo village.

Sustainability being one of the

three pillars of Expo 2020, Dubai

had clearly placed green princi-

ples firmly at the heart of its bid to host

the mega event. The emirate has allo-

cated US $1bn to build an Expo Village

- 438 hectare site in Jebel Ali where more

than 2,000 apartments, banks, retail out-

lets and restaurants will be constructed.

With the new Green Building regulation

also coming into force this year, for both

government and private sectors, it is im-

portant for architects, contractors, con-

sultants and developers to understand

how the new legislation is going to affect

their businesses.

Private and public sector stakehold-

ers in Dubai will need to come together

to plan for the before, during, and post-

event scenarios well ahead of Expo

2020. There is a need for integration

and collaboration, where sustainabil-

ity companies can work together with

construction counterparts and others

in the chain.

Bgreen magazine’s Sustainable EXPO

2020 seminar, which will be held on May

21 at the Habtoor Grand hotel in Dubai,

provides an ideal platform to learn more

about sustainability in the context of

Expo 2020 and the new green building

regulations. It also provides a great net-

working opportunity with key individu-

als and companies leading the sustain-

ability industry in the region.

At the Sustainable EXPO 2020 sem-

inar, a panel of industry experts and

government authorities will discuss

Construction opportunities for 2020,

which will cover new architectural

landmarks at the Expo Village, renew-

able energy opportunities, employ-

WEDNESDAY 21 MAY, HABTOOR GRAND, DUBAI

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact:Jude Slann, Commercial Director T: +971 4 433 2857 E: [email protected]

Junaid Rafique, Senior Sales Manager T: +971 4 375 5716 E: [email protected]

Sustainability is one of the 3 pillars of Dubai Expo 2020 and with the new Green Building Legislation being implemented now is the time for you and your

organization to understand how these opportunities can translate to your bottom line.

Panel discussions with industry experts on: Construction Opportunities for 2020 and New Green Building Legislation

EXPO 2020SUSTAINABLE

Sponsored byBgreen and Big Project presents Government Partner

Confirmed Panellists:Shaikha Al Mutawa (Dubai Government DTCM)Engineer Kamal Mazayem (Dubai Municipality)

Tariq Abbas (Head of Sustainability, Hilson Moran) | Vahid Fotuhi (President, Mesia)Daniel Hajjar (Senior VP, HOK) | Amelie Zegmout (Head of Sales & Business Development, Legrand)

Ibrahim Al Zubi (Head of Sustainability, Sustainability Office, Majid Al Futtaim Properties LLC)

BGREEN SUSTAINABLE EXPO 2020_Advert.indd 1 4/6/14 4:11 PM


aviation

More effective air traffic management also has a

considerable impact on environmental performance.

While improvements in engines and airframes play

a large part in reducing aviation’s carbon footprint,

even the most efficient planes waste fuel when stuck

in a hold, flying stepped climbs and descents, rout-

ing in a zig-zag pattern instead of a straight line, or

cruising at 20,000 feet when it could be at 35,000.

For example, air traffic over the UAE will nearly

double by 2030. Currently, the General Civil Avia-

tion Authority’s (GCAA) Sheikh Zayed Air Naviga-

tion Centre located in Abu Dhabi manages more

than 2,100 air traffic movements a day. If the GCC

region can collaborate to ensure less congestion in

airspace, this will help the environment and reduce

fuel burning.

The Middle East has the opportunity to create an

airspace optimised for environmental performance,

which can accommodate today’s traffic load and

aircraft capabilities, and anticipate future growth.

Ian Jopson is the head of environmental and community affairs at NATS, which provides air traffic services to 2.2 million flights a year and to the 15 biggest airports in the UK. He brings to the table almost 20 years’ experience in the sphere of environmental aviation issues in Europe and beyond. Jopson also wears the hat of deputy chair of the UK Sustainable Aviation coalition and advises the UK state member of ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection. In an interview with Anoop K Menon, he elaborates on the sustainability challenges for the Gulf region’s fast growing aviation industry

SuStainable airSpaceS

What are the environmental issues associated with aviation that we should be worried about? Can we quantify them or put some numbers to understand them better?Since the early days of jet aircraft,

aviation has dramatically improved

its environmental performance. Since

the 1960s, fuel efficiency has improved

by some 70% per passenger km. To-

day’s aircrafts are 75% quieter than

those manufactured 50 years ago,

while levels of carbon monoxide have

come down by 50% and unburned hy-

drocarbons and smoke by around 90%.

However, the key issue still facing

the aviation industry is the need to re-

duce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Airlines’ top priority are flights that re-

duce emissions and fuel burn. This is

a completely practical demand – fuel

costs money so there is genuine moti-

vation to achieve improvement.

We need to consider the environ-

mental impact of how we control

aircraft every day. This includes how

we improve the efficiency of our air-

space, route network and in the in-

vestment decisions we make regard-

ing new technology.

The penalties for not demonstrat-

ing environmental progress have never

been more damaging. Environmental

taxes, fees and legislation can have

an adverse effect on the health of the

industry – and, of course, we must

also consider the environmental im-

pact itself. And in this regard, what is

good economically, is good environ-

mentally too.

How do these issues impact the Gulf region’s rapidly growing aviation industry? What are the opportunities to mitigate these issues?It is increasingly clear that better en-

vironmental safeguards sit squarely

at the top of the aviation agenda. In

expanding regions, such as the Gulf

Cooperation Council (GCC), there is

an opportunity to get it right from the

start rather than having to upgrade

legacy systems.

Environmental performance can be

incorporated into the airspace struc-

tures and procedure designs from day

one, which gives the GCC a distinct

advantage over other markets which

have to contend with outdated exist-

ing systems.

“ICAO Is InCreAsIngly shOwIng sup-pOrt fOr the develOpment Of A glObAl emIssIOns trAdIng sCheme fOr AvIAtIOn And An emIssIOns stAndArd fOr new AIrCrAfts”


What’s more, an environmentally ef-

ficient airspace is an economically

efficient one, too. Many in the indus-

try have asked the question: should

we have capacity or environmental ef-

ficiency? With a fast growing aviation

system like the UAE and the right de-

signs and innovative thinking – you can

have both capacity and sustainability!’

How can NATS help the industry stakeholders in this regard?NATS is committed to playing its part

in limiting, and where possible reduc-

ing, the environmental impact of our

operations, whilst still delivering social

and economic outcomes to society as

a whole. Our long term success as a

company is dependent on our success

in achieving environmental improve-

ments in parallel with our other busi-

ness targets. We work with regulators

in the aviation industry to encourage

collaboration and deliver new and in-

novative solutions to the environmental

challenges that we face as an industry.

For instance, NATS has recently im-

plemented 3Di, our innovative three

dimensional inefficiency score. This

measures the environmental efficien-

cy of each flight in our airspace and

gives us an average score, on which

we are financially incentivised to meet

our targets. This was a self-initiated

programme that has given NATS clear

incentives and penalties directly tied

to our environmental performance.

Through programmes like 3Di, we

aim to stay ahead of the legislative

curve. And right now there is an op-

portunity in the Gulf region to show

how well aviation can work. With new

airports, new aircraft and new airspace

design, and with sustainability at the

core of the region’s thinking, the Mid-

dle East can set the standard for a fully

optimised system.

From the level of both industry and government, how is sustainability in aviation being addressed? Are there any particular local, regional or international initiatives that you found interesting? NATS fully congratulates the GCC avi-

ation authorities’ sustainability initia-

tives and we work across the region on

improving airspace and reducing en-

vironmental impact. We participate in

a range of environmentally-focused

sessions including work with the

Committee on Aviation Environmen-

tal Protection (CAEP). Such commit-

tees help highlight the region’s com-

mitment to the sustainability of the

aviation industry and its impact on

the environment.

NATS’ role within CAEP is to advise

states in deliberations on operational

opportunities to reduce fuel burn, air-

craft noise and emissions. We have

carried out analysis on the environ-

mental benefits of the deployment

of ICAO’s Aviation System Block Up-

grades. This is particularly important

for the industry as ICAO is increasingly

showing support for the development

of a global emissions trading scheme

for aviation and an emissions standard

for new aircrafts.

NATS is the first air navigation ser-

vice provider in the world to have de-

veloped environmental measurement

as part of regulatory performance tar-

gets. Having developed techniques to

monitor environmental performance

daily, monthly and annually, we can

now track progress towards CO2 tar-

gets in much detail. Our operational

Centres and Airport Units have Envi-

ronment Action Plans and annual en-

vironmental targets, to improve fuel

and emissions savings.

2,100Air trAffic

movements/dAy, mAnAged by gcAA’s

sheikh ZAyed Air nAvigAtion centre

50%reduction in co

emissions Achieved by new generAtion

AircrAfts

Ian Jopson

aviation


construction

wood also has many strong technical qualities, of-

ten out-performing competing materials. It has a

very high strength to weight ratio, meaning that

lightweight timber members can provide the same

structural strength as much heavier alternatives.

Wood has very low thermal conductivity compared

to many other building materials. This means that

it can act as a superior barrier to both heat and

cold, resulting in both lower insulation and energy

requirements for a building, i.e. lower carbon emis-

sions and lower running costs. Wood has excellent

acoustic properties and it can also provide health

benefits over, say, alternative flooring materials,

such as carpet.

Contrary to perceived wisdom, wood also boasts

natural fire resistance. The keyword for timber’s be-

havior in fire is predictability. Although it burns, this

occurs at a predictable speed known as the charring

rate. The thermal insulation properties of timber are

Wood, one of the oldest building materials used on earth, is not so much of a popular choice now. Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania explores why wood often loses out to other materials despite being sustainable, versatile and beautiful

For The Love oF Wood

Wood frequently loses out to al-

ternative materials because

it is often little understood

and designers are afraid to specify it.

However, a little bit of research will go

a long way and, in many applications,

using wood will often prove to be the

better and, more environmentally-

beneficial solution.

I have to acknowledge Criswell Da-

vis, hardwood guru and consultant to

the American Hardwood Export Coun-

cil, for much of my understanding of

specifying timber. In all his many pres-

entations to architects and interior

designers on designing with Ameri-

can hardwoods, he says that for every

successful project the designer must

fulfil three key objectives: They must

conceive a vision, convey that vision

to the client and then make it deliver-

able. In order to achieve all three, espe-

cially the last one, the designer must

be familiar enough with the materials

being specified to know that delivering

the project will not be a problem.

Unfortunately, familiarity with ma-

terials is often an issue, but the de-

signer cannot really be expected to

know everything about everything.

Sadly, however, the one material that

often poses the greatest challenge to

designers is timber and, as a result, it is

frequently specified unrealistically or,

worse still, not specified at all.

Timber is not rocket science, but it is

not that simple either. And yet, for the

uninitiated, wood is just plain wood.

Actually, there are myriad wood and

wood-based products available, some

high tech and some fairly straightfor-

ward, some for interior use, some for

exterior use, some for construction

and some for decoration. In fact, there

is a wood product suitable for almost

every conceivable application in every

conceivable climate. One of the prob-

lems with wood is the very fact that

there are so many products available

and from so many different suppliers

that wood products can only rarely be

treated as commodities.

A sound choice?Then there is the question of wheth-

er or not wood can be considered to

be a sound choice on environmental

grounds. Well, in fact, provided it de-

rives from a sustainably managed

forest, timber is, arguably, the most

environmentally-friendly material

available. It has a very low (often nega-

tive) carbon footprint, it is abundant,

it is renewable, its harvesting and pro-

cessing do not use or produce harmful

chemicals or by-products and it has

low embodied energy. The same can-

not be said for almost any other mate-

rial, even factoring in transport to the

Middle East. In fact, it is tremendously

important that we do use wood, as de-

mand for it makes the world’s forests

valuable. If they are not valuable as

forests, then they may well be convert-

ed to some other use and lost forever.

What about performance? Well,

Timber is noT rockeT science, buT iT is noT ThaT simple eiTher. and yeT, for The uniniTiaTed, wood is jusT plain wood


construction

such that the wood just a few millim-

eters inside the burning zone is only

warm. This is in contrast to high ther-

mal conductivity materials such as

steel, which heat up more uniformly

giving rise to problems of expansion

and loss of strength over the whole

section.

Research has shown that a space

clad in wood or made of wood is often

just a better place to be. For example,

in a three-year study of 700 schools,

Japanese researchers looked at how the

educational environment is shaped by

the type of materials used for school

buildings, surveying teachers and stu-

dents to measure their impression of

wood versus reinforced concrete. Both

groups had similar, favourable im-

pressions of wood over concrete. Re-

sults also showed that teachers and

students in wood buildings felt less

fatigue and that students perceived

schools with larger areas of wooden

interiors to be brighter than rein-

forced concrete structures.

Possibilities, opportunitiesAcross the Middle East, I see a wealth

of possibilities for timber in structural

applications, flooring, decking, clad-

ding, pergolas and gazebos, amongst

many others and, yet, only some of

them have been properly embraced.

In some cases, timber has been used,

but the specification, or at least, the

final execution or material choice has

been poor.

Is this because if a lack of knowl-

edge on the part of the designer or

because of cost or because of what

was available on the market at the

wood has very low Thermal conducTiviTy, which means iT can acT as a superior barrier To boTh heaT and cold, resulTing in boTh lower insulaTion and energy requiremenTs

across The middle easT, i see a wealTh of possibiliTies for Timber in sTrucTural applicaTions, flooring, decking, cladding, pergolas and gazebos

time or, even, because of misrepresentation of the

product’s capabilities by the supplier?

I suspect that it is often a combination of all of

these. I also suspect that these same issues have

much less effect on more standardized or com-

modity-type building materials and this could be

one of the reasons why designers often shy away

from using wood in the first place.

Timber has so many positive attributes, be they

environmental, technical or aesthetic, that to not

use it wherever possible is a missed opportunity.

However, before specifying timber, designers should

actively seek to improve their knowledge of the ma-

terial. This is key, so as to ensure the correct specifi-

cation and, therefore, to provide positive inspiration

for other designers. There are many free timber in-

formation resources available to architects and de-

signers and they should be encouraged to use these.

At the same time, the timber industry itself needs to

step up and seize the opportunity to educate speci-

fiers, while also putting up a united front to promote

timber as a viable and sustainable alternative to

other materials.

One of the problems inherent in the timber indus-

try, not just here in the Middle East, but globally, is the

fact that it is made up of many small and medium

enterprises without a united voice. This has certainly

been addressed to some extent in Europe and North

America, where strong timber industry associations

or technical bodies exist, but more needs to be done

in the Middle East to bring the industry together.

After all, in the words of one of America’s pre-emi-

nent architects, Frank Lloyd Wright: “Wood is a friend

of mine. When we use the tree respectively and eco-

nomically, we have one of the greatest resources of

the earth. It is a beautiful material, friendly to man,

the supreme material for his dwelling purposes. If

a man is going to live, he should live with wood.”

construction


be used on a variety of metal ceiling systems wheth-

er its acoustic baffles, acoustic rafts and suspended

ceilings or architectural metalwork, which includes

wall panelling. The paint finish itself can be guar-

anteed for 30-40 years, and this can count towards

Andrew Jackson, Director of SAS International tells bgreen how using metals in commercial office buildings not only enhance their aesthetic appeal but also contribute towards achieving a green status

SuStainable interiorS

Balancing functional require-

ments with aesthetics is one of

the most important factors in

the commercial office sector. These

not only create a sustainable building

but also ensure desired appeal for fu-

ture tenants.

Due to competition in the region,

it is essential for office spaces to be

designed as per the right criteria, as

owners are seen to offer the best value

to potential clients, if they are to rent

the space quickly.

Industry insights, such as the Jones

Lang LaSalle Q4 2013 Dubai real es-

tate report, found that prime rents of

the office leasing market are showing

continued improvement. This is due

increasing demand for the best qual-

ity space.

With a spotlight on Dubai ahead

of the World Expo and the Jones Lang

LaSalle Q4 Dubai report predicting the

potential entry of 1.4 million sq m of

additional office space into the market

by 2016, it is important that buildings

are future-proofed.

In the commercial office sector,

the right interior solutions can help

make properties be distinctive, there-

by standing a chance to be rented out

earlier, while contributing to ‘green

building’ certification.

The performance, certification and

rating of buildings is the subject of

much discussion not only globally, be-

cause this translates to projects at a

local level. With the recent introduc-

tion of LEED v4, the sort of knowledge

exchange that happens at events such

as the Big 5 Saudi, is particularly use-

ful. As a manufacturer we understand

the importance of delivering long-

term value and quality which is very

much part of the discussion.

Metal as a material choice The use of materials such as metal in

many of today’s top grade commercial

office buildings draws on the timeless

appeal it has, and also on other impor-

tant specification benefits.

Considering humidity and proxim-

ity to the sea, both steel and alumini-

um can be used for applications such

as cladding, soffits and ceilings. Steel

is being supplied to more projects in

the region because of its durable and

versatile qualities, which offer a cost-

effective and sustainable solution.

Interior metal ceiling solutions

have a lifespan in excess of 25 years

with only the need for basic mainte-

nance, and can be easily recycled in

the end.

With our metal products, aspects

such as the gauge of the metal - be

it steel or aluminium - the method

of painting, the thickness of paint

coating and the final surface perfor-

mance are critical factors to both the

aesthetic appearance and long-term

performance of the installation and

therefore its sustainability.

Further, with a choice of powder

coating options available for met-

al, a long-lasting finish can also be

achieved. Different paint finishes can

Nearly 1.4-m sqm of office space is poised to eNter dubai’s property market by 2016

construction


credits for LEED and Estidama’s Pearl

rating systems.

Metal ceiling solutions provide

building tenants with value, offering a

high quality, long lasting sustainable

finish. They offer an inert and inher-

ently hardwearing surface, making

metal ceiling systems both hygienic

and requiring little ongoing mainte-

nance. They allow for service integra-

tion and accessibility for maintenance

and ease of cleaning.

However, it is not just about the

maintenance of space or products,

when considering lifecycle. It is also

about making sure space is flexible for

future change so as to provide long-

term value. For example, in a rented

office different people will be using

the space over the years, as leases

can be of varying duration. Therefore

how partitioning can integrate with

ceiling systems to cater for future

change is paramount.

Partnering for sustainabiltyGlobal construction is being driven

by client aspirations and government

legislations to produce buildings that

have a minimum impact on the en-

vironment. The recognition of ‘green

building’ is both important for many

GCC developers and international cli-

ents located in the region.

For manufacturers such as SAS In-

ternational this means working closely

with customers on optimising designs,

responsibly sourcing materials as well

as implementing innovative manufac-

turing techniques. This enables the

iNterior metal ceiliNg solutioNs have a lifespaN iN excess of 25 years aNd caN easily be recycled iN the eNd

acoustics and shades at adicTHE ABu DHABI InvESTMEnT CounCIL (ADIC) HEADQuArTErS AT AL BAHr ToWErS, WHICH ProvIDES WorLD-CLASS ACCoMMoDATIon To MorE THAn 2,000 EMPLoyEES, HAS BEEn DESIGnED By ArCHITECTS FroM AEDAS AnD uSES SAS InTErnATIonAL‘S CEILInG SoLuTIonS.

HIGH ACouSTIC PErForMAnCE WAS An IMPorTAnT rEQuIrEMEnT AnD THE CoMPAny’S METAL CEILInG TILES, WHICH InCorPorATE An ACouSTIC PAD AnD PLASTErBoArD BACkInG, HAvE BEEn uSED To ACHIEvE THIS.THE SouTH, EAST AnD WEST SIDES oF THE BuILDInG ArE ovEr-CLAD By A DynAMIC SHADInG SySTEM THAT CAn BE ADJuSTED AS rEQuIrED DurInG THE CourSE oF THE DAy. THE ProJECT WAS DESIGnED In ACCorDAnCE WITH THE uSGBC LEED rATInG SySTEM.

creation of solutions that help support

buildings achieve suitable ratings un-

der systems such as LEED, Estidama’s

Pearl rating system and the Global

Sustainability Assessment System

(formerly QSAS).

Talking to and working closely with

a manufacturer at design or installa-

tion stage, ensures that the correct so-

lution is manufactured and installed

to fulfil sustainability requirements.

This will provide for a long time, meet-

ing environmental credentials yet of-

fering greater design flexibility to meet

tenant demands.

differeNt paiNt fiNishes caN be used oN a variety of metal ceiliNg systems aNd the paiNt fiNish itself caN be guaraNteed for 30-40 years

PRODUCT FOCUS


construction industry, which accounts

for roughly 40% of the global energy

consumption and 30% of global CO2

emissions. This range of solutions

BASF includes admixtures, external

insulation, and perimeter insulation,

insulating systems for facades and

roofs and solar collectors.

More recently, BASF unveiled their

technology of X-Seed with its hard-

ening accelerator which allows the

concrete industry to achieve better

process economy, higher quality and

increased energy efficiency in order to

save time and money and reduce CO2

emissions.

BASF claims that its innovations in thermal insulation raise the bar in building energy efficiency

Upbeat on energy efficiency

Chemical building materials

greatly influence the amount of

energy consumed and saved in

most modern or older building struc-

tures. To add long-term value to en-

ergy efficiency, architects and build-

ers must factor in quality of product,

insulation performance, local heating

and cooling patterns to other aesthetic

considerations during construction or

renovation.

In all countries, there is massive po-

tential to save energy and reduce costs

and the carbon footprint for building

owners and tenants. A country like

UAE is blessed with abundant sun-

light, something which can be max-

imised when converted to solar energy

with the right products. Thermal insu-

lation materials made of polystyrene

and polyurethane foams are particu-

larly significant innovations which

help reduce energy consumption of

buildings.

For instance, BASF, The Chemi-

cal Company responsible for creat-

ing ‘sustainable chemistry’ considers

environmental protection for each

solution and product. The company

has heavily invested in research and

development, focused on introduc-

ing solutions within the housing and

Chris Gregory, Contracts Manager of Khansaheb says: “After looking at value engineering options for the project, Khansaheb chose the BASF Senergy EIF System. We found the system easy to install and has resulted in an attrac-tive, functional facade. The initial cost savings on the pro-ject coupled with the long term energy savings make this an ideal system for the Gulf climate. Khansaheb have used Senergy EIFS on two additional projects resulting in similar success and will be using the systems on future projects.”

Insulation of any structure is a critical requirement in the UAE. It minimises the need for cooling in the UAE’s hot climate, lowering energy consumption and enhancing the environmental sustain-ability of structures as per the directive of the coun-try’s building authorities. Different types of cladding exist however, with more traditional solutions requiring considerable reinforcing and preparation of the underly-ing structure. This is more labour and time-intensive and more expensive, offering a lower return on investment.

PRODUCT FOCUS


To add value to the energy efficiency

of buildings, the Senerflex and Multi-

therm range of products create an ex-

terior appearance that meets aesthetic

requirements without compromising

on high insulation performance.

BASF introduced Neopor, an ad-

vanced version based on the classic

polystyrene insulation material Sty-

ropor, which contains special graphite

particles that reflect thermal radiation

like a mirror and reduce heat loss in

the home. The technology is shown in

use in an external thermal insulation

compound system. Basotect, an open-

cell specialty foam made from mela-

mine resin, is a heat-resistant thermal

insulator used for applications such as

insulating solar collectors.

As pioneers of sustainable chemi-

cal solutions manufacturers, BASF’s

solutions largely include applications.

BASF’s Turkey Build exhibits included

tried and tested Elastopor and Elas-

topir sandwich elements for roofs

and facades as well as a spray foam

sample. With features including ultra-

low thermal conductivity (grade 024),

these materials are also used for rigid

polyurethane foam insulation systems

for window frames and window blinds.

BASF has built reference buildings

all around the world to demonstrate

high performance and energy effi-

ciency benefits of BASF products. Such

structures are real life models of build-

ings that can be used for various pur-

poses. In Europe, these demonstrate

how the right thermal insulation ma-

terials can provide solutions for more

energy-efficiency. For instance, BASF

created an eco-efficient house in Brit-

ish University of Nottingham’s Crea-

tive Energy Homes to demonstrate the

effectiveness of optimum thermal in-

sulation and solar energy when BASF’s

coil coating PLATICERAM is applied.

They have showcased their innova-

tions and its resulting benefits simi-

larly in La Clairiere in Reimes, France

with their social housing project.

In the UAE, BASF’s innovative con-

struction products have also contrib-

uted to sustainability. When spiraling

construction costs forced a reconsid-

eration of specifications for the former

Pullman Hotel (now Sheraton), the Ma-

jid Al Futtaim Group’s 23-storey, four

star resort and business hotel devel-

opment at the Mall of the Emirates,

Dubai, a strategic decision was made

to use BASF Construction Chemicals’

BASF’s Senergy Exterior Insulation and

Finishing System (EIFS). The decision

shaved US$1-m off material costs and

saved three months in construction

time without compromising the quality,

aesthetics or sustainability of the struc-

ture. Senergy EIFS is a state-of-the-art

technology representing advances in

materials and techniques that delivers

proven, sustainable benefits in terms of

insulation and energy savings.

The façade of the former Pullman Hotel (now Sheraton) in the Mall of Emirates was originally to receive Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) cornices and features, which would be supported by precast panels of different thicknesses. BASF proposed the use of the Senergy EIFS that could deliver proven, sustainable benefits in terms of insulation and energy savings, as well as financial and programme (construction time) savings.

construction


At the Green Energy Middle East conference, Eng. Abdulla Mohammed Rafia of Dubai Municipality explained how mandatory green building regulations are central to Dubai’s goal of becoming one of the top 10 sustainable cities in the world by 2020. Report by Anoop K Menon

SeriouS about green

Dubai Municipality has defined its sustainable de-velopment vision in terms of ‘creating an excellent city that provides the essence of success and comfort for sustainable living’ The strategic approach to executing this vision comprises urban planning, water treatment, environ-ment and waste manage-ment, thermal insulation, energy conservation, green buildings and green cities

TargeTs for Dubai’s green builDing regulaTionsCost Increase (max) 5%

IAQ Compliance 90%

CO2 reduction 20%

Waste Reduction

Municipal 60% --- Construction 50%

Water Savings 15%

Energy Savings 20%

Dubai is aiming to be among the

top 10 sustainable cities by 2020,

and the ace up its sustainable

development sleeve is its green build-

ing regulations. Starting this year, Dubai

Municipality’s green building regula-

tions have become mandatory for all

building projects, public and private.

Dubai Municipality (DM) has de-

fined its sustainable development

vision in terms of ‘creating an excel-

lent city that provides the essence

of success and comfort for sustain-

able living.’

The strategic approach to executing

this vision comprises urban planning,

water treatment, environment and

waste management, thermal insula-

tion, energy conservation, green build-

ings and green cities.

But as DM’s Assistant Director

General for Engineering and Planning

Eng. Abdulla Mohammed Rafia noted,

Dubai’s buildings hold the key to mak-

ing it a green city.

“Buildings account for 70% of en-

ergy consumption in Dubai. To make

the city green, you might as well tackle

your biggest energy consumer,” he said

while delivering the keynote at the

Green Energy Conference in February.

In 2011, Dubai reached a major

milestone in its sustainable develop-

ment journey when DM, vide Circular

344/2011, made green building regula-

tions mandatory for all government

projects in Dubai and voluntary for the

private sector but up to 2014.

“I believe we are the only city in the

world to regulate green buildings,” said

Rafia. “In other places, such regula-

tions are largely voluntary or involve

rating systems.”

With regulations becoming manda-

tory for the private sector starting this

year, DM expects green building pro-

jects, in terms of construction space,

to touch nearly 63-m sq ft. By 2016, the

same is expected to touch 90-m sq ft.

Rafia continued: “We expect to give

5,000 permits for 5,000 buildings this

year, which translates to approximately

15% increase in the square footage of

leasable space compared to 2013. With

the city’s usable building space estimat-

ed to double In the next 10 years, only

regulations can ensure that they are

built and operated as green buildings.”

“When you have mandatory regula-

tions, you are not talking about a few pro-

jects here and there; starting this year, all

new construction in Dubai must strictly

follow the green building regulations.”

selected with careAll the 79 items in DM’s green build-

ing regulations were selected by a

Green Building Committee after study-

ing their impact on the cost of con-

struction, availability of materials

required for application in the local

construction


market and the possibility of testing

and approving them.

“The criteria for green buildings

tackle five areas,” explained Rafia.

“These are ecology and planning,

building vitality, resource effective-

ness in energy, water and materials

and waste.”

Apart from the regulations them-

selves, DM has also created a compre-

hensive practice guide, which gives

information on each regulations in

terms of its intent/goal, background,

applicability, outcome/benefit, guid-

ance, compliance, common practices/

solutions and references. This is sup-

plemented by the Green Building Ma-

terials Guide, an electronic document,

which lists all the green products that

meet DM’s regulations and the testing

facilities available.

DM has its own testing facilities at

Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL), set up

in 2010 by DCL’s Engineering Materials

Laboratory section, to test and certify

green building materials and products.

Rafia pointed out that the imple-

mentation mechanism for DM’s green

building regulations doesn’t add any

new procedure or layer of bureaucra-

cy; rather, the regulations have been

incorporated into existing procedures.

For example, the building permit appli-

cation stage uses the same procedures

with only the formats modified to in-

clude green building requirements.

Moreover, the regulations don’t insist

on third party certification, which

keeps costs in check.

“We make sure that we aren’t cre-

ating regulations where you can’t find

the material or service,” assured Rafia.

He said that so far 50 government

buildings have been built or are being

built conforming to DM’s green build-

ing regulations. A Green Building Con-

formity Certificate is issued to projects

that have successfully implemented

the regulations. Land mark green

building projects in the government

sector include DEWA’s green building

in Al Quoz, which is 66% more ener-

gy efficient compared to a standard

building and DM’s Al Fahidi Souq in

Bur Dubai where, according to Rafia,

“the cost impact was zero while the

savings in energy was 43%.” He claimed

that the impact of the green building

regulations on construction costs is

unlikely to exceed five per cent.

support systemsRafia also touched upon initiatives

that supplement the green building

regulations including the programme

for insulation of existing buildings,

launched in 2001 through Decree 77.

DM is currently implementing a

building rating system for existing

buildings to indicate the extent to

which green building regulations have

been used in the building.

“We don’t expect every building to

implement all of the 79 regulations but

we expect at least 90% implementa-

tion,” said Rafia.

DM is working with Emirates Au-

thority for Standardisation and Me-

trology (ESMA) on a UAE-wide initia-

tive for energy labelling for appliances

and equipment, which will supplment

its own certification system for green

appliances and equipment.

From January 2014, Building In-

formation Modelling (BIM) has been

made mandatory by the municipal-

ity for architectural and Mechanical-

Electrical-Plumbing (MEP) processes

on all buildings that are 40 stories

or higher; are 300,000 sq ft or larger;

all hospitals, universities and other

specialised buildings, and all build-

ings being delivered through interna-

tional companies.

“The BIM mandate is another

milestone in our journey towards

green city,” said Rafia. “It will help us

achieve successful sustainable de-

sign and construction.”

Apart from looking at sustainabil-

ity from the supply side, DM is also

involved in initiatives on the demand

side. For example, it has embarked on

a project to convert 262 of its buildings

from conventional lighting to energy

efficient LED-based solutions. This

will help the municipality to reduce

its energy consumption from lighting

by more than 50% while contributing

towards its 2015 goal of 20% reduction

in energy consumption.

Another important initiative that

DM is part of is Etihad ESCO’s building

retrofit programme, which is target-

ing 30,000 out of the 120,000 existing

buildings in Dubai.

The municipality is also focussing

on making its public parks, neighbour-

hood gardens and public squares into

‘zero energy parks’ that rely entirely on

solar energy for their operations, in-

cluding lighting and irrigation. Satwa

Reservoir Park, one of the oldest parks

in Dubai, is slated to become the first

neighbourhood park fully powered

by solar by end-2014, when its recon-

struction work is completed.

With Dubai’s population expected

to grow to 2.8 million by 2020, and pres-

sure on water and energy resources

predicted to increase, the sustainable

development agenda envisaged by DM

will play a crucial role in ensuring that

the city grows in an environmentally

responsible and sustainable way. Lead-

ing Dubai down that path will be DM’s

green building regulations.

Eng. Abdulla Mohammed Rafia, Assistant Director General for Engineering and Planning, Dubai Municipality

“Our gOal is tO build an ecOnOmy that prOtects the envirOnment as well as an envirOnment that suppOrts the grOwth Of the ecOnOmy” sheikh mOhammed bin rashid al maktOum, vice president and prime minister Of the uae and ruler Of dubai

energy & water


Campaigns within the GCC are also

raising awareness of water’s value. In

Qatar the Tarsheed campaign is target-

ing public spaces such as schools and

mosques. Last summer Saudi Arabia’s

Water and Electricity Minister, H.E. Ab-

dullah Al-Hussayen said his ministry

had launched a nationwide campaign

to reduce water consumption by 30%

through free distribution of water sav-

ing devices.

Water tariffs that reflect more

closely the cost of providing water ser-

vices are another way of helping peo-

ple understand water’s value. In the

UK, it is estimated that homes with a

meter consume 10% less water than

unmetered dwellings.

This is a highly sensitive area, but

it is to be applauded that a dialogue

about water tariffs is beginning to be

introduced into the debate about man-

aging demand in the GCC. Alongside

education measures, for instance, UAE’s

Federal Electricity and Water Author-

ity Director General, H.E. Mohammed

John Abi-Hanna, Business Development Director, Black & Veatch, Middle East in an interview with Anoop K Menon lists the myriad ways in which the region can step up its water management

Valuing eVery drop

We all know that the Middle East suffers from acute water scarcity. Is it all right to look at the Middle East as a homogenous entity when it comes to water issues?Black & Veatch has been working on

water and sanitation projects for com-

munities across the Middle East since

the 1920s. This experience has made

it abundantly clear that needs reflect

the diversity of the region.

Currently we are focusing on the

needs of the GCC states. Here demand

is high due to the lifestyles afforded by

oil. In addition the oil industry itself

is thirsty. It is estimated an average of

40 barrels of water are needed for the

production of one barrel of oil. In Mid-

dle Eastern states which do not have

- or have not exploited - such natural

resources, per capita consumption is

lower. There tends to be less demand

across both the domestic and indus-

trial spectrum.

Even within the GCC states, needs

differ. Factors such as natural water

resources, population size and distri-

bution, and levels of urbanisation all

affect the type of water services re-

quired. The key, in our view, is to un-

derstand local needs, look at the most

applicable best practice from around

the world, and tailor that - using and

developing as much local expertise as

we can in the process.

How are we wasting water? What are the different ways to make people to understand the value of water?The GCC states, where Black & Veatch

is active, have the highest per-capita

water consumption in the world,

which is startling for such an arid re-

gion. While high consumption does

not automatically equate to waste

there is recognition that current levels

of usage are unsustainable.

Around the world we have seen

that helping people recognise wa-

ter’s value is central to any success-

ful demand management strategy.

It’s not that people have chosen to

undervalue water; it’s more that we

need to be effective at helping them

understand its value.

We have seen clients in many re-

gions seeking to tackle water scar-

city and water security, successfully

promote water’s value. Singapore

introduced the Ten Litre Challenge

for domestic users. The ABC Waters

Programme transformed canals and

reservoirs into recreational spaces in

order to help people better value wa-

ter resources. Drought in Western Aus-

tralia led to the inclusion of the value

of water in Australia’s school curricu-

lum. Anglian Water, serving the UK’s

driest region, has articulated the value

of water through the integrated strat-

egy and narrative ‘Love Every Drop.’

This is a highly sensiTive area, buT iT is To be applauded ThaT a dialogue abouT waTer Tariffs is beginning To be inTroduced inTo The debaTe abouT managing demand in The gcc

energy & water

www.bgreen.aeapril 2014 33

Saleh observed at the end of 2013 that

FEWA may have to, “reconsider the cur-

rent tariff for water services.”

If you had to juxtapose the current economic and social trends to water use, what are the persisting issues that need to be addressed from a future perspective?In arid regions such as the Gulf, recog-

nising that power and water are inex-

tricably linked is crucial. To ensure the

sustainable provision of both precious

resources, the integrated planning and

delivery of energy and water infra-

structure provides the most efficient

means to meet and manage demand.

As a result, meeting governments’

objectives will increasingly require

companies like ours, experts in deliv-

ering both water and energy projects,

and successfully combining insights

from both.

Energy generation is water inten-

sive and water services are energy in-

tensive; cutting consumer demand for

one will reduce consumption of the

other. This is important when custom-

ers in the GCC have some of the world’s

highest per-capita demands for both.

In addition, understanding the

technologies involved has a signifi-

cant role to play. For example, Saudi

Arabia’s average thermal efficiency in

generation is around 30 – 35%. Con-

verting the kingdom’s single-cycle

plants to combined-cycle is estimated

to increase thermal efficiency to 40

– 45%. Combined cycle plants gener-

ate nearly 66% more energy per unit

of water used compared to traditional

gas fired plants. So, by understanding

the technology and the nexus of water

and energy, you begin to see a virtu-

ous circle develop with more efficient

generation coupled to a reduction in

demand for water.

And we are starting to see enlight-

ened leadership which recognises

water and energy’s interrelationship.

In January – for instance - the GCC’s

Electricity Cooperation Committee

announced it was beginning to ex-

plore the possibility of implementing

the joint legal and legislative rules to

strengthen rationalising the consump-

tion of water and electricity.

Where else should the region be investing when it comes to water sector?A paradigm shift in how we view

wastewater can contribute signifi-

cantly to meeting the Gulf’s water

challenges. We need to start thinking

of wastewater treatment works as re-

source recovery plants. Utilities need

partners with the technological under-

standing of, and experience in, waste-

water recycling and unlocking waste-

water streams’ potential as sources of

renewable energy and nutrients. By

viewing water and wastewater holisti-

cally, rather than as separate entities,

business cases can be made to create

resources that can also fund growing

infrastructure needs.

Interest in water reuse is grow-

ing, but levels are currently low. For

example, Abu Dhabi plans to recycle

100% of its wastewater for irrigation

by 2018; although reuse currently rep-

resents around seven per cent of the

emirate’s overall supply. We supported

the NEWater programme in Singapore

which can currently meet around 30%

of the country’s needs. Water recy-

cling technology means that virtually

any population centre which creates a

significant wastewater stream has the

potential, through water recycling, to

create a renewable water source.

Black & Veatch’s international dia-

logue sessions to discuss the use of re-

cycled water show, however, that the

introduction of recycling technology

has to be preceded and then supported

by an on-going information campaign.

Consumers’ misconceptions need to

be overcome through clear, consist-

ent and continuous communications

about recycled water and its place

within an integrated water portfolio.

In addition the communications need

to emphasise the value of recycled wa-

ter as a sustainable resource that will

help meet future demands on the wa-

ter supply.

The announcement by Abdel-Hus-

sein Ben Ali Merza, Bahrain’s Minister

of Electricity and Water, that the Gulf

Cooperation Council is commencing

studies for a common regional water

network is another interesting area of

future investment.

Across the world large-scale trans-

fers and integrated networks have

been used to successfully help meet

demands for water; so this is definitely

worth looking into further in the GCC.

Historically Black & Veatch has been

involved in such projects in the Middle

East. In fact we have been involved in

large-scale transfer projects on every

continent except Antarctica.

waTer Tariffs ThaT reflecT more closely The cosT of providing waTer services are anoTher way of helping people undersTand waTer’s value

uTiliTies need parTners wiTh The Technological undersTanding of, and experience in, wasTewaTer recycling and unlocking wasTewaTer sTreams’ poTenTial as sources of renewable energy and nuTrienTs

100%of abu dhabi’s

wastewater will be reused for

irrigation by 2018

66%More energy

Per water used is generated by CoMbined CyCle

Plants CoMPared to gas-fired Plants

waste management


actively collaborate with governments,

non-governmental organisations and

the general public on sustainable waste

management solutions. As a key con-

tribution to this declaration, GPCA has

been organising the Waste Free Envi-

ronment (WFE) campaign across the

region to help educate the public about

the need to preserve the environment

and reduce the irresponsible disposal of

plastic waste.

In February, the second edition of

the WFE campaign was inaugurated

in Dubai at Mina Al Hamriya by HE Dr

Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, UAE Minister

of Environment. The event saw a large

number of volunteers from schools, di-

vers, and local communities as well as

representatives from major petrochem-

ical companies from around the region

clearing litter from beaches and gather-

ing plastic waste for recycling.

“Since sustainability is a key compo-

nent of the UAE’s vision, conservation

of the environment is a crucial step in

ensuring the country’s future,” says Dr

Fahad. “Community awareness cam-

paigns, such as this one, are tangible ex-

amples of collaborative efforts between

corporations and the community which

can bring about positive changes.”

WFE’s inaugural event last year wit-

nessed the participation of over 2,500

volunteers who collected 10,000kg of

waste across six cities in the region - Ri-

yadh, Rabigh, Jubail, Dubai, Abu Dhabi

and Kuwait. This year, the event has

been extended to three more locations

including Sohar, Oman; Mesaieed, Qa-

tar; and Manama, Bahrain bringing the

total number of cities covered to eight.

While the clean-up drive in Dubai

was held at the Al Hamriya Port in part-

Proper disposal of plastic is crucial to support and propel the region’s recycling industry

Salvaging PlaSticS

The GCC countries generate 80 mil-

lion tonnes of waste a year, out of

which, plastic waste accounts for

one third or approximately 26 million

tonnes due to the high consumption

of consumer products. But irresponsi-

ble disposal of plastic waste combined

with poor waste management, lack of

regulatory framework and insufficient

recycling infrastructure has resulted in

visible plastic litter polluting the marine

and desert environments of the region.

Due to rapid industrial growth, revi-

talised construction boom and increas-

ing population, the UAE now records

one of the highest rates of waste gen-

eration per capita in the world. A 2011

report by Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi

(SCAD) observed that plastics make up

approximately 19% of the municipal

solid waste generated in the UAE, how-

ever, the recycling rates are as low as

15%, which is significantly lower than

the developed nations in Europe.

According to Dr Abdulwahab Al Sa-

doun, Secretary General, Gulf Petro-

chemicals and Chemicals Association

(GPCA), behavioural change is the key

to solving the region’s persistent litter

problem. “Education is a key component

to behaviour change. Through a height-

ened awareness of the 4Rs - reduce, re-

use, recycle, and recover - the maximum

economic, environmental and social

benefits of plastics can be realised. ”

The GPCA hopes to highlight com-

placent attitudes toward proper waste

disposal which are tarnishing the im-

age of plastic products - a major part

of the region’s economy that are both

economically valuable and sustain-

able. The association is a signatory to

the global ‘Declarations for Solutions

on Marine Litter’, where participants

Through a heighTened awareness of The 4rs - reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover - The maximum economic, environmenTal and social benefiTs of plasTics can be realiseddr abdulwahab al sadoun

H.E Dr Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad and Dr Abdulwa-hab Al Sadoun at WFE campaign in Hamriya Port

waste management

www.bgreen.aeapril 2014 35

nership with the Ministry of Environ-

ment & Water and in conjunction with

Tadweer, a leading provider of waste

management and recycling services in

the country; in Abu Dhabi, the same was

done in partnership with Borouge, Tad-

weer and the Environment Agency - Abu

Dhabi on three beaches.

Speaking at the Paper & Plastics Re-

cycling Conference last month, Craig

Halgreen, Vice President for Corporate

Sustainability at Borouge said that as a

major producer of plastics in the region,

Borouge wants to encourage the dispos-

al of used plastics in an environmen-

tally responsible manner. The company

is currently expanding its polyethylene

(PE) and polypropylene (PP) manufac-

turing capacity in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi,

from two million tonnes/year to 4.5-m

tonnes/year.

While valuable plastic waste for re-

cycling is being lost due to poor human

behaviour and littering, a significant

amount of plastic waste is lost to land-

fills as well. GPCA estimates that less

than 10% of plastics are recycled in the

Gulf due to which the region loses ap-

proximately $25-m a year.

“Plastic is derived from oil and gas,

the lifeblood of the Gulf economy, so it

is imperative that Gulf countries lead

by example on the recycling and safe

disposal of plastic goods. We see a great

potential for joint initiatives between

the government and the private sector

to develop a recycling industry in the

region,” says Dr Al Sadoun. “While there

are stories from other parts of the region,

the UAE is ahead of most other countries

in terms of solid waste management.”

For example, Abu Dhabi boasts a re-

cycling plant in Al Ain that has the ca-

pacity to recycle 50 tonnes of high den-

sity polyethylene (HDPE) and low den-

sity polyethylene (LDPE) plastics daily.

Quality recycled plastics from this plant

are used to manufacture a broad range

of useful products such as rigid plastic

crates, containers, pallets and bottles.

This gives plastic a second life which

may otherwise be lost. Also, since 2013,

only degradable plastic bags are being

permitted at shops and supermarkets

across the UAE.

Packaging applications such as plas-

tic bottles, pouches and protective wrap-

pers account for approximately 35% of

all plastic. However, plastic bags are

the most common form of visible litter,

with some 1-m plastic bags used every

minute around the world and on aver-

age an individual using as many as 100

plastic bags a month. According to UAE’s

Ministry of Environment, the country

consumes 11 bn plastic bags annually.

Often, they are improperly discarded af-

ter their useful application, an act which

not only harms the environment but

negatively impacts the image of plastics.

“Mechanical recycling is the most

economical and environmental way of

handling plastic waste and we encour-

age all actions that support the devel-

opment of this industry,” says Halgreen,

who also made a pitch for reusable

plastic bags as a far better solution than

cotton and other cellulose based bags

because of the increased water and en-

ergy required to make the material for

these other bags.

The first step to drive the change

towards these reusable plastic bags is

to enforce a charge for them, says Hal-

green. “Far too often small grocery stores

give these single-use plastic bags away

indiscriminately for minor purchases

and these are very quickly disposed

of often into the environment”. Induc-

ing fines for littering also supports the

elimination of plastic litter, however, it

is vital that adequate collection facilities

are provided by the municipalities.”

At the WFE drive in Dubai last year,

35% of the waste collected was recy-

cled. It remains to be announced if the

same success has been achieved if not

exceeded this year. However, GPCA is

hoping to make Waste Free Environ-

ment (WFE) annual campaign the larg-

est environmental awareness initiative

of its type in the region. Dr Al Sadoun

said: “Every single member of the society

can contribute to cleaning up our envi-

ronment—by engaging in a simple act of

proper disposal of litter. Craig Halgreen, VP-Corporate Sustainability, Borouge

gpca esTimaTes ThaT less Than 10% of plasTics are recycled in The gulf due To which The region loses approximaTely $25-m/year

aT The wfe drive in dubai lasT year, 35% of The wasTe collecTed was recycled


urban planning

The UAE’s smallest emirate bets on the Eco-City path to sustainable development

AjmAn Aims for Eco-city stAtus

Extending along the Gulf Coast

within an area of 260 sq.km, Ajman

is the smallest emirate in the

UAE. However, the emirate has always

punched above its size, especially when

it comes to sustainable development.

Ajman set a new benchmark in the

UAE and the region by privatising its

wastewater infrastructure way back

in 2006 and setting up the first retail

privately-owned sewage company. It

also totted up another first by setting up

a company for the commercial sale and

reuse of treated effluent through SAFI.

The emirate’s green agenda is centred

around the concept of Eco-City, defined

as a city based on the principle of total

environmental sustainability. To further

develop the strategy for Eco-City, Ajman

Municipality is organising the third Aj-

man International Environment Confer-

ence under the theme ‘Eco-City for Sus-

tainable Development.’ The conference

agenda is built around for major areas -

renewable energy, sustainable buildings,

water technology and transportation.

“The conference will help us in de-

veloping our strategy for Eco-City,” said

Eng. Khalid Moeen Al Hosni, Executive Director of Public Health and Environment, Ajman Municipality Ramada Ajman

Eng. Khalid Moeen Al Hosni, Execu-

tive Director of Public Health and

Environment, Ajman Municipal-

ity. “We have therefore built its

agenda around the four ele-

ments of an eco-city. We will also

be sharing our contributions to

sustainable development during

the conference.”

The conference is being held under

the patronage of His Highness Sheikh

Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Mem-

ber of the Supreme Council and Ruler

of Ajman next month.

PLATINUM SPONSOR:

CO-LOCATED WITH: SUPPORTING ORGANISATION:

SUSTAINABILITY SPONSOR:

INNOVATION SPONSOR:

PRINCIPLE INTELLIGENCE

PARTNER:

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE

ORGANISERS OF:

19-21 May 2014Dubai World Trade Centre

www.fm-expo.com/Bgreen

Integrated FM • Health & Safety • Landscaping • Maintenance • Cleaning • Waste Management • Security • Air Control • Software

For stand or sponsorship enquiries: e. [email protected]. +971 4 438 0355

MEET THOUSANDS OF FACILITIES MANAGERSUNDER ONE ROOF


urban planning

Future plans include implementing

a solid waste management plan for the

emirate. The Ministry of Environment

and Water is working on regulations that

will ensure environmental protection and

waste management as per best interna-

tional practices in Ajman, Umm Al Qu-

wain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.

Ajman Municipality is also talking

Farouk El-Baz, an Egyptian American

scientist, who worked with NASA to as-

sist in the planning of scientific explora-

tion of the Moon, including the selection

of landing sites for the Apollo missions,

to use remote sensing to protect Ajman’s

environment and natural resources.

“All these initiatives pave the way for

realising the vision of Eco-City and Aj-

man government’s Strategic Plan 2021

which seeks to build a sustainable en-

vironment and modern infrastructure

for the future of Ajman,” said Al Hosni.

“From the conference, we hope to learn

if more regulations are needed, what

other measures need to be taken, and

use the knowledge to formulate the Eco-

City strategy.”

“At the last conference, we worked

with a US company on monitoring and

calculating emissions. In fact, each edition

of the conference brings us close to realis-

ing the goal of making Ajman an Eco-City.

We also want to be known as the leading

municipality in the UAE in the area of en-

vironmental protection.”

“We have implemented a ban on the use of groundWater for industrial, commercial and construction-related use,”eng. Khalid moeen al hosni

Ajman is also host to Ramada Hotel and Suites Ajman, which has risen to be one of the most eco-friendly hotels in the region, pioneering urban farm and zero landfill projects

Value ChainLeadership AwardsReinforcing Stake Holder ValueGulf Edition 2013 (Bahrain - KSA - Oman - UAE)

If you wish to participate in the 2014 Edition, please contact: Abubaker Basheer Ahmed at [email protected]

MEDIA PARTNERS

OFFICIAL ARABICBROADCASTER

EXCLUSIVE BUSINESSMAGAZINE PARTNER

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

ONLINE NEWS PARTNER

Congratulations to all the Award Recipients of Frost & Sullivan’s Largest On-site Assessment Process!

Value Chain Leadership Awards (VCLA), Gulf Edition 2013

AWARD TITLES COMPANY FACILITY-LOCATION

Supply Chain Partner of ChoiceAward

Weir Engineering Services Company Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Supply Chain Partner of ChoiceAward - Process Sector

National Petrochemical Industrial Company(NATPET)

Yanbu, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Supply Chain Partner of ChoiceAward -Engineering Sector

Midal Cables Limited Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain

Supply Chain Partner of ChoiceAward - Service Sector

Gulftainer Company LimitedKhorfakkan Container Terminal, Sharjah,United Arab Emirates

To know more about the Awards, please visit www.frost.com/vcla2013

Strict pollution controlsAl Hosni also highlighted some of the

initiatives undertaken by the munici-

pality to protect Ajman’s environment.

Regulations that govern air quality, wa-

ter management and waste manage-

ment in the emirate have been put in

place and are being strictly enforced.

For example, with regard to managing

wastewater treatment and disposal,

the municipality has imposed strong

controls on the discharge of industrial

effluents. Factories producing effluents

that do not comply with raw sewage

water standards of the Ajman sewer-

age company have been asked to install

preliminary treatment units. So far, 60

factories have been compelled to install

wastewater processing units. In 2013,

only five tankers a day used the waste-

water pond compared to 78 tankers on

daily basis in 2012.

“We treat 99% of our wastewater and

will re-use 100% of the treated water,”

said Al Hosni. The treated effluent will

be used for irrigation of all green spaces

in Ajman by end of April. Additionally,

SAFI is further treating the treated ef-

fluent to make it fit for use in the emir-

ate’s construction sector where a ban

on ground water use is already in place.

“In green spaces, I am using plants

that consume less water which with the

use of treated water for irrigation, helps

reduce the overall water consumption,”

said Al Hosni.

He has also initiated an Environment

Impact Study covering the industrial

areas of Ajman, with the objective of

developing a clean and green industrial

sector in the emirate.

“We will be monitoring emissions of

the industrial sector to ensure that they

are within regulatory limits,” said Al Hos-

ni. “We have also set up three stations for

air pollution monitoring in the emirate.”

Ajman has been quick to act on vio-

lations of environment controls, issuing

89 fines to organisations that did not

comply with the requirements.

Conserving waterTo prevent exploitation of groundwater,

25 water wells have been closed so far

and the license of one company was

cancelled. Ajman is also working on a

project to set up ground water monitor-

ing stations across the emirate.

“We have implemented a ban on the

use of groundwater for industrial, com-

mercial and construction-related use,”

said Al Hosni.

Ajman Municipality has also set up a

Green Building Committee to take steps

towards developing a green building sec-

tor in the emirate. “We are collaborating

with Emirates Green Building Council

(EGBC) to develop green building regu-

lations for Ajman,” said Al Hosni.

Last year, the municipality imple-

mented a pilot where water aerators

were supplied free of cost to selected

buildings to study their impact on wa-

ter conservation in the building sector.

“Currently, we are evaluating the re-

sults, and if they are up to mark, we may

decide to implement this project across

Ajman,” said Al Hosni.

Public transportation, which is out-

side the municipality’s purview, is being

promoted through the Ajman Trans-

portation Company which currently

operates a fleet of buses throughout

the emirate. At its end, the municipal-

ity is examining a proposal to use Com-

pressed Natural Gas (CNG) for munici-

pal transport vehicles.

Last year, the Ministry of Environ-

ment and Water banned the circulation

and marketing of non-biodegradable

plastic products in the UAE with the

ban taking effect from 2014. However,

Ajman went ahead and became the

first emirate to make the full switch to

biodegradable plastic. Additionally, the

municipality has declared that 16th

May will be celebrated as plastic-free

day in Ajman every year.

Value ChainLeadership AwardsReinforcing Stake Holder ValueGulf Edition 2013 (Bahrain - KSA - Oman - UAE)

If you wish to participate in the 2014 Edition, please contact: Abubaker Basheer Ahmed at [email protected]

MEDIA PARTNERS

OFFICIAL ARABICBROADCASTER

EXCLUSIVE BUSINESSMAGAZINE PARTNER

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

ONLINE NEWS PARTNER

Congratulations to all the Award Recipients of Frost & Sullivan’s Largest On-site Assessment Process!

Value Chain Leadership Awards (VCLA), Gulf Edition 2013

AWARD TITLES COMPANY FACILITY-LOCATION

Supply Chain Partner of ChoiceAward

Weir Engineering Services Company Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Supply Chain Partner of ChoiceAward - Process Sector

National Petrochemical Industrial Company(NATPET)

Yanbu, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Supply Chain Partner of ChoiceAward -Engineering Sector

Midal Cables Limited Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain

Supply Chain Partner of ChoiceAward - Service Sector

Gulftainer Company LimitedKhorfakkan Container Terminal, Sharjah,United Arab Emirates

To know more about the Awards, please visit www.frost.com/vcla2013

PAPER & PULP


planted specifically for this purpose. The tree species

we use enable production of paper with less wood

volume (40% less wood when compared with pine).

Thanks to their lower lignin content, we need fewer

chemicals for pulping. Moreover, our paper is also a

highly valuable recycling resource due to the high

content in virgin fibre and thicker fibre cell wall of

Eucalyptus globulus.

In terms of environmental protection, in the

first decade of this millennium, our industrial sites

achieved 49% reduction in water consumption per

tonne of product manufactured and 60% reduc-

tion in CO2 emissions. We have also brought down

other atmospheric and liquid effluent emissions to

the limit values prescribed under EU Best Available

Techniques (BAT). In 2013, more than 50% of the total

energy consumed by the Group was obtained from

biomass, a renewable resource.

Could you elaborate on the international certifications and standards important to the pulp and paper industry?FSC is related to post-consumer waste certification

(in the case of recycled papers) or certified forests

(in the case of virgin fibre papers). PEFC criteria is

similar in most respects to FSC and both are rec-

ognised by the EU (Ecolabel), public authorities and

the World Business Council for Sustainable Develop-

ment (WBCSD). Over the years, both schemes have

significantly modified their standards and narrowed

down their differences. More recently, they have em-

braced the EU timber regulation. However, neither

FSC nor PEFC are part of international standards like

Grupo Portucel Soporcel, one of Portugal’s strongest players on the international stage, is the sixth largest manufacturer of uncoated wood-free (UWF) printing paper in the world. The Group is also one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEKP). In an interview with Bgreen, the group’s Marketing Director Hermano Mendonça sought to dispel the ‘environmental myths’ around consumption of office paper, a segment where the Group claims market leadership in Europe and also highlighted the group’s environmentally responsible operations

Busting some paper myths

How are paper consumers looking at the issue of sustainability in the consumption of office paper?Companies and individual consumers

have started focusing their attention

on innovative aspects of office paper

products outside their recycled con-

tent. During the economic downturn,

we saw corporate buyers searching

for options that would allow them to

balance environmental benefits with-

out compromising on quality or price.

They realised that it is important to

seek rational solutions, in terms of

which products should incorporate

recovered paper and which should

incorporate virgin fibre. Customers

now understand that virgin fibre for

EU-Ecolabel-awarded office paper

is just as rational and ecological as

recycled fibre is for toilet paper also

awarded with EU Ecolabel. Or, that a

clear sustainable consumption solu-

tion for standard office paper is to

choose lower weights (for example, 75

gsm instead of 80 gsm), which is also

an economically viable alternative.

EUROGraph statistics show that from

2005 to 2012, the less than 80 gsm of-

fice paper segment in Europe grew at

a compound annual growth rate of

12.5%.

How does Portucel Soporcel define sustainably sourced paper? In general terms, asking for a ‘green’

paper product is the same as asking

for a ‘green’ garden since paper, by na-

ture, is one of the ‘greenest’ products

in the world, although sometimes it is

not perceived this way. Many compa-

nies rely on erroneous environmental

arguments about paper to reduce their

overall paper usage, through e-billing

for example, and try to ‘greenwash’

the financial gains. Therefore, one of

the biggest challenges for the indus-

try, right now, is to clarify some of the

‘environmental myths’ with regard to

paper consumption.

How sustainable is your manufacturing operations?A combination of good technology

(high-tech production and finishing

equipment), raw materials (Eucalyp-

tus globulus fibre and Precipitated

Calcium Carbonate) and strong pa-

permaking expertise have enabled us

to produce lower basis weight office

papers that are viable alternatives

to the standard weight office papers.

Our paper products are environmen-

tally responsible products obtained

from natural and renewable resources

PAPER & PULP


ISO or European official standards.

On the other hand, the EU Ecolabel

is included in the EU legislation. Not so

much of a certification than an award,

Ecolabel promotes products and ser-

vices that meet strict standards of en-

vironmental performance. In the office

and printing paper segment, Ecolabel

rules require the use of certified tim-

ber of known provenance and a ban on

the use of substances harmful to the

environment and human health. The

rules also call for the use of renewable

energy, implementation of a rigorous

waste management system and re-

duction of greenhouse gas emissions

as well as water pollution.

How can the industry ensure that its push for sustainability doesn’t mislead consumers to making the wrong choices?Industry shouldn’t generate expecta-

tions that recycling of paper closes

the loop. Consumers cannot expect

that we will reach a paper and board

recycling rate of 100%. Both parties

need to be aware that we are already

close to the theoretical maximum.

The paper industry needs to educate

users that recycling should be done in

cascade and virgin fibre office paper.

By recycling, we are avoiding the early

release of the paper’s carbon content

(fixed through photosynthesis). And

whenever recycling has no viability,

paper can be used to produce energy,

avoiding the use of fossil fuels.

The industry has an important role

in changing the perception that peo-

ple still have on paper, namely print-

ing/graphic paper and clarifying some

of the myths that persist. The Two

Sides initiative is a good example of

an action that helped overcome these

myths. In the last century, paper has

been the common product that has

supported the growth of forest area

in regions like Iberia, Scandinavia,

France and Canada. The production of

paper in Europe is a sustainable indus-

try based on renewable forests. Since

1950, European forests have increased

by 30%, and between 1990 and 2010,

they have increased 17 million hec-

tares, an annual growth rate of more

than 1.5 million soccer fields. In Por-

tugal, where our company operates,

alongside the production of paper,

the forest has been growing more

than 60% in the last 100 years.

Two Sides initiative also plays an

important role in stopping the ‘green-

washing’ used by industries like banks,

insurance companies and utilities, in

areas like e-billing, using false environ-

mental arguments to disguise the real

economic gains.

Which paper product is better - recycled or virgin?The question ‘Is it better to use recy-

cled or virgin fibre papers?’ is nonsen-

sical since all recycled paper was once

virgin fibre paper. Sustainable virgin

fibre office papers are extremely im-

portant both upstream (for the devel-

opment and growth of forests) and

downstream (as valuable recyclable

residue).

The myth that all papers should

be made with recycled fibres persists.

However, what is much more impor-

tant is to make rational choices in

terms of products that should incor-

porate higher levels of recovered pa-

per and those that should have higher

levels of virgin fibres.

Even if Europe achieves the theo-

retical maximum recycling rate, the

recovered paper would not be enough

to manufacture all the volume of pack-

aging, newsprint, tissue and other spe-

cial applications that represent 2/3rds

of the paper and board quantities con-

sumed in Europe, and are the natural

choice for incorporating recycled fibre.

Office paper represents a mere four

per cent of European paper and board

consumption and is more demanding

in terms of the quality of the fibres

used for production. Office papers

may be used to print documents that

require extended life cycles like con-

tracts, invoices, projects, certificates,

legal documents and insurance docu-

ments that are required to be stored by

government legislation.

It doesn’t make sense to promote

the use of recycled fibres to manufac-

ture high quality papers. Extending

this argument could mean that valu-

able wood resources could be used

to manufacture lower quality paper

products or products like toilet paper

that have shorter life cycles that can-

not be recycled after use. Hermano Mendonça

30%INCREASE IN EUROPE’S FOREST COVER, SINCE 1950, THANKS TO ITS

PAPER INDUSTRY

50%OF THE ENERGY CONSUMED BY

GRUPO PORTUCEl SOPORCEl IN 2013

CAME FROM BIOMASS

LIGHTING


Country-wide ban on import of inefficient bulbs to save $182-m annually in energy bills

UAE Adopts nEw indoor lighting stAndArd

All lighting products entering the UAE and manufactured locally must include third party product certifications, with correct labelling that clearly specifies the specs of the product. Any bulbs that do not meet the minimum requirements will be excluded

Last month, the Emirates Author-

ity for Standardisation and Me-

trology (ESMA) and key strategic

partners of the UAE’s Ecological Foot-

print Initiative announced the intro-

duction of an indoor lighting standard

in the UAE.

The standard will see the introduc-

tion of safe, high quality and energy

efficient lighting products to the UAE

market, as well as the phasing out of

low quality, inefficient lighting prod-

ucts. These measures will reduce en-

ergy consumption that will cut carbon

emissions and result in financial sav-

ings for residents and the government.

Lighting represents 19% of the

world’s electricity consumption and,

in the Middle East that figure rises to

22%. This region has one of the high-

est levels of energy consumption in

the world, and the fact that nearly

one quarter of all energy consumed is

through lighting means there is a large

saving opportunity in this area.

Moreover, the UAE has one of the

highest ecological footprints in the

world and with households responsi-

ble for 57% of it and lighting account-

ing for 20% of household energy con-

sumption globally, implementing a

lighting standard can help make an

impactful difference.

Dr Rashid Bin Fahad, Minister of En-

vironment and Water and the Chair-

man of the initiative’s steering com-

mittee behind the new standard, said:

“Local research as well as international

best practice tells us that energy effi-

ciency standards are proven to be a

cost effective way to reduce energy

usage and our carbon footprint. The

new UAE lighting standard will reduce

the country’s energy consumption by

international best practice and locally

sourced data and analysis. This was

coupled with extensive consultation

with key stakeholders from different

public and private entities, including

the Middle East Lighting Association.”

The standard will be effective since

its publication in the official gazette,

and will feature a six-month roll-out

by ESMA who will be coordinating with

stakeholders, manufacturers, retailers

and other authorities to implement

the standard.

Razan Al Mubarak, Secretary Gen-

eral of Environment Agency – Abu

Dhabi said: “This important achieve-

ment came as a result of the strong

collaboration of all partners of the

Ecological Footprint Initiative. The

standard will help to significantly

reduce energy consumption by en-

suring only high quality lighting

products are available in the mar-

ketplace. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi

in particular will realise substantial

340-500MW per year which is equiva-

lent to not using an average gas power

station for six months. By developing

this standard, the Ecological Footprint

Initiative is successfully achieving its

mission, and is helping to bring eco-

nomic and environmental benefits to

the UAE.”

Eng. Mohammad Saleh Badri, Direc-

tor General of ESMA pointed out that

switching to energy efficient lighting

shows the highest potential in energy

savings after cooling, a key reason why

the standard was developed.

Badri said: “After our work on the

cooling standard, it was logical to focus

on lighting. This standard will ensure

that the market only carries high qual-

ity indoor lighting products that meet

requirements including electrical safety,

energy efficiency, functionality and lim-

its content of hazardous chemicals.

“Through strategic collaboration

this standard has been developed us-

ing extensive research, benchmarking

lighting


environmental and economic ben-

efits, which is a great step forward in

achieving our overall vision.”

In fact, the Centre of Waste Man-

agement - Abu Dhabi, is working on

the development of storage units and

recycling facilities for electric lamps

as part of the master plan for waste

management in the emirate. This is an

important step as certain types of elec-

tric lamps contain mercury that pol-

lutes groundwater after being dumped

in landfills.

Ida Tillisch, Director-General of

EWS-WWF which collaborated close-

ly with ESMA by providing technical

support and facilitating stakeholder

engagement, said: “The lighting stand-

ard brings environmental benefits by

preventing 940,000 tonnes of carbon

emissions entering the atmosphere

each year. This is equivalent to remov-

ing 165,000 cars off the road annu-

ally. The standard will help reduce the

UAE’s per capita ecological footprint;

bringing the country closer to a more

sustainable future.”

In addition to the environmental

benefits, this standard will also re-

sult in significant financial savings

estimated at US$180-m annually. Of

these total savings, approximately

$123-m will be saved by households

each year, especially in emirates with

higher tariff rates. It is estimated that

an average villa in Dubai will save ap-

proximately $630/year by changing

to energy efficient lighting.

All lighting products entering the

UAE and manufactured locally must

include third party product certifica-

tions, with correct labelling that clear-

ly specifies the specs of the product. Any

bulbs that do not meet the minimum re-

quirements will be excluded. Proper market

surveillance and monitoring, including ran-

dom sample testing will also be conducted

to ensure effective implementation.

SOURCES

The UAE has one of the highest Ecological Footprints per capita. This means we waste a lot of resources such as energy, water, and goods. If everyone lived the same way, we would need 4.5 planets to sustain us.

WHY A LIGHTING STANDARD?

Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology. Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF. Excecutive Affairs Authority. International Energy Agency. WWF.

The UAE Energy Efficiency Lighting Standard is a step taken by the UAE Ecological Footprint Initiative, which is a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Environment and Water, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, EWS-WWF, the Global Footprint Network and Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, working to develop science-based policy recommendations to help reduce the UAE’s carbon emissions and per capita Ecological Footprint. Find out more at www.ewswwf.ae and www.esma.gov.ae

UAE ENERGY

EFFICIENCY LIGHTING

STANDARD WHAT DOES IT

MEAN FOR YOU?

EFFECTIVE FROM MID 2014

The standard prevents low quality indoor bulbs from entering the UAE market. It considers energy efficiency, electrical safety, hazardous chemical limits, functionality and safe disposal. (Exceptions are made for specialised lighting such as those in hospitals and laboratories.)

HOW DOES THE STANDARD WORK?

The country will be supplied with the following high e�ciency bulbs:

High quality and energy efficient bulbs offer a wide range of mood lighting

EXCELLENT ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTS PROVIDE

ENERGY SAVING POTENTIAL

OF THE UAE’S ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IS FROM CARBON, SO REDUCING

ENERGY USE WILL MEAN LESS CO2

BEING EMITTED TO THE ATMOSPHERE

OF ELECTRICITY CONSUMED BY HOUSEHOLDS GLOBALLY

IS USED FOR LIGHTING

OF THE UAE’S ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT COMES FROM

HOUSEHOLDS

UAE can save

AED 452 million

AED 216 million

net savings from households' reduced electricity billssavings from the government in terms of reduced subsidies

AED668 million/year

A medium size villa in Dubai can save up to

AED2,315/year

Removing

165,000 carsoff the road annually

EQUALto

Significant CO2 emission reductions of approx

HOW DO WE BENEFIT?

Not needing to use an average gas power station for

6 months

EQUALto

Cuts UAE energy consumption annually by up to

500 MW 940,000 tonnes/year

LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LEDs)Offer high efficiency and much longer lifetimes than most lamps

Much more efficient than incandescents

COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS (CFLs) More efficient than traditional incandescents

HALOGENS


FACILITY MANAGEMENT

Current statistics reveal that 70% of the UAE’s annual energy consumption is attributed to its built environment, placing building management as a priority for energy reasons alone. This invariably expands and strengthens the role of Facility Management (FM) in the rapidly growing construction sector. Alan Millin, Consultant Trainer, Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA) responded to questions on challenges that need to be overcome by the FM industry in its quest for growth. MEFMA is the official supporter of FM EXPO 2014, which will take place from May 19-21, 2014 at Dubai World Trade Centre

Planning ahead

80%CONTRIBUTION OF FM TO A

BUILDING’S PROPERTY VALUE OVER ITS 25-YEAR LIFE CYCLE

Focus on FM EXPoAcross the region, it is estimated

that Facilities Management (FM)

will contribute to more than 80%

of the property and project value

over the predicted 25-year lifecycle

of a building. With the growing

prominence of FM in the project

value chain, the third edition of

World FM Congress is set to engage

industry stakeholders to assess top-

line issues in the GCC and beyond.

The Congress, which is being

held in parallel with FM EXPO 2014,

will tackle topics ranging from

integrating FM at the design stage

to how FM companies can transition

from being service providers to

becoming business partners.

FM EXPO 2014’s senior project

manager Jaafar Shubber says:

“Policy makers and corporates

worldwide are quickly realising the

importance of efficient infrastructure

and building management. Over

the last decade, FM has developed

faster than any other discipline in

the construction sector, providing

a tremendous opportunity for

adding value to property assets.”

World FM Congress includes

an expansive list of speakers

touching on topics relevant to

the region like, for example, the

ageing building stock in the UAE.

Furqan Mian, director of hard

FM and corporate FM, Emaar

Properties says: “As buildings age,

efficiency and refurbishment of

existing buildings is a critical area,

and so best practices from other

parts of the world together with local

knowledge will be the key in keeping

Dubai at the forefront of the built

environment as in many other fields.”

The Congress, which is being

projected as an open platform for

dialogue between government

bodies, developers, architects,

contractors and facilities managers,

will take place at the Dubai World

Trade Centre on May 19, 2014.

For more details, visit:

www.fm-expo.com

How important is innovation in the Facility Management (FM) industry? Innovation is essential in Facility Man-

agement (FM) but the tough question

is: how to innovate? FM professionals

often complain that they are competing

on price. If that is the case, they have to

be able to minimise and control costs.

There are many technologies available

to do that but the most commonly men-

tioned are ICT-related systems. We have

Building Information Modelling (BIM),

Computer-Aided Facility Management

(CAFM), Computerised maintenance

management system (CMMS), Geo-

graphic Information System (GIS), Inte-

grated Workplace Management Sys-

tems (IWMS), Radio Frequency Identi-

fication (RFID), to name but a few. In

reality, we have not yet fully harnessed

the power of technologies that we al-

ready have. It’s not enough to simply

buy new technology; we have to be able

to implement and reap the benefits of it

as soon as possible to establish a com-

petitive advantage and maintain that

advantage for as long as possible.

How well-trained/equipped are facilities managers in the region? My research in 2009, based on discus-

sions with leaders of several UAE-based

FM organisations, revealed a definite

lack of junior and middle management

skills. Through MEFMA’s Foundation in

FM course, we have attempted to ad-

dress the shortcomings. While MEFMA’s

foundation course has been a

great success and received rec-

ognition by winning an industry

award, FM organisations still

do need to provide the environ-

ment for people to practice their

skills and progress.

We have some exceptional

facilities managers in the region

but we need to develop more.

As buildings become more ad-

vanced there will always be po-

tential for a knowledge gap in

the market. FM companies need

to constantly look ahead if they

wish to establish a first-mover

business advantage.

What do you see as major challenges or obstacles for growth in the regional FM industry? What can the private sector do to break down these barriers to entry/obstacles?Growth potential exists. We have

Expo 2020 coming up in the UAE

and the football world cup in

Qatar which will spur growth in

the built environment and infra-

structure. These events are not

ends in themselves though; they

will be used as springboards to

greater regional development.

FM companies need to look be-

yond them. Bahrain, Oman and

Saudi Arabia are also seeing in-

creased development activity.

Where real barriers to entry

do exist, organisations should

come together with MEFMA

to lobby for FM at the highest

levels. Obstacles to growth are

internal as well as external.

Some FM companies are ex-

cellent at delivering sustain-

ability advice to clients but

my recent research, due to be

published in June 2014 in the

Journal of Management and

Sustainability, reveals that re-

gional FM companies can do

considerably more to support

their own sustainability.


GREEN pERsoNality

Making it rightBrad Pitt started the Make It Right foundation in 2007 to rebuild green homes for residents in New Orleans who lost theirs to Hurricane Katrina

hood, has previously been abandoned

and boarded up for 13 years, according

to Make It Right.

“As a fellow Missourian, it brings me

great pride that Make It Right can be of

service in my home state,” Pitt was quot-

ed as saying. “This beautiful building will

provide housing for many people in need.

We also hope it serves as a catalyst for

new life and new investment in the com-

munity of Manheim Park.”

Pitt met with US President Barack

Obama and Speaker of the House of

Representatives Nancy Pelosi in March

2009 to promote his concept of green

housing as a national model and to dis-

cuss federal funding possibilities. The

same year, Pitt, along with Tom Darden

(the CEO of Make it Right), and S Richard

Fedrizzi, the President of the US Green

Building Council, attended the Clinton

Global Initiative to report on the pro-

gress of their project.

He held separate meetings with

Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing

and Urban Development, and Steven

Chu, Energy Secretary, before being

feted as a ‘hero’ by Nancy Pelosi.

Pitt has donated more than $5-m to

this project alone and, through the Jolie-

Pitt Foundation, also helps oil the en-

gine for various other natural resources

and wildlife conservation campaigns.

He was also a supporter of Califor-

nia’s Prop 87, a proposition on the ballot

for California voters for the November

7, 2006 general election, officially titled

Alternative Energy. Research, Produc-

tion, Incentives. Tax on California Oil

Producers. It was rejected by the voters,

54.7% opposed to 45.3% in favor. This

was highest-funded campaign on any

state ballot, surpassing every campaign

in the country in spending except the

presidential contest.

50THE NUMBER OF LEED PLaTiNUM cERTiFiED

RENTaL UNiTs iN BaNcROFT scHOOL

aPaRTMENTs

$5-mPiTT’s OWN

cONTRiBUTiON TO His GREEN

HOUsiNG PROJEcT

Apart from his well-documented

humanitarian efforts, the Mon-

eyball star is also a long-time

environmentalist. His six-year-old Make

It Right Foundation built 150 homes in

New Orleans, where flooding wiped out

many homes and businesses. All the

new residences not only sport environ-

mentally sound features, but they also

use advanced engineering to withstand

strong winds and floods.

Global Green USA, a national envi-

ronmental organisation, worked with

Pitt on the design project. Pitt headed a

jury of architects and city residents who

decided on the top five environmentally

friendly designs out of more than 100

entries. The designs were submitted by

individuals and architect firms.

All projects are LEED Platinum cer-

tified and Cradle to Cradle inspired –

meeting the highest standards of green

building. The US Green Building Council

lauded the star for his role in establish-

ing ‘the largest and greenest single fam-

ily community in the world’.

Bitt said the new designs, which use

energy-saving materials such as metal

roofing and recycled textiles, might not

reflect the historic architecture often

found in New Orleans. But, he said, it’s

time to look to the future.

In November last year, his foundation

brought sustainability and green build-

ing to an area of Kansas City that strug-

gles with high unemployment and crime

rates. The foundation cut the ribbon

on Bancroft School Apartments, a for-

mer school building that now contains

50 LEED Platinum certified rental units

under a solar roof with 400 panels. The

school, in the Manheim Park neighbor-


society diary dates

Diary DatesPiscine Middle east April 22—24, ADNEC, Abu Dhabi

Organised by GL Events exhibitions,

Piscine Middle East will bring the

leading international exhibitors to

Abu Dhabi to meet their counter-

parts and showcase the latest inno-

vation from the global pool industry

and to discuss opportunities and

challenges in the Middle East Mar-

ket. It will be held in parallel and in

strategic partnership with City scape

Abu Dhabi 2014.

The show will include developers,

contractors and service providers in

Equipment and pool accessories,

maintenance, filtration, protection

security, construction installation,

outdoor living pool, Health and well-

ness in the pool industry.With 40

international exhibitors, 70 brands

from Spain, France, Italy, Tunisia,

UAE, China, UK, German, USA and

Belgium, the organisers are expect-

ing around 3000 visitors for this sec-

ond edition.

“The exhibitors participating in

Piscine Middle East are world lead-

ers who can help local companies

by offering the latest equipment

and technologies on the market and

by training them to use such equip-

ment,” says Noemi Petit, Piscine Mid-

dle East show director.

This year, GL Events is introducing

‘The pool Vision award for 2014’ to

select and award prizes to outstand-

ing swimming pool projects from

around the world, judging them

from the technical and aesthetic

standpoints, water treatment, cov-

erings, accessories and spas.

WeteX 2014April 14—16, Dubai International

Convention & Exhibition Centre

Held under the directives of His

Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President

and Prime Minister of the UAE and

Ruler of Dubai, and under the pa-

tronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler

of Dubai, Minister of Finance of the

UAE and President of DEWA, the 16th

Water, Energy, Technology, and Envi-

ronment Exhibition (WETEX) 2014

will take place at the Dubai Inter-

national Convention and Exhibition

Centre (DICEC).

Last year’s edition saw more than

1,360 exhibitors from 32 countries

participating and showcasing their

latest technologies and equipment

and raising their corporate profiles

and building awareness about prod-

ucts and services while sharing ideas

and best practices with the world’s

leading players in the water, en-

ergy, and environment technol-

ogy industries. Co-located with

WETEX and now in its fourth year,

SmarTech exhibition will show-

case the latest products, tech-

nologies, and solutions related

to energy and water efficiency, as

well as residential and commer-

cial green‐building solutions.

MenasOl 2014May 6-7, Hyatt Regency, Dubai

With over 3GW of solar forecast to

be completed in the Middle East &

North Africa by 2020, over 150 sen-

ior executives from leading solar

companies will be meeting at the

6th Annual Middle East & North Af-

rica Solar Conference & Exhibition in

Dubai next month. With over seven

markets including Jordan, Qatar, Ku-

wait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab

Emirates and Morocco demonstrat-

ing clear promise for solar, there is

a huge potential for companies with

the winning combination of project

and partnership. Budgets, plans and

operational recommendations will

be made for photovoltaic plants

during the two –day conference

with input from senior experts from

companies with proven experience

in the MENA region such as First So-

lar, Sun & Life, Belectric, Enviromena

and Apricum.

PrOject qatar 2014May 12—15 , Qatar National

Convention Centre, Doha

Sustinability is a key theme of this

year’s 11th International Construc-

tion Technology & Building Materi-

als Exhibition, which moves to the

Qatar National Convention Centre

(QNCC) for the first time. Project

Qatar’s 2013 hosted 2,100 local and

international exhibitors from 50

countries spread across 62,000 sq

m of indoor and outdoor exhibition

space with more than 3,000 brands

and marked a record increase of

16% in surface area, and 45% in in-

ternational participation.

Vice President of International

Marketing and Sales at IFP Group,

Fadi Kaddoura says: “Since its first

edition, the show recorded a 50%

growth in exhibition space from one

year to the next; a 73% increase in

the number of exhibitors; a 45% rise

in participating countries; and a 20%

growth in the number of visitors. The

first show had 267 exhibitors across

10,000 sq.m of exhibition space; and

in its 10th edition, the event proudly

welcomed 2,100 exhibitors from 50

countries, covering 67,000 sq m of

exhibition area.”

More than 60% of the total num-

ber of participants is international,

with 23 pavilions, including Austria,

Belgium, China, Egypt, France, Ger-

many, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Korea,

Kuwait, Malaysia, Portugal, Spain,

Turkey, the UAE and the UK.

OPW efficiency & cOnservatiOn 2014May 18—19, Al Bustan

Palace, Muscat

OPW Efficiency and Conservation

2014, held in partnership with the

Public Authority for Electricity and

Water, will take place from18 - 19

May 2014 as a two-day conference

focusing on the latest projects and

regulations from the relevant au-

thorities and utility companies in

Oman. The conference is part of a

public awareness campaign that

will coincide with Arab Energy Ef-

ficiency Day on 21 May 2014. Key

Omani speakers include Dr Ali Al

Ghafri, Chairman Assistant for Inter-

national Relations and Media, Public

Authority for Electricity and Water

(PAEW), Eng. Hamed bin Salim Al

Maghderi, CEO, Rural Areas Electric-

ity Company (RAECO) and Humaid

Al Amri, Head of Power Systems, Pe-

troleum Development Oman (PDO).

For more information, visit www.

omanpowerandwater.com

society sustainable past


Saving the YoSemitePresent-day environment conservation movement traces its roots to efforts undertaken in the US in the 19th century to save the Yosemite

The area of the United States that he

placed under public protection totals

approximately 30,000 square kilome-

tres. In 1907, Roosevelt is said to have

designated 65,000 square kilometres

of new national forests just minutes

before a deadline. He also sponsored

the Conference of Governors held

in the White House, with a focus on

natural resources and their most ef-

ficient use and delivered the opening

address: ‘Conservation as a National

Duty.’ In 1903 Roosevelt toured the

Yosemite Valley with John Muir, who

had a very different view of conser-

vation, and tried to minimise com-

mercial use of water resources and

forests. Working through the Sierra

Club he founded, Muir succeeded in

1905 in having Congress transfer the

Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley

to the Federal Government.

The American movement received

its inspiration from 19th century works

that exalted the inherent value of na-

ture, quite apart from human usage.

Author Henry David Thoreau (1817-

1862) made key philosophical contri-

butions that exalted nature. Thoreau

was interested in peoples’ relationship

with nature and studied this by living

close to nature in a simple life. He pub-

lished his experiences in the book Wal-

den, which argued that people should

become intimately close with nature.

The ideas of Sir Brandis was also very

influential. Gifford Pinchot, the first

chief of the USDA Forest Service, relied

heavily upon Brandis’ advice for intro-

ducing professional forest manage-

ment in the US and on how to structure

the Forest Service.

Theodore Roosevelt’s view on con-

servationism remained dominant for

decades; - Franklin D Roosevelt au-

thorised the building of many large-

scale dams and water projects, as well

as the expansion of the National Forest

System to buy out sub-marginal farms.

In 1937, the Pittman–Robertson Feder-

al Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act was

signed into law, providing funding for

state agencies to carry out their con-

servation efforts.

President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir at the Yosemite Valley

30,000The area of The

UniTed STaTeS ThaT preSidenT Theodore

rooSevelT placed Under pUblic

proTecTion

1939 The year piTTman–

roberTSon federal aid in Wildlife

reSToraTion acT WaS Signed inTo laW,

providing fUnding for STaTe agencieS To carry oUT Their

conServaTion efforTS

Both Conservationism and En-

vironmentalism have been a

regular feature in the history of

US’ political debates since the late 19th

century. Though the laissez-faire posi-

tions too existed — which held that

owners of private property, includ-

ing lumber and mining companies,

should be allowed to do anything they

wished for their property – presence

of some key figures in the country’s

political history has helped conserv-

ing the wilderness.

The conservationists, led by Presi-

dent Theodore Roosevelt and his close

ally Gifford Pinchot, said that the

laissez-faire approach was too waste-

ful and noted that most of the natural

resources in the western states were

already owned by the federal govern-

ment. The best course of action, they

argued, was a long-term plan devised

by national experts to maximise the

long-term economic benefits of natu-

ral resources.

The environmentalists, led by John

Muir (1838–1914), preached that na-

ture was sacred and humans are in-

truders who should look but not devel-

op. He founded the Sierra Club and in

the debate between conservation and

environmentalism, he was primarily

responsible for defining the latter. This

view allowed for limited tourism (such

as hiking), but opposed automobiles in

national parks. It strenuously opposed

timber cutting on most public lands,

and vehemently denounced the dams

that Roosevelt supported for water

supplies, electricity and flood control.

Especially controversial was the

Hetch Hetchy dam in Yosemite Na-

tional Park, which Roosevelt approved,

and which supplies the water supply

of San Francisco. He was deeply com-

mitted to conserving natural resources

and encouraged the Newlands Recla-

mation Act of 1902 to promote federal

construction of dams to irrigate small

farms and placed 930,000 square

kilometres under federal protection.

Roosevelt set aside more Federal land

for national parks and nature preserves

than all of his predecessors combined,

established the United States Forest

Service, signed into law the creation of

five National Parks and sanctioned the

first 51 Bird Reserves, and 150 National

Forests, including Shoshone National

Forest, the nation’s first.


www.middleeastwaste.ae/bgreen


Gain awareness, share knowledge, find solutions

Register today for FREE entry

Contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow

PLATINUM SPONSOR: RECYCLING SPONSOR: SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS: KNOWLEDGE PARTNER: CO-LOCATED WITH:

PRINCIPLE INTELLIGENCE PARTNER:


www.middleeastwaste.ae/bgreen


Gain awareness, share knowledge, find solutions

Register today for FREE entry

Contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow

PLATINUM SPONSOR: RECYCLING SPONSOR: SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS: KNOWLEDGE PARTNER: CO-LOCATED WITH:

PRINCIPLE INTELLIGENCE PARTNER:

bgreen april 2014

Documents

energy savings

energy consumption

energy use

energy efficiency market

energy efficiency improvements

dubais escos

togive energy makeover

impzthe energy saversstephan