Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has launched a new series of ‘green building tours’ covering buildings that have already achieved Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications, to strengthen awareness among industry stakeholders on sustainable best practices for energy and water use efficiency.

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

The ‘Green Building Tour Series: After Leed Certification’ is one of the many initiatives undertaken by the council to promote a stronger understanding of sustainable built environments. The tours are being held for the council’s members.

Participants tour the green buildings not only to see the design and technology features first hand but also to engage in insightful discussions with the concerned team on how they achieved their certifications and what are the ongoing initiatives to manage energy and water use.

The tour series began with a visit in November to Swedish welding and cutting firm, ESAB Middle East FZE, which achieved Leed Platinum certification six years ago. The next in the series is tour to the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, which was awarded Leed Gold Certification 20 months ago.

A large team of EmiratesGBC members took part in the tour that helped them gain insights on the learnings from the certification process. They also attended a workshop facilitated by EmiratesGBC on energy saving retrofits that would enhance the building’s already high standards of energy efficiency.

A technical brief based on the observations by the participants will be issued by EmiratesGBC in the coming days.

Saeed Al Abbar, the chairman of EmiratesGBC, said the green building tour is a strong example of how the council promotes hands-on learning on sustainability best practices for its members and other stakeholders.

"In addition to learning from the team that has been involved in Leed Certification, these tours provide insights on the new and emerging challenges, and how the team on ground is addressing them," noted Al Abbar.

"We have always emphasised that green building does not stop at the end of construction and it is essential that sustainable operation and maintenance practices are followed post certification and these tours shall highlight this and serve as referral points for the participants to adopt green building practices by learning from the experts," he stated.

"We believe that such industry interactions are essential in promoting a culture of sustainable built environments and sharing best practices that will help support the sustainable vision of the UAE," he added.-TradeArabia News Service