THE Big 5, the leading international building and construction show, says it has become the first exhibition in Dubai to take steps towards becoming carbon neutral.

Working with UAE-based EcoVentures, the Middle East’s premier emissions reductions firm, dmg world media Dubai, the organiser of The Big 5, is aiming to ensure that the show reduces its contribution to the global problem of climate change by endeavouring to reduce any emissions associated with the event to zero.
This year’s show will run from November 23 to 26 at the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).
The Big 5 is already well known for taking a number of steps towards adopting innovative best practice in the field of environmental responsibility, most notably demonstrated by the launch of The Gaia Awards in 2008. These were the first awards in the region to honour those working towards reducing the environmental impact of the construction sector.
Environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important in the UAE, for example within the construction sector, where the introduction of new regulations by Dubai’s government require all new buildings to meet international green building standards.
Simon Mellor, vice-president of construction for dmg world media, says: “We aim to lead by example, taking the first step towards becoming carbon neutral ourselves. If we can then educate even a small percentage of our visitors and exhibitors about the ways in which they themselves can reduce their carbon footprint, we will have been successful.”
With each Dubai resident producing some 44 tonnes of CO2 each year, the figures show why The Big 5 is taking the first steps in managing the progression to being carbon neutral, and encouraging construction companies to follow suit.
Staged side by side the show is The Big 5 PMV, the Middle East’s premier construction plant, machinery and vehicles show. Owing to the event’s huge success last year, Streamline Marketing Group, the organiser of PMV, is building a new purpose-built temporary structure and outdoor exhibit area at the DICEC to accommodate the event.
“This investment by the Dubai Wolrd Trade Centre (DWTC) underlines its commitment to the future of The Big 5 PMV, and the confidence they share with us in the ability of the region’s construction industry to survive the current economic downturn.”
The UAE construction industry is showing signs of defiance in the wake of the economic crisis, with over 200 projects to be completed in the first half of this year, more than the total for the whole of last year. Proleads research reveals that only 2.4 per cent of 1,289 construction projects worth $1.28 trillion had been cancelled. Approximately 135 projects were on schedule to be completed in the first quarter this year, with another 70 to be finished in the second quarter, compared with a total of 184 overall last year.