Dubai: Green building codes will be mandatory for private sector developers in Dubai from 2014, a top government official has told Gulf News.
Najeeb Zaafrani, Secretary-General and CEO of the Dubai Supreme Energy Council, said while green buildings were expensive initially, developers would eventually see savings from environmentally-friendly construction.
"While green building codes are currently implemented in all new government buildings, green buildings [will be] mandatory in both the private and public sectors in 2014," he said.
"All new buildings in Dubai, whether government or not, should comply with the green codes."
"[In the long term] there will be a lot of savings," he added.
Zaafrani said that the Supreme Energy Council would promote green building more in the coming years, not only to ensure new projects are sustainable, but also to ensure that existing buildings are upgraded to make them more environmentally friendly.
"The council has set up a number of task forces to attain various objectives during the year including the setting up of a green financing scheme and technical guidelines to make existing buildings more environmentally sustainable, emphasising the efficiency of existing buildings," Zaafrani added.
Carbon footprint
One area that the council is pushing now, he added, was an emphasis on reducing the impact of utilities on the UAE's huge carbon footprint.
"Air-conditioning consumption represents 60 per cent of the total consumption, so if we implement our strategy in the right way we would be able to reduce it by ten per cent," he said.
"Any smart energy strategy must include in its approach the potential savings that can be made through energy efficient practices in building development.
"By applying sustainable building practices, right from design to implementation, significant energy savings can be made, which contribute to the overall smart energy management initiatives," he added.
Zaafrani said that energy saving light-bulbs and solar power were also crucial, particularly in older buildings.
"We are developing a roadmap to make the green codes applicable in the old residential buildings in Dubai."
Moreover, Zaafrani added that six government buildings which come under the umbrella of the Supreme Energy Council would also be subject to an energy audit.
