UAE | Environment

Dubai businesses helped to assess their CO2 levels

As more and more businesses strive for energy efficiency to combat growing levels of pollution and global warming, companies are shooting up in Dubai to help assess their levels of CO2 emissions.

  • By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:17 July 12, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • A worker wipes clean some of the 80 solar panels that will provide 25,000 litres of hot water per day for a hotel as part of their solar power project.
  • Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

Dubai: As more and more businesses strive for energy efficiency to combat growing levels of pollution and global warming, companies are shooting up in Dubai to help assess their levels of CO2 emissions.

Shezan Amiji, director of EcoVentures, believes the extent of the pollution problem in the UAE needs to be assessed before it can be addressed. He speaks to Gulf News on the commercial benefit of reducing and offsetting carbon emissions.

Gulf News: Why do you think people would want to voluntarily minimise their business' carbon footprint?

Shezan Amiji: People need to optimise their energy use to do business. The days of cheap resources are gone. People have to change their habits and they have to be accountable. We want to give businesses the tools to move forward.

Are green buildings enough to minimise carbon footprints?

People are becoming more and more interested in green living. Green building is one component of minimising the carbon footprint, but it doesn't stop there. We calculate everything that adds up, like travelling, commuting, energy consumption. It is the bigger perspective to green buildings.

Which companies have come to you for a carbon management assessment?

We have had a lot of response from the hospitality sector as well as real estate companies.

How quickly can a company achieve results?

We can't solve the problem without knowing how big the problem is, or how big the footprint is. Companies can strive to be carbon neutral but it depends on the size and scale of the business. There will always be unavoidable emissions and this is where offset comes into play. You can't do anymore after you optimise as much as you can, then the solution is to offset the carbon that you have.

Where will EcoVentures use carbon credits from the UAE?

India and China are our biggest markets in terms of trying to source carbon credits. But we want to sources credits in the UAE for the UAE. Carbon reduction can be done here with this method.

How do you think the UAE can reduce its carbon footprint?

By reducing dependence on fossil fuels and going solar. The cost of generating solar power has gone down.

What ways are there to decrease a building's carbon footprint?

We monitor electricity and water usage and this can have a huge impact on CO2 reduction. We want to look at all freezones eventually and incorporate clean technology.

Can EcoVentures work with airlines in the UAE to offset emissions?

Airlines should be responsible for the emissions they create. It is everyone's problem. We have worked with European airlines whereby there is an "opt-in" option and passengers can offset the CO2 created from their journey. We would love to do it for all regional airlines.

Management strategy

EcoVentures signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tecom Investments to calculate the carbon footprint of nine freezones which fall under Tecom: Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai Media City, Dubai Outsource Zone, Dubai Studio City, Energy and Environment Park, Dubai International Academic City and International Media Production Zone. Once the zones are assessed a carbon management strategy can be defined.

Ali Bin Towaih, director of the sustainable energy and environment division at Tecom, said all efforts have already been made to optimise energy use in the operating companies. "We reduced our energy consumption by 12 per cent in the last year. We ... want to know what to do to go further. We have nothing to hide," he said.

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