UAE | Environment
Green push for new buildings
All new constructions under the jurisdiction of Dubai World are now required to adhere to the Green Building Regulations mandated by the Environment Health and Safety (EHS), the regulatory arm of Trakhees - Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) effective January 1, 2009.
- By Alia Al Theeb, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:27 November 22, 2008
- All new projects in Dubai are required to comply with Green Building Regulations from January 1, 2009. The Environment Health and Safety is developing the guidelines using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.
- Image Credit: Supplied picture
Dubai: All new constructions under the jurisdiction of Dubai World are now required to adhere to the Green Building Regulations mandated by the Environment Health and Safety (EHS), the regulatory arm of Trakhees - Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) effective January 1, 2009.
In a first step towards complying and contributing towards Dubai's new sustainable green building resolution, EHS in addition to its existing environmental policies, has been on a pioneering mission to effectively implement and practice the new resolution by developing Green Building Regulations in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system set by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
EHS is committed to providing world class services to all developers within Dubai World's jurisdiction. EHS facilitates the rollout of Certified Green Buildings to ensure sustainable development in the region.
The move comes under the directive of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai's resolution to implement green building specifications and standards in Dubai, all new projects in Dubai are required to comply with the resolution effective from January 1, 2009.
At present, there are several hundred projects being evaluated and managed by EHS for compliance with the EHS Green Building Regulations.
LEED is a third-party certification programme and the current EHS-accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings.
LEED gives building owners and operators the tools to have an immediate and measurable impact on their building's performance. It also promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognising performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
ReaderSpeak: Tree-saving campaign
The Turkish newspaper, Today's Zaman, reported that a new book exchange campaign was to be launched by the Ministry of Education in Turkey. The purpose of the campaign is to protect the environment, and contribute to the economy.
The ministry distributes over 155 million new books to students in Turkey annually. Most of these books are thrown away at the end of the academic year.
The cost of these books to the taxpayer is more than $800 million (Dh2.9 billion) per year.
Under the new project, books given will have to be returned at the end of the academic term.
The Ministry of Education expects this project to save more than 1.27 million trees every year. It will contribute to Turkey's economy by saving $110 million (Dh407 million) annually, since 50 per cent of the paper used to publish textbooks is imported, costing $750 million per year.
The project is also expected to save 307 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 29 million tonnes of water.
- Compiled by Rabab L. Khan, Community Journalist
Share this article
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Ministry opens hotline to report violators
- First well in relief project to honour scientist
- Help me find my precious cat
- AG expresses confidence in public prosecution's skills
- National ID needed for Interior Ministry services
- Meet to discuss ways to secure energy supplies
- Deyaar case: Expert asked to submit detailed report i
- Institute adopts best judicial practices
- Dubai hospital wins Spain architecture festival award
- Masters in construction law to address sector's concerns
- Private schools form lobby group
- New council to strike demographic balance
- Green moves make desalting plant less damaging
- Technology can negatively affect girls: forum
- Dubai-based British athlete attempts to swim around Palm in record bid
Community Reports
-
Help me find my precious cat
Raif, my cute eight-month-old ‘fur ball', went missing in Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen area last month
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
