DUBAI – Industry experts point to an increased awareness and demonstration of sustainable, environment-friendly practices in the UAE's construction sector in the last two to three years. This has been further demonstrated by the UAE taking pole position in having the highest number of sustainably certified developments. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified projects in the Middle East indicates that LEED has positively impacted the region's need for meeting the minimum building code requirements. Although the UAE is currently leading with the maximum number of buildings registered and certified by LEED, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not far behind. “Sustainability is no longer just a boardroom buzzword but a necessity in the current business landscape. Thanks to support from the government and various associations in the UAE we have seen how positive the economic impact of sustainability can be,” said Andy White, event director of The Big 5, the region's largest event for the building and construction industry. “More needs to be done in this matter and sustainability is very much at the forefront of The Big 5 2012. Exhibitors, visitors and delegates have consistently fed back that this is an element that holds significant value for them,” he added. The Big 5 2012 will be held on Nov. 5-8 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Both, business and individual consumers today are demanding sustainable buildings, and regional developers and suppliers have risen to this challenge by providing leading solutions across all key pillars of sustainable building: air quality, water quality and energy usage. It has become impossible for contractors to lead within the market without embracing green building systems, and experts expect that sustainability will soon just become the norm. Thomas Bohlen, chief technical officer at the Middle East Centre for Sustainability, whose team of LEED AP professionals have certified to date 30 buildings in Dubai alone, and also a speaker at The Big 5's upcoming Green Build Conference, said “there has been a great amount of progress made in the region's sustainable construction over the past two years specifically. Everyone within the industry has an understanding of what green building means now, and eventually we will see it become just a normal part of building practice.” The biggest myth to be dispelled is that green buildings are more expensive to build and maintain, something that has continually been disproven due to the savings that are quickly made on sustainable features. This is just one topic being discussed during the two- day conference, with sessions encompassing subjects such as specifying sustainable materials, performance metrics, and a number of successful case studies being presented. Other educational elements focusing on green building at this year's event will also include two LEED workshops, scheduled for Nov. 5-6, where Mario Seneviratne, LEED faculty member, LEED fellow and director of Green Technologies FZCO, will take participants through core concepts, strategies and implementation of sustainable building. – SG
