Dubai Maritime City showcased on Sunday its Green Building best practices to Nobel Prize winner Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, chief executive of The Energy and Resources Institute, and the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work in environmental protection. Pachauri was in Dubai to attend the launch of ETA Star's tower in Dubai Maritime City. Dubai Maritime City is a 227 hectare fully-equipped, iconic and multidimensional maritime center providing a world-class infrastructure and environment for the global maritime industry and related sectors. Dubai Maritime City is driven by the needs of both local and international marine and maritime communities for a dedicated hub. Pachauri was given an overview of the green building concept within Dubai Maritime City and how it will focus on ensuring that energy consumption conservation measures are in place, such as reduced use of non-renewable sources; reduced production of waste pollutants; maximized opportunities for passive ventilation and cooling; enhanced indoor environmental air quality; enhanced community life; use of solar energy; specification of appropriate material performances; thermally efficient glazing; use of energy-efficient mechanical systems; incorporation of recycling strategies; and maximized opportunities for efficient water consumption. According to Dubai Maritime City's Master Plan, all developers must obtain green building certification under the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). In addition, all buildings in the Maritime City will be reviewed to assess the degree of compliance with the environmental requirements in terms of design, operations and best practices. This is in line with the directives of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al- Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai, issued to all builders in Dubai mandating that all new buildings in Dubai should follow these principles. Pachuari spoke highly of Sheikh Mohammed, saying “his commitment in addressing environmental challenges by adopting innovative strategies is clearly evident through last year's directive, which deserves a lot of admiration and respect.” Pachuari added that once complete, Dubai Maritime City will be the only city in the world that applies Green Building principles across its entirety. “Dubai Maritime City will stand as a model that other cities around the world should follow,” he said. Pachauri is an economist and environmental scientist who has served as the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since 2002. He is also the director general of the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, an institution devoted to researching and promoting sustainable development. On Dec. 10, 2007, Pachauri accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the IPCC, along with co-recipient Al-Gore. Dubai Maritime City capitalizes on the strengths of Dubai as a regional and international hub for trade and commerce, redefining the global maritime industry. __
