News Desk
DUBAI: Recycling, retrofitting offices and cutting water consumption are among the most effective green building best practices adopted bya growing number of companies in the UAE.
These practices were shared by leading UAE companies at a recent seminar organised by the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network’s task force on green buildings.
Held at Dubai Chamber’s premises, the seminar featured case studies and presentations from Tristar Group, Transguard Group, Serco Middle East and Veolia Middle East which shed light on recent projects undertaken by the companies in an effort to reduce their environmental footprint.
During the seminar, Ashwatha Mahesh, Assistant Manager CSR & Sustainability at Tristar Group,stressed the importance of shifting towards clean energy and recycling materials to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills, in addition to monitoring indoor air quality – all of which are practices that the company implements at its warehouses.
Lisa Roebuck, Head Property and Facilities Management Business Support at Transguard Group,spoke about recent measures the company adopted to save energy and water such as utilisingAC water, digitalising AC units and changing employee habits through training initiatives.
Vibhor Bhatnagar, Senior Engineer Energy and Sustainability at Serco Middle East,highlighted the various benefits associated with retrofitting offices and facilities and advised businesses to refer to existing regulation related to the green building construction in the UAE, as well as best maintenance practices.
Samantha O’Hara, Head of Digital Transformation at Veolia Middle East, gave a general overview of a wastewater treatment project designed to allow the reuse of water and reduce water consumption.
Following the seminar, participants were given a tour of the Dubai Chamber headquarters where they were briefed on the various systems adopted within the building which earned the organisation LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of the US Green Building Council’s globally recognised standard.
Established by the Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network serves as the focal point for the business community to share and exchange best practices in implementing CSR. The network provides an opportunity for local companies to network, learn, share experiences and constitute CSR leadership.
The Centre for Responsible Business was established by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2004 to support and promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. The Centre’s objective is to engage the Dubai business community in assuming greater responsibility for the emirate’s social and environmental needs. The CRB also promotes Dubai as the GCC’s gateway for global commerce by offering its business partners an environment of transparency and rule of law.
