BGreen July 2014

Inside

Interior agenda Eco ingredients The efficiency challenge FIFA’s clean goals

THE BUSINESS OF SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE 47 | JULY 2014

Driving the transition Global automotive industry races towards new era of low-carbon emission

EDITOR’S PAGE

GROUP GROUP CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER DOMINIC DE SOUSA GROUP CEO NADEEM HOOD GROUP COO GINA O’HARA

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5471 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5713 EDITORIAL EDITOR ASHISH SARAF ashish.saraf@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5495 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ANOOP K MENON anoop.menon@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5714 ASSISTANT EDITOR SHRUTHI SARAF shruthi.saraf@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5715 ADVERTISING COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR JUDE SLANN jude.slann@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 433 2857 SENIOR SALES MANAGER JUNAID RAFIQUE junaid.rafique@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5716 SENIOR SALES MANAGER NITESH PATEL nitesh.patel@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5483 MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER LISA JUSTICE lisa.justice@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498 MARKETING ASSISTANT BARBARA PANKASZ barbara.pankasz@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5499 DESIGN ART DIRECTOR SIMON COBON CIRCULATION AND PRODUCTION CIRCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER ROCHELLE ALMEIDA rochelle.almeida@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 368 1670 DATABASE AND CIRCULATION MANAGER RAJEESH M rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147 PRODUCTION MANAGER JAMES P THARIAN james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146

Collaborative effort Climate change and the negative impact that various human activities can have on our ecosystem are among the inescapable challenges the world is facing today. While the issue of global warming remains highly debated, there is increasing evidence to support the environmental impact of carbon emissions.

It is estimated that the automotive industry is responsible for roughly 15% of global carbon emissions, equating to roughly eight billion metric tonnes per year. Although environmental protection has been cited as the primary driver for change, other factors such as the price volatility of fossil fuels and energy independence have also helped perpetuate a shift towards alternative and renewable energy sources. Accordingly, many governments have implemented a wide range of policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, some of which specifically target the automotive industry.

In all fairness, the global automotive industry is taking positive steps towards improving the efficiency of its products and is investing heavily in technologies that can help to reduce CO2 and other emissions. However, there are areas where sharing efforts are required as technology alone does not hold all the answers. An integrated approach is needed to enable all stakeholders – different industries, governments, regulators, consumers and others – to work together and drive the agenda to introduce low-carbon vehicles. Clearly a significant part of a low-carbon future also lies in manufacturing processes.

Moving on to the construction sector, the regional authorities are placing stricter regulations to reduce the carbon footprint and promote environmental sustainability. Saudi Arabia, for instance, has announced that the construction industry has five years to green up their business. Amidst massive construction boom, the Kingdom’s Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) has decreed that all companies must reduce their air, water and noise pollution in keeping with regulations approved in 2008.

BGreen’s commitment to environmental awareness and preservation is reflected in our use of wood-free paper to print the magazine. This issue onwards, we take a step further and trim the size of our magazine in order to use even less resources.

DIGITAL DIGITAL SERVICE MANAGER TRISTAN TROY MAAGMA Published by

REGISTERED AT IMPZ PO BOX 13700, DUBAI, UAE TEL: +971 4 440 9100 FAX: +971 4 447 2409 WWW.CPIMEDIAGROUP.COM

Ashish Saraf Editor, BGreen

Printed by Printwell Printing press LLC Printed on wood-free paper © Copyright 2014 CPI. All rights reserved While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

01

CONTENTS July 2014

Contents 07 UPDATE REGIONAL NEWS

31 HVAC SYSTEMS

UAE ranks third in global CSP Riyadh lights up under new LED

As the region shines the spotlight on green buildings, HVAC systems can no longer remain inefficient

12 UPDATE WORLD NEWS Obama announces plans for huge marine preserve ABB onboard DC grid reduces PSV fuel use by 27% 13 UPDATE OFFBEAT NEWS SproutsIO lets you grow food indoors using your smartphone.

You can water your plants from 5000km away

14 COVER STORY DRIVING THE TRANSITION The automotive industry races towards a new era of sustainability by producing low tailpipe vehicles and creating eco-efficient manufacturing processes 34 SPORTS WORLD CUP It’s time to take a look at the environmental ramifications of one of the world’s largest sporting events

27 CONSTRUCTION GREEN MATERIALS The drive towards sustainability is fuelling growth for a green materials market in the Gulf

46 GREEN PERSONALITY AL GORE Al Gore is working to save the world from environmental catastrophe, a mission that began when he was still a boy

20 DESIGN INTERIOR AGENDA With the right attitude amongst developers and designers, the region is giving some serious thought to develop eco-friendly interiors

02

48 COMMENTARY SANJAY BHATIA Sustainability has to be built in to each and every action which includes preserving resources

commitment to make a positive difference in the community Corporate Social Responsibility is at the heart of everything we do. We share our success with the community in which we serve and with the people in it.

At EQUATE, we create partnerships that succeed.

Scan this code with your mobile device for further information.

www.equate.com

EXPERT PANEL

Expert Panel His Highness Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi Environmental Advisor Ajman Government Chief Executive Officer Al Ihsan Charity Centre Chairman International Steering Committee for the Global Initiative Towards a Sustainable Iraq (GITSI), based in the UAE

The BGreen Expert Panel provides a platform for those who are active in encouraging sustainable practices across a wide sector of industries. real experts who can share their views, analyses, and research with our informed readers.

Our panellists meet every few months to discuss news, strategies and solutions on focussed topics related to sustainability.

Our panellists write for the magazine - opinions and analyses - as well as on our website in a portfolio format documenting their contributions.

Saeed Alabbar LEED AP, Estidama PQP Chairman Emirates Green Building Council Director Alabaar Energy and Sustainability Group

Thomas Bohlen NCARB,LEED AP, BD+C, ESTIDAMA PQP Chief Technical Officer Middle East Centre for Sustainable Development

Abdulrahman Jawahery President Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company Chairman GPCA Responsible Care Initiative

Dr Michael Kr채mer Senior Associate Taylor Wessing (Middle East) LLP Legal Counsel Middle East Solar Industry Association

Dr Mutasim Nour Director of MSc Energy Heriot Watt University School of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Ivano Iannelli Chief Executive Officer Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence

William Whistler Managing Director Green Building Solutions International

Roderick Wiles Director - Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania American Hardwood Export Council

Tanzeed Alam Policy Director EWS-WWF

Alan Millin LEED AP, Chartered Engineer consultant/trainer Middle East Facility Management Association

Stephen Smith Sustainability Manager Brookfield Multiplex

Paolo Cervini Vice president & General manager Philips Lighting Middle East & Turkey

The panel is growing as we seek to form the ultimate taskforce of decision makers, academics, consultants and engineers that contribute and encourage a sustainable watershed across industries.

If you would like to nominate an expert to join our panel, please email: ashish.saraf@cpimediagroup.com Supported by:

Official Sustainable Contractor:

04

Brookfield Multiplex is a leading global contractor We Build, Engineer, Maintain and Operate property and infrastructure assets.

Combining the latest sustainable design and construction techniques, we are committed to creating structures that endure the test of time.

brookfieldmultiplex.com

PO Box 212975, Dubai, U.A.E. Phone: +971 4 315 8500 Fax: +971 4 315 8600 Email: bmme@brookfieldmultiplex.com

PO Box 113503, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Phone: +971 2 494 1300 Fax: +971 2 494 1400 Email: bmme@brookfieldmultiplex.com

PO Box 23793, Doha, Qatar Phone: +974 4408 6500 Fax: +974 4408 6555 Email: bmmg@brookfieldmultiplex.com

UPDATE Regional news

UAE ranks third in global CSP capacity Masdar’s 100MW plant reflects the UAE’s strong growth in emerging solar markets Masdar’s Shams I concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Abu Dhabi catapulted the UAE to its new ranking as third among the world’s nations in both 2013 CSP technology investment and total CSP capacity. The UAE now ranks only behind Spain and the United States in total CSP generation; India and China round out the world’s top five.

The rankings were recently unveiled in a report by REN21, an international multi-policy stakeholder network that promotes a rapid global transition to renewable energy.

According to REN21, the 100MW CSP plant in Abu Dhabi’s western region is one reason why CSP’s growth in emerging markets almost tripled during 2013.

Although Spain and the US are still by far the market leaders in CSP, investment in

this technology is accelerating most rapidly in regions that receive high amounts of daily sunshine. Since 2004, global CSP capacity has increased ten-fold, and last year surged 36% to a total of 3.4GW of energy generated.

While this industry continues to grow,

KSA, UAE to jointly develop renewable energy Masdar and the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) have agreed to work together to advance the development of renewable energy and clean technology across the region.

The accord lays down a framework to jointly invest in clean energy projects and green technology investment funds. It will also create opportunities for collaboration on research and development of advanced clean energy technologies, including solar, wind and water.

The agreement was signed by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chairman of Masdar and Dr Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani, President of K.A.CARE.

it is also marked by the use of a more standardised design. CSP plants in the past decade have incorporated several designs and technologies, but in 2013, all newly constructed CSP plants used the parabolic trough design – which is in use by Shams 1. Overall trends in the industry are favouring larger plants to take advantage of economies of scale, as in the case of the Shams 1 plant, one of the largest CSP plants worldwide.

“We’re pleased to see how high the UAE ranks worldwide in renewable energy generation, given the country’s commitment to sourcing more sources of secure and safe energy,” said Yousif Al Ali, General Manager of Shams 1 Power Company.

“Since its launch, Shams 1 has been generating enough power to electrify 20,000 homes in the UAE and displaces 175,000 tonnes of carbon annually.”

Dubai residents to get power use alerts on smartphones The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) aims to offer their smart service in a limited roll-out next year, said Dewa CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer. Under the plan, smart meters will beam consumption readings to customers’ smartphones or tablets and allow them to set caps.

Al Tayer also said that DEWA has already tried a ‘simulation at a small level’, and officials have visited a number of cities where such systems are operational.

Oman to invest in clean and green technology At the Clean Tech Oman International Forum & Awards held in the capital Muscat recently, government authorities and industry leaders agreed that municipal leaders in Oman and across the region must re-think waste streams, and start recycling materials back into the economy instead of sending them to the landfill or incinerating them.

Jeroen Vincent, COO of waste management company averda, highlighted the need for cities to reduce their waste streams in the short term, while investing in long-term clean technology options.

“This will require a drastic shift away from our current linear model of waste disposal, where we make, use, and then dispose,” he said.

07

UPDATE Regional news

LED street lights to take over in Riyadh The municipality aims to import and install 10,250 LED lamps in the city The Riyadh Municipality has embarked on using energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) lamps for street lighting in the city, local media reported.

The use of energy-saving LED lamps will cope with the increased use of street lighting networks as a result of the city’s rapid growth. Currently, more than 290,000 lighting units (lamps) are being used in city streets consuming the equivalant of more than 6m barrels of oil products needed every year to operate power plants. The municipality is geared to expand the application of LED technology gradually in all street lighting units through the import and installation of 10,250 LED-based technology lamps.

Three thousand units have already been installed in some parts of city streets, which represents the first stage of the project, it was reported.

LED lamps have a lifespan and electrical efficiency that is several times better than incandescent lamps, and significantly better than most fluorescent lamps, with some chips able to emit more than 100 lumens per watt.

The LED lamp market is projected to grow more than 12-fold over the next decade, from the present US $2bn to US $25bn in 2023.

The municipality also aims to use more solar energy to boost an energy-saving drive in street lighting in a bid to reduce fuel consumption and minimise gas emissions and pollution levels at power generating plants.

Additionally, the municipality plans to apply remote control systems in street lighting to rationalise energy consumption and speed up repair works in case of technical faults in the lighting networks.

Greenhouses key to water and food security in the UAE, expert says

01

Qatar takes ‘green route’ via biofuel research project The Qatar University (QU) has initiated a research project on the use of biofuel sourced from indigenous natural resources in the country.

QU vice-president for research Dr Hassan alDerham said that the project, led by Qatar Biofuel project manager Hareb al-Jabri, is one of the university’s contributions to achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030.

The project, which is supported by national flag carrier Qatar Airways, aims to produce clean and environmentally-friendly alternative energy from locally-available natural resources, specifically to cater to the country’s massively surging aviation industry.

08

A United Nations agency is working with water-scarce UAE, which is heavily dependent on imported food, to develop greenhouses to save water and boost food security, an expert said.

Greenhouses use only 10% of the water needed to produce the same yields from open farming, said Pasquale Steduto, deputy regional representative for the Near East and North Africa at the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Wrightbus International drives into the UAE Wrightbus International, the company behind the iconic London double-decker buses, has officially opened its Middle East headquarters in Masdar City.

A specialist in hybrid and all electric public transport, the company will look to leverage its base at Masdar City to respond to the region’s growing need for innovative, efficient and clean transportation.

“We are delighted to welcome Wrightbus International to Masdar City,” said Anthony Mallows, Director of Masdar City.

“Wrightbus International brings decades of experience and a commitment to innovation and technology that complements the vision of Masdar City,” he said.

02

01 QU vice-president for research Dr Hassan al-Derham 02 London’s hybrid Routemaster bus alongside one of Masdar’s fully electric cars

UPDATE Regional news

Qatalum cuts GHG emissions by 1.1m tonnes Qatalum (Qatar Aluminum) has achieved a 1.1mn tonnes reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during 2013 as part of its efforts of a five-year sustainability plan.

This was disclosed at Qatalum’s 2013 Sustainability Report.

The firm has also received a certificate of commendation for outstanding contractor management. The award was received

by Khalid Mohamed Sultan Laram, Qatalum’s deputy CEO.

Dolphin Energy reports 20% reduction in flaring In its 2013 Sustainability Report, Dolphin Energy has registered a 20% reduction in flaring, a 4% in total greenhouse gas emissions, a 51% in sulphur dioxide emissions and a 12% in water consumption.

“Last year emphasised the role we played in meeting the requirements of our customers, it highlighted our continued commitment to environmental stewardship and illustrated our commitment to fulfilling a responsibility to supporting the communities in which we operate,” Dolphin Energy’s CEO, Ibrahim Ahmed al-Ansaari said.

In 2013, the company further incorporated the principles of sustainability into its management system with the development of a sustainability management plan and policy.

03

ENOC provides eco-friendly Euro 5 diesel at no extra cost Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) has statred to distribute the environment-friendly, ultra-lowsulphur Euro 5 diesel at its service stations from July 1, 2014, in accordance with the new regulation by the Emirates Authority for Standards & Metrology (ESMA), the UAE’s sole standardisation body, to reduce motor vehicle pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and to promote environmental sustainability.

ENOC is absorbing the additional cost that is involved in distributing Euro 5 diesel compared to traditional diesel, as part of its commitment to encourage people to adopt the use of environmentfriendly fuels.

Qapco cuts water consumption by 17% The petrolean giant reduced its flaring by 80% and GHG emissions by 20% Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) has reduced its flaring by 80%, greenhouse gas emissions by 20% and water consumption intensity by 17%, said the company’s Vice Chairman and CEO, Dr Mohamed Yousef al-Mulla.

The company’s 2013 Sustainability Report aligns with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Qapco has adopted the newest GRI G4 guidelines and achieved a materiality matters certification from the GRI. Al-Mulla said: “Our journey towards understanding and communicating our impacts is moving forward with more energy and direction than ever before. As a responsible corporate citizen, we are taking action in order to shape a promising outlook for the future generations, by managing our impact with all our stakeholders and by focusing on optimising our resources. Growing stronger is not only

a representation of our past success, but also a signal of our future as we progress with putting sustainability into action”.

“At Qapco, sustainability drives progress.

Our sustainability strategy translates into tangible results and improvements on many fronts. Over the past three years, Qapco has invested in various

03 Dolphin Energy’s CEO, Ibrahim Ahmed al-Ansaari

environmental management projects.”

He said 2013 was a landmark year for Qapco in terms of performance, the company improved in many areas including environmental efficiency, production, and community investment.

“2013 was marked by the full year of operations of Qapco’s new LDPE 3 plant, which contributed to increase our total low density polyethylene production by approximately 40%, and resulted in our company achieving its highest ever polyethylene production, reaching 1.28m tonnes, further strengthening our leadership on the global petrochemical scene,” he said.

“Through almost 40 years of operations, Qapco safety performance improved to world-class standards. In 2013, Qapco celebrated 15.4mn exposure hours without lost time incident (LTI) for employees, and achieved its strongest safety performance on record,” al-Mulla added.

09

UPDATE Regional news

EGBC awards industry leaders The EGBC Awards were presented in six categories, in addition to a student award, for best practices in the built environment A total of seven awards for best practices in sustainable development were presented at this year’s edition of the Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) Awards, which were held last month in Dubai.

The EGBC Awards were presented in six categories, in addition to a student award, for best practices in

04

the built environment relating to sustainable development projects, products and research. Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman and Jeffrey Willis, Vice Chairman, EGBC, presented the awards to the winners.

Commenting on the awards, Saeed Al Abbar said: “The quality of entries for the EGBC Awards 2014 underlines the significant investment and research undertaken by various organisations and individuals in the Middle East region on sustainable development.”

The Change Initiative won two awards for the ‘Green Building of the Year’ and ‘Training Initiative of the Year.’ Emaar Community Management won the award for ‘Green Facility Management Organisation of the Year’ while Johnson Controls Air-conditioning and Refrigeration won the ‘Green Building Material/Product of the Year’ for its York YVAA air-cooled variable speed screw chiller.

The award for ‘Green Building System of the Year’ was clinched by Royal City Contracting for a villa project in Al Warqa.

Bahrain highly vulnerable to Two solar-powered Dubai fall in hydrocarbon prices bus stops on trial Bahrain and Oman are the most vulnerable GCC economies to experience a sharp and sustained decline in the hydrocarbons market, while Qatar and the UAE are the least vulnerable, according to Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services.

S&P has published a report assessing the susceptibility of Gulf Sovereigns to concentration risk. According to S&P, Gulf sovereigns’ high and increasing dependence on hydrocarbon revenues is a key vulnerability of their economies and their ratings. In particular, government budgets have become more susceptible to a sharp drop in oil prices, said the report.

Referring to Saudi Arabia, S&P said that although the hydrocarbon sector accounts for slightly less than half of Saudi Arabia’s GDP, the Kingdom is still heavily reliant on hydrocarbon resources both in terms of exports and the fiscal break-even oil price.

The report said: “The narrow, albeit expanding, economic base, reliance on government expenditure to fuel non-oil sector growth, and high dependence of foreign exchange receipts on oil revenues remain significant.”

A pilot project is currently under way at two bus stops in Dubai, where the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is taping solar energy to power the air conditioners and lighting.

The trial began in February this year at two bus stops near Al Jafliya Metro station, as part of its efforts to explore alternative sources of energy to power more than 100 bus shelters that have no electricity.

The project, if successful, will also help RTA to go ahead with its proposed expansion of AC bus shelter projects at more than 1,500 of its bus stops across the city.

Currently, there are a total of 898 AC bus shelters, out of which 130 don’t have power supply.

04 Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, EGBC

010

NEWS BRIEFS Power use nears last year’s record in Kuwait The temperatures are soaring, and so are electricity consumption levels, which currently are only 500MW away from breaking last year’s all-time record registered in July 2013. Kuwait’s total consumption reached 11,500MW in June, a new record this year.

However, the consumption rate is still below the state’s total daily production capacity,

Jordan to award 400MW renewable energy project contract Jordan’s Prime Minister, Abdullah Ensour, has said the government will, in the next few days, award a contract for a project designed to generate 400MW of renewable energy.

Ensour said the government has already awarded tenders to 12 companies to generate electricity from renewable sources. By year end, there will be another major project with the UAE to generate 1,000MW of power from renewable resources.

UPDATE World

UNITED STATES

SWITZERLAND

Obama announces plans for huge marine preserve

ABB onboard DC grid reduces PSV fuel use 27%

The expansion of the Pacific Ocean preserve could make it the largest of its kind in the world

The onboard DC Grid allows vessels to cut noise and reduce their environmental impact

US President Barack Obama will use his executive power to double the global area of ocean set aside as a marine sanctuary by protecting a large swath of the central Pacific.

The proposal, which would go into effect after a comment period, would create the largest marine sanctuary in the world. The area would be off-limits to fishing, drilling and a host of other activities.

Obama’s move is set to be part of the international Our Oceans conference hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry. Humans, Kerry said at the conference, have caused ‘enormous damage’ to the ocean, and ‘governments, individuals and communities can act now to reverse these trends. We can protect the ocean if we all start treating it like our ocean’.

The President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, announced at the conference that the Pacific Island state would close an area roughly the size of California to commercial fishing by the end of this year, to allow fish stocks to recover. Estimates say the remote island nation, located 6,100km northeast of Australia, will be nearly completely underwater by 2100 due to rising seas. The fishing ban would cover the entire Phoenix Islands Protected Area, which represents about 11% of Kiribati’s waters and is currently heavily fished.

Obama’s proposal for the central Pacific will increase the size of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by almost a factor of 10, from 140,000sqkm to nearly 1,260,000sqkm.

The national monument, established by President George W Bush in 2008, currently applies to ocean surrounding small, unpopulated US territories in the south Pacific.

Swiss power and automation company ABB, announced that its electric propulsion technology tested on a platform supply vessel (PSV), reduces fuel consumption by up to 27%.

The technology, Onboard DC Grid, lets engines run at variable speeds so they can achieve fuel efficiency at each load level. The tests were conducted by Pon Power on Myklebusthaug Offshore PSV Dina Star.

The Onboard DC Grid allows vessels to cut noise and reduce their environmental impact, as well as reducing fuel costs.

“Our Onboard DC Grid is a significant step forward for electric propulsion. We are pleased that the concept delivered results that exceed our expectations,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division. “Onboard DC Grid is a competitive advantage to ship owners operating a wide range of ship types from offshore vessels to ferries and yachts seeking to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.”

In addition to fuel consumption, Pon Power and ABB measured Onboard DC Grid’s effect on engine room noise levels. Tests showed 30% noise reduction, contributing to improved working conditions aboard the vessel.

“Noise and vibration reduction has already been a focus of ours for years with our GenFlex Design solution. The ability now to document this level of fuel efficiency alongside the noise reduction is a very important new step for us as a power solution provider, especially for our customers operating in challenging conditions,” said Ole Knarberg, Commercial Director for the Marine segment in Pon Power Scandinavia.

01

012

01 The Onboard DC Grid technology lets engines run at variable speeds so they can achieve fuel efficiency at each load level

UPDATE Offbeat

Welcome to the future of microfarming SproutsIO lets you grow food indoors using your smartphone. You can water your plants (or facetime with them) from 5,000km away What if you could grow your own strawberries indoors, year-round, even in the tiniest of urban apartments?

With the development of the indoor microfarming system SproutsIO, students at MIT Media Lab hope that homegrown fruits and vegetables could be the new norm.

“Our hope is that it becomes a new kind of standard,” designer Jenny Broutin Farah, a graduation student at MIT, says. “We’re not saying people are going to stop going to grocery stores or getting food delivered to their homes, but we’re interested in providing people with an alternative.”

You can’t really get more local than your own kitchen. Currently on view as part of the 2014 Student Showcase at the MIT Museum, SproutsIO uses a soil-free, or aeroponic, growing method that nurtures plants with nutrient-rich mist. It’s all controlled by a smartphone app, which means you can care for your sensorequipped plants while you’re away from home.

The process is as simple as tapping a touch screen. A camera even lets you effectively Facetime with your leafy greens if you want to check up on them.

“Right now, you go to a DIY hobby shop or hydroponic store, and then read 20 blogs to figure out how to jerry-rig a homegrowing system that looks like its piecemeal parts came from Home Depot. It’s like this weird science project in your home,” Broutin says. “We wanted to make something where you don’t have to do all that legwork.”

Broutin was motivated to develop SproutsIO in part because of the wastefulness inherent in the food industry. “There’s so little transparency in our food,” she says. “We don’t realise how much

energy and resources are wasted in the process of growing, packaging, and transporting foods from farm to table.”

SproutsIO short-circuits that process by making homes the beginning and the end of the supply chain. It also conserves resources by using 98% less water and 60% less fertiliser than conventional methods. And in a year’s time, one can produce six times the harvest grown in soil.

In the year since SproutsIO was announced, Broutin has developed the product from a proof-of-concept prototype to a fully functioning system, currently undergoing beta testing.

“A lot of the change that’s happened in the design over the past year has been focused on making it easier to use in your home,” she says.

“At first, we had a tiered system with multiple units in one area. Now, each SproutsIO can be located separately. You can have a unit growing basil in your kitchen, one in your bedroom, and a few on the windowsill. They can be distributed throughout your house,” Broutin explains. Conveniently, one app lets you control all of them.

Broutin also beautified the design – the pods in which food grows are no longer green but are a sleek white and silver.

And now, the parts are dishwasher-safe and easier to take apart for cleaning.

Importantly, Broutin finds that being connected to your food by growing it yourself gives you a new a respect for what you eat.

After all, she emphasises, “You don’t want to waste something that you’ve nurtured from a tiny seedling to something you’re eating in your meal.”

013

COVER STORY Green vehicles

Driving the transition The automotive industry races towards a new era of sustainability with low tailpipe emission vehicles and eco-efficient manufacturing process

014

COVER STORY Green vehicles

015

01

02

03

016

01 BMW’s i8 plug-in hybrid sports car was launched in the Middle East last month 02 A big part of the total energy consumed during a car’s lifetime comes during manufacturing process 03 The Renault Twizy, a 100% electric vehicle, was launched in the Middle East earlier this year

COVER STORY Green vehicles

“Sustainability is the lifeblood of the automotive industry, but much more must be done” PHIL HARROLD, PARTNER IN ADVISORY FIRM PWC’S AUTOMOTIVE PRACTICE

With regulators pushing car companies to cut tailpipe emissions and consumers worried about their wallets, a new generation of smaller and more eco-efficient consumer vehicles are hitting the market.

BMW, for instance, launched the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car in the Middle East last month, which the company claims uses aerodynamic features and environmentally friendly materials. The car can be operated solely in all-electric drive (zero emissions) for around 37km – and the battery of the plugin hybrid can be continuously charged by the petrol engine while driving. Due to its light weight at just 1,485 kg, it provides a total drive range of more than 500km.

When united, the dual motors (electric motor at the front and petrol engine at the rear) work in harmony enabling the car to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds while using just 2.1l of petrol per 100km and giving out just 59g/km of emissions.

In its tenth Sustainable Value Report (SVR) released last month, the BMW Group announced that, in the past two decades, CO2 emissions of its vehicle fleet were reduced by 37% to 133g/km while the share of renewable electricity in the total electricity supply of the group had risen to 48%. The company has set itself further targets relating to products and their production. For example, it aims to reduce resource consumption during production by 45% per vehicle by 2020, compared with levels in 2006.

While electric cars are great means to control tail-pipe emissions, there are challenges. An electric car will usually run for less than 160km before the battery runs out. So there is a range anxiety among customers. Further, there are infrastructure limitations. The region lacks sufficient charging stations. And finally, they are way too costly.

Amongst other companies, Ford actually sells five electric vehicles and is investing seriously in hydrogen and fuel cell research, as well as sustainable materials such as soybean-based foam cushions. The company was also recently ranked first on Interbrand’s 2014 list of the 50 Best Global Green Brands. Its focus on water, highlighted in the company’s recently released 15th annual Sustainability Report, as well as its waste-reduction and green building efforts, is said to have contributed to the company’s rise to the top.

Another leader in eco-efficient car-making is Renault, which in 2013, moved to the top spot in Europe with the lowest CO2 emissions in use, at less than 115g/km of CO2, through an increasingly economical range of internal-combustion vehicles and the breakthrough launch of all-electric vehicles.

But it is the Range Rover Evoque, which is said to epitomise this new-look category. With a lightweight body (which uses a minimum of 50% recycled content) and packed with hi-tech

plastics, the cross-coupé vehicle is 35% lighter than its predecessor, the Land Rover’s 2010 Range Rover Sport.

“It has less fuel use, better performance and better breaking.

It has a strong body, so it’s a safer vehicle as well,” says Jonathan Garrett, Sustainability Director at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).

Phil Harrold, a partner in advisory firm PwC’s automotive practice, feels that advances in engine management systems, such as start-stop functions and regenerative braking are being popularised. Advances in low-carbon propulsion technologies are also under way, with substantive developments in hydrogen, bio-methane, fuel cell and especially electric power trains.

He describes sustainability as the “lifeblood of the industry”, but concedes much more must be done. “Is it enough?” he asks, referring to carmakers’ progress. “No, clearly not. We’re at a staging post in a journey.”

A lot of what we talk about in automotive sustainability amounts to the energy that cars consume while operating and the amount of carbon they emit. However, a big part of the total energy consumed during a car’s lifetime comes during the manufacturing process, which is now being made more sustainable.

Automobile companies are increasingly integrating their supply chains more tightly into collaborative sustainability initiatives. Moves to assemble cars closer to their destination market, rather than ship them fully manufactured, is another way in which the production process is getting greener.

Because the extraction of the raw materials required to produce vehicles accounts for a significant share of its carbon footprint, Renault is pursuing its efforts in the use of recycled materials. The company’s average rate of using recycled plastic is close to 11%. The company’s objective is to reduce its carbon footprint by an average of 3% a year, between 2010 and 2016, in line with its world sales forecasts.

The group is aiming to cut energy consumption in its plants and make use of renewable energies, as seen at the Tangiers plant in Morocco, which is designed as a “zero carbon emissions” site. In terms of logistics transport, fill rates are optimised to reduce the number of trucks chartered. The company is also working to cut greenhouse gas emissions in its tertiary activities.

Renault’s Choisy-le-Roi factory in France has been pumping out remanufactured automobile parts since 1949 and has since diversified into injection pumps, gearboxes, injectors and, most recently, turbo compressors.

The environmental payback speaks for itself. According to Renault, a remanufactured part uses 80% less energy, 88% less water, 92% fewer chemical products and generates 70% less waste during production compared to a new part. The Choisyde-Roi factory also doesn’t send any waste to landfill – materials

017

COVER STORY Green vehicles

“A fundamental part of the project is to increase the value of aluminium scrap in order to boost JLR’s revenue” ADRIAN TAUTSCHER, JLR’S GROUP LEADER FOR MATERIALS ENGINEERING

are either reused, and recycled in the company’s foundries to produce new parts, or sent for “valorisation” (a French term for getting value back through recovery) in treatment centres.

Renault’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by other car makers.

Last month, JLR announced it would be exploring the potential for remanufacture within its new state-of-the-art engine manufacturing facility in Wolverhampton, set to open later this year.

Engines for JLR cars are currently supplied by Ford and Peugeot. Garrett says taking greater ownership of its manufacturing is a natural next step: “The focus will be on brand new engines to begin with … when those engines come back in 10 or 20 years, [remanufacturing] is where the emphasis will be.”

The company has already started to close the loop on one of its biggest materials, aluminium, through its REALCAR project.

This sets a specific target – 75% recycled content for every automotive aluminium sheet, 50% of which will be sourced from press sop scrap generated by JLR’s own manufacturing operations and primary external stampers, and 25% from postconsumer waste streams.

Adrian Tautscher, JLR’s group leader for materials engineering, says the initiative is pushing the boundaries of how recycled aluminium can be utilised within the sector.

“A fundamental part of the project is to increase the value of aluminium scrap in order to boost JLR’s revenue. This helps to offset some of the high initial purchase cost of aluminium,” Tautscher explains.

Unfortunately, there has been little cooperation among automakers to pressure smelters to engage in supply chain due diligence. Lately, however, companies such as Ford have taken steps to distinguish themselves as potential catalysts for industrywide change. In addition to helping to form the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) work group on conflict minerals, Ford actively participates in cross-industry organisations such as the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI) and the MultiStakeholder Group (MSG), both of which seek to promote conflict-free sourcing in eastern Congo. In its new sustainability report, the group has identified 189 of the smelters used in its supply chain, allowing independent parties to compare its smelters with the CFSI list of conflict-free smelters.

Given its heavy reliance on raw material and legislative duties that place emphasis on the reuse and recycling of end-of-life vehicles, automotive industry is perfectly positioned to accelerate the agenda around closed-loop thinking.

018

03

03 Automobile companies are working towards assembling cars closer to their destination market, rather than shipping them fully manufactured

DESIGN Green Interior

Interior Agenda With the right attitude amongst developers and designers, the region is putting some serious thought into developing eco-friendly interiors

020

DESIGN Green Interior

021

01

Sustainable interior design practices are aimed at lowering the environmental impact caused by site selection, water use, energy use, and material selection. It maximises the positive effects on environmental systems over the life cycle of a building. An interior designer juggles client concerns, cost factors, time restraints, and technology among other things. Sustainability adds yet another factor to the design mix.

The environment has been a major concern within the interior design field due to the extensive use of resources. The two main factors that can positively impact sustainability in interior design are sourcing locally manufactured eco-friendly materials and using renewables.

“While a few years ago, there was a shortage of eco products in the market, today the offer is larger and the price of green products is not significantly higher than conventional ones,” says Marcos Bish, Managing Director, Summertown Interiors.

“Over the past few years, we have been noticing an increased interest in embracing the green building movement, with industries adopting sustainable practices more consistently. This is mainly due to an increase in awareness regarding both the economic and corporate benefits of being sustainable,” he adds.

Another factor that drove the demand was the arrival of international companies in the market that came with a heritage of green values and guidelines. Although the green movement in the Middle East picked up later than the rest of the world, it is now home to some of the world’s leading sustainable projects such as Siemens building in Masdar City, which has won 16 prestigious environmental awards.

022

Energy is the single element that has the biggest impact on built environment. Given that buildings account for approximately 40% of the consumption of raw materials and energy, there is a big case for the industry to follow green guidelines and sustainable practices.

“In a couple of LEED certified projects that I have worked on, we were able to reduce energy consumption by 50%, compared to conventional building systems,” says Reeba John, a Dubai-based interior designer, who specialises in interior finishes and product selections.

Sharing a case study about the Summertown office, which is LEED Gold certified, Bish of Summertown says: “We have reduced our water consumption by 32% and building lighting energy by 58%. Furthermore, we have been working towards achieving carbon neutrality.”

However, there has been a growing perception among building owners that sustainable design has an increased initial total cost due to the use of expensive green materials.

“Clients are demanding efficient and sustainable spaces from building owners, but the latter do not understand the economic dynamics of the situation,” says Steven Pratt, Regional Director Sales – Middle East, Interface.

“They say it’s going to cost them more, which is about 5-10% increase, but they don’t understand that they can rent it out for more money as well. And the return on investment (ROI) is just about 3-4 years,” Pratt adds.

Now that the prices of green materials are almost at par with those of conventional products, the cost need not be considered a decisive factor for customers. Reiterating that end users such as tenants are slightly affected by the cost of the development in the

01 Siemens building Masdar City has won 16 environmental awards

“If people – be they interior designers, architects or end users – are aware of the benefits of sustainability, they tend to be willing to embrace it” MARCOS BISH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SUMMERTOWN INTERIORS

form of increased rents, John says: “In the past decade, I have seen a wide transition in the cost of sustainable green products. Unlike today, ten years ago, there was no green drive and its associated demand for such products.”

Ben Corrigan, Founder of Bluehaus group, believes that the price increase is often down to not factoring sustianability into a project right at the beginning.

“It always comes down to value and having a mid to long term mind-set. If the client and the project team have made the right decision early, and the project parameters such as programme-budget are realistic then it does not have to cost any more,” Corrigan says.

He adds: “It is when sustainability is treated as a periphery or perhaps considered too late, that cost becomes an issue. Businesses need to establish the relationship between capital expenditure when developing budgets and operating and facilities costs over the depreciation period of 3, 5 or 20 years, as would be the case in other markets. As the UAE becomes more of a long-term consideration for people and businesses, this will be the case. We are already seeing the signs.”

According to Bish, for an interior project, the cost increase is

estimated to be around 1-3% and the ROI to be 1-8 years depending upon the level of certification (if LEED).

“Clients are more proactive in their approach to sustainability, with many of the larger Fortune 500 companies having specified this criteria in their global guidelines,” he says.

BET TER LIGHTING

Lighting plays a significant role in the tenant space and requires significant consideration while designing interiors. For instance, by banning incandescent lights, the UAE is ensuring sustainability in this field. Another way is to improvise design. According to John, the use of high-efficient light sources, occupancy sensors, dimmers, interior reflectance are some of the basic ways to keep lighting sustainable. She adds that if lighting requirements have to be working effectively, then lighting and power controls need to be with the building users.

“We can talk about our own case,” says Bish. “In our office, we reduced our lighting power density to 35% below the standard by implementing energy-efficient lighting. In reality, our costs are further reduced due to the fact that we have maximised our exposure

023

DESIGN Green Interiors

to natural light and, as a result, we rarely switch on our office lighting.”

Energy-efficient lighting is here to stay and will become the norm, according to Corrigan, provided lighting is designed to deliver what is required, no more or no less.

He adds: “We often see transition spaces over-lit. Buildings may utilise energy-efficient lighting, but if it is over-designed or over-specified, then the opportunity has been missed. Absence and presence detection technology is an interesting development in the lighting world, which we should all embrace.”

CONSERVING WATER

It is increasingly important to monitor the lifecycle of water within a building so that its consumption can be regulated and waste water can be reused. Conventionally, water consumption has been minimised by installing reduced flow rate taps, dual flush systems, and by carefully reviewing the reuse of water in toilets and for external landscaping.

“Water needs in this region continues to increase consistently.

Sustainable design practices that follows guidelines by PQP, LEED or BREAM ensure that water conservation of up to 45% can be achieved. Interestingly, the UAE has been a hub for manufacturers of efficient fixtures and fittings and this can immensely help the country achieve its sustainability goals,” says John.

For instance, a good case study is the Dubai Chamber of Commerce building – LEED platinum certified – where potable water consumption was reduced by 46%, says Bish.

CLEANER AIR

Good indoor air quality is measured by the reduction of contaminants and the increase in comfort and well-being of building users. With countless toxins found in our indoor environment, such as formaldehyde, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), trichloroethylene, carbon monoxide and benzene, to name just a few, the use of green products and materials plays a significant role in improving air quality.

Adding office plants has long been a solution for improving indoor air quality in general. Additionally, the plants provide a visual break, which studies suggest stimulate mental alertness among the occupants.

“A good way to improve the indoor air quality is the use of living green walls, which are panels of plants grown vertically using hydroponics on structures that can be either free-standing or attached to walls. Green walls do just that, but on a much bigger scale,” says Bish.

Usually, builders pursue certifications such as the Greenguard, Green Label Plus Program and FloorScore, says John.

“The idea is to eliminate off-gas in the form of VOCs from synthetic and natural products and formaldehyde from glues and adhesives. This is what the guidelines ensure. References for green design is readily available within organisations, but what is more important is to have a strong, skilled set of dedicated and responsible personnel to execute the green drive,” John explains.

The deterrents to building sustainable interiors are many.

Among other barriers to indulging in this practice has been the general attitude. Fortunately, with increasing awareness at a governmental, corporate and personal level, the various challenges to green interiors are being mitigated one at a time.

024

Challenges implementing sustainable design practices “The green products available in the UAE are still behind many countries.

Products can be ordered from overseas, but it defeats the purpose of sustainable building. Although the government has a lot of interest, there is lack of clear regulations in green building. Education can be a challenge, especially when it comes to recycling and reusing” MARCOS BISH

“The biggest challenge in the region is to find sustainable sites. These sites don’t just ensure water and energy conservation for base building, but also use the advantages that the country’s infrastructure provides by the means of alternative transportation and densely connected communities. Another challenge would be convincing building owners to renovate” REEBA JOHN

“Misconceptions and poorly established parameters are some of the major hurdles. Also fit-out contractors who are unable, unwilling or just don’t have the knowledge to install sustainable products of systems are a drawback. Today, projects are being poorly managed at the front end in terms of insufficient programmes or timelines, and there is a misconception that sustainability is more expensive” BEN CORRIGAN

“Major developers know what sustainability is and they employ relevant people such as project managers, architects and designers to drive sustainability for their firm. But the small developers don’t sometimes understand sustainability and don’t know how it can impact them. There is also a huge conflict of interest between the developer who owns the building and the tenant” STEVEN PRAT T

3 N OV E M B E R 2 014 | J U M E I R A H B E AC H H OT E L | D U BA I

CO M M EN D I N G E XCELLEN CE I N S USTAI NAB I LIT Y

Supported by

Gold sponsor

Silver sponsors

Awards partners

Award categories

For sponsorship

GREEN BUILDING PROJECT

JUNAID RAFIQUE JUNAID.RAFIQUE@CPIMEDIAGROUP.COM +971 4 375 5716

SUSTAINABLE CONSULTANT GCC BUSINESS BEST CSR INITIATIVE SUSTAINABLE PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY

NITESH PATEL NITESH.PATEL@CPIMEDIAGROUP.COM +971 4 375 5 483

SUSTAINABLE OIL AND GAS COMPANY SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT BEST RENEWABLE PROJECT MOST SUSTAINABLE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT

For nominations

ASISH SARAF ASISH.SARAF@CPIMEDIAGROUP.COM +971 4 375 5 495

REFLECTIVE ROOFING MEMBRANES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Reduction of heat islands effect to minimize impact on microclimate and human and wildlife habitat Life expectancy of the membrane potentially extended due to these factors: Reduction of heat absorption in the system Decrease of surface temperature of the roofing system (15째 to 20째 less than other colours)

Soprema Middle East FZE P.O.Box 371013, Tel: +971 4 609 1661 Fax: +971 4 609 1662, info@soprema.ae

CONSTRUCTION Green Building Materials

Eco Ingredients The drive towards sustainability is fuelling growth for green materials in the Gulf countries

027

ENERGY Green Building Materials

“In Dubai, there has been a positive reaction to the implementation of new green building regulations” ENG ABDULLAH RAFIA , DUBAI MUNICIPALIT Y

The GCC’s green construction materials market has experienced a steady growth in the last few years. The global economy has laid its eyes on the GCC as the fastest developing region, with respect to construction and infrastructure.

With buildings accounting for 33% of the world’s energy expenditure, more emphasis is being placed on sustainable construction practices and the use of green construction materials, which aid not only in lowering the carbon footprint but also in reducing wastage.

The US Green Building Council estimates that a green building, on average would reduce energy usage by 30%, carbon emissions by 35%, water use by 30-50%, and generate waste cost savings of 50-90%.

In 2011, the green materials market in GCC was valued at US $15.35bn. The key categories include green concrete, green paints, insulation and green flooring. Green concrete accounted for around 85% of the green materials market, in terms of revenue.

The demand for concrete is set to reach US $49bn across the GCC over the next two years, with Saudi Arabia taking the bulk of this share, according Middle East Concrete – an industry exhibition, which takes place as part of the annual Big 5 international construction trade show.

The growth in green materials sales is shifting within the region.

The emphasis has moved from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which are currently among the fastest developing countries across the globe.

With the recent implementation of the Green Building Regulations in Dubai, pressure is increasing in the Emirate to construct more sustainable buildings.

The construction process generates vast amounts of waste each year, the majority of which in the UAE is either excess virgin product, site damaged virgin materials, reusable or economically recyclable material. The regulations will help create a market for green materials and technologies, while increasing knowledge among industry professionals.

“Usually, when you have these kind of changes in regulation, you expect a lot of resistance. It could come from the 600 contractors and 5,000 companies in Dubai; material suppliers and even some developers and land owners,” Eng Abdullah Rafia, Assistant Director General and Chairman of Sustainability Committee, Dubai Municipality, says.

However, in Dubai, there has been a positive reaction to the implementation of new green building regulations, he adds.

“Companies must look to comply with the requirements of local green body councils and design products specific to the rating system for maximum sustainability points. Since regional governments are the largest investors in construction, producing solutions suited to their needs will ensure profitability,” says an analyst from Frost & Sullivan.

The construction market in the other GCC countries is also upbeat on embracing green materials, Qatar is an example.

“The building materials manufacturing sector is particularly important in Qatar in light of the unprecedented boom in the construction and real estate sector,” says Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Trade.

“It is expected to have an exponential rate of building materials manufacturing activities to execute infrastructure megaprojects.

In fact, the estimated value of the projects to be executed in the next five years is US $182bn without including oil and gas projects or private sector ventures,” he says.

He believes there were 432 building materials manufacturing companies in Qatar worth $10.4bn and employing more than 36,400 individuals in the areas of cement, gypsum, sand, stones, glass and fibreglass used in building materials and plastic materials. These are used in the manufacture of pipes and insulating materials, dyes, construction chemicals, and metal industries such as iron and aluminium used in the manufacture of construction materials.

Al Thani adds: “That there is an international trend towards green buildings. Thus, we are witnessing an increasing demand

01

028

01 Green concrete accounted for around 85% of the green materials market, in terms of revenue

for eco-friendly materials. We are offering incentives to produce these materials and use them in the construction of new buildings in GCC countries in order to achieve sustainability and protect the environment. We are keen to adopt investment opportunities in the area.”

According to Abdulaziz bin Hamad Al Ageel, Secretary General, The Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), demand for building materials is increasing and studies reveal that GCC building materials manufacturing facilities are still incapable of meeting the needs of the building market.

“Thus, building materials are being imported from international markets. For instance, despite the increase in the number of metal products industries (2,685 factories in GCC countries), most of these factories are still considered SMEs with a total investment value of $11,033 million,” he says.

For the market, now is the time to distinguish themselves in terms of quality and pricing to gain market share, particularly in the less competitive segments of flooring and insulation. In addition, joint ventures with local companies will provide accessibility to consumers, reducing the time to build a brand.

“The new worldwide trend is towards green buildings, the production and use of eco-friendly materials and energy efficiency within facilities. This movement resulted in the creation of new and unconventional building materials that are in line with the new building specifications requiring the use of green materials and offering incentives to manufacture these materials in order to achieve the highest levels of sustainability,” says Al Ageel.

Another move that the green materials market can take is to improve their consumer awareness on the economic and social level.

“The GCC is the fastest developing region in terms of infrastructure and the rising emphasis on sustainable construction practices, lower carbon footprint and reduced wastage has fuelled the use of green construction materials,” a Frost & Sullivan report says.

The increased government focus on sustainability is expected to remain the primary growth driver for green materials in the GCC region. While existing suppliers have nurtured robust customer relationships with governments and large clients, the untapped private and small real-estate construction segments widen the prospects of market entrants and offer added avenues for revenue generation.

02

02 There will be significant growth opportunities for the green decorative paints and insulation segments 03 John Vernon, Market Manager, Sika 04 Hadeer Korayem, Specifications Manager, Sika

03

04

Regulations drive change BGREEN TALKS TO JOHN VERNON, MARKET MANAGER AND HADEER KORAYEM, SPECIFICATIONS MANAGER OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY SIKA FOR FUTHER INSIGHT ON HOW STRICTER REGULATIONS WILL DRIVE BUSINESSES OF GREEN MATERIAL SUPPLIERS.

The green material market in the Middle East is projected to reach US $23bn in 2016, as building regulations are becoming stricter. To what extent will this boost the market for suppliers?

Vernon: Currently, there is a lot of interest in ‘green’ systems within the GCC but limited local knowledge. In more developed markets, the change has been driven by governments through regulations and this will be very important to move the issue forward in the GCC. Increased thermal performance, reflective coatings and products with low VOC will benefit the most.

How are developers in the GCC responding to green building materials?

Vernon: Unfortunately in the region, cost is the main determinant. Not enough thought is spared on the selection of building material, which impacts the environment. The GCC region needs to build structures using quality materials. So governments will need to act to drive change.

Are companies in the region working towards improving consumer awareness?

Korayem: Not enough is being done. Properties and investment companies have internal green departments and suppliers like SIKA have always been keen on providing the market with green solutions and complying with green regulations. But when it comes to consumers, it’s still a long way down the green road!

Although consumers intend to go green, they are more focused on the initial cost without taking into consideration the long term maintenance cost.

Regional governments are the largest investors in construction, with more than 75% of the total investment share. Despite the fact that suppliers have developed a healthy relationship with government entities, a large portion of the private entities and SMEs in the construction arena remain untapped. How will the industry deal with this challenge?

Korayem: Here comes the role of the consultants in setting the values for the market. The authorities need to raise solid awareness between the contractors and the applicators, who have an impact on the construction business and the outcome.

029

COMF RT THAT SAVES YOU MONEY FAST

Now Available

our Rheem partners across the GCC region

with

Rheem Manufacturing MEA FZE For more info :

www.Rheem-mea.com

ENERGY HVAC

The efficiency challenge As the region shines the spotlight on green buildings, HVAC systems can no longer remain inefficient, unsustainable units

031

ENERGY HVAC

Conventional Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are one of the major consumers of power.

Buildings give out the largest amount of CO2 and consume more than 40% of the total energy, of which HVAC systems can be a significant contributor. Moreover, it is estimated that people spend as much as 87% of their time indoors, reinforcing the importance of healthy indoor environments, which can only be created by an efficient HVAC system.

A green building, on an average, would reduce energy use by 24–50%, CO2 emissions by 33–39%, water use by 40% and solid waste by 70%, according to the US Green Building Council.

Traditionally, HVAC systems have often been pulled up for generating low performance, high emissions, and high costs.

Thus, more eco-friendly HVAC systems are desired in order to provide the required power and high performance, while saving energy and releasing low emissions into the environment.

It is believed that HVAC contributes to more than 60% of a building’s energy consumption and an efficient HVAC unit can reduce it by 25%. Further, an innovative HVAC design strategy that pairs traditional air conditioning with energy-efficient air movement can permit a substantial offset of necessary HVAC capacity and improve air quality by ensuring that fresh air reaches the occupant.

“Maintaining optimum comfort levels in terms of controlling temperature, air quality and humidity is the essential need in the GCC region’s construction sector in general and HVAC industry in particular,” according to Sivakumar Subramanian, General Manager, Bahri & Mazroei Technical Systems (BMTS), an integrated building solutions provider.

“The infrastructure development sector in the UAE is currently recuperating from the economic slowdown, going through positive signs of recovery with Abu Dhabi and Dubai as the two growth centres in the country. The HVAC sector is currently driving the revival process with optimistic growth plans,” he says.

It is expected that with the resurgence of construction activity in the UAE, the demand for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) services will also surge in the coming years. Subramanian believes HVAC services accounts to be the significant component of MEP services market and hence the demand for the solutions is also expected to increase exponentially in the future.

Stephen Yurek, President and CEO of US-based AirConditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) tells BGreen that the recession has seemingly passed, and has left behind a pent-up demand that must be met.

“AHRI’s members and certification participants have a strong presence in the Middle East and are contributing their expertise as well as the latest energy-efficient products and equipment to the Middle Eastern market. Global and local HVACR and water heating manufacturers are fully prepared and eager to meet it,” he says.

With the new Dubai Green Building codes coming into effect this year and regulations becoming stricter, HVAC suppliers in the Emirate will need to comply with an additional set of rules.

However, the mandatory regulations seem to be providing a lot of opportunities on both capex and opex markets of HVAC to make it compliant and energy-efficient.

“A growing number of regulatory authorities in the UAE such as the ‘Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology

032

01

02

01 HVAC contributes to more than 60% of a building’s energy consumption and an efficient HVAC unit can reduce it by 25%

ENERGY HVAC

“Local authorities have stringent rules for maintaining energy efficiency in HVAC and the industry has to abide by them” MOHAMMED KHAJA , PRODUCT LEADER – UNITARY SYSTEMS, TRANE, EMEA AND INDIA

(ESMA), Dubai Electric & Water Authority (DEWA) and Dubai Municipality are seeing a greater acceptance of the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) rating system. They have also been developing new local green building codes such as the Pearl Ratings from Estidama (Abu Dhabi), and are supporting the formation of associations such as the Emirates Green Building Council,” says Esam R Al Mazroei, Managing Director, Bahri & Mazroei Group, which comprises of BMTS, among other companies.

For example, the UAE is already in the process of restricting the entry of inefficient air conditioning units and has begun a roll out of energy efficient labelling systems for window type and split type air conditioners and planning to include chiller systems for commercial and industrial sectors too. However, according to Mohammed Khaja, Product Leader – Unitary Systems, Trane EMEA and India, a lot depends on how strictly these green building regulations are implemented.

“The new regulations in the UAE will impact sustainability in HVAC to a great extent. Similarly, Saudi Arabia is aggressively pursuing sustainability. I am a member of Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) and we are continuously giving our inputs and suggesting new regulations to deal with sustainability issues in the Kingdom,” he says.

This year, the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) requirement in KSA is said to have gone up to 9.5, which is expected to further move up to 11.5 in 2015. For Trane, however, this is very feasible, Khaja adds. This is because the company manufactures its products in the US, which has a very high EER, and distributes those products in Saudi Arabia.

So the demand for high Co-efficient of Performance (COP) HVAC systems are going up not only in the UAE, but in the entire MENA region. Egypt, for instance, is setting up new regulations wherein you cannot use any system which has an EER of less than 9.5, according to Khaja, who feels that the authorities in the region should also incentivise those who use energy efficient HVAC systems to encourage and inspire others.

Subramanian says, “High COP HVAC system include use of eco-friendly inverter-based machines technologies like Multi V VRF system, providing low power consumption coupled with good part load efficiency, and upgraded fault detection and diagnosis that provides reliability and ease of maintenance.”

However, Yurek of AHRI feels it would be incorrect to generalise that HVAC systems typically have sustainability issues such as low performance, high emissions, and high costs.

“HVACR and water heating equipment have a reputation for high performance and reasonable costs. These equipment, if installed and maintained properly has little or no direct emissions.

Emissions that do occur are indirect and result from the need

02 The demand for high Co-efficient of Performance HVAC systems are going up not only in the UAE, but in the entire MENA region

for electricity to power the equipment, which usually comes from power plants that emit varying amounts of pollutants depending on the fuel source,” he explains.

DEALING WITH COSTS

With an efficient performance and added environmental benefits, the high COP HVAC is predictably costlier when compared with the traditional ones. One of the main reasons for this could be that they require a greater amount of raw materials, such as copper and aluminium, which can be expensive.

“Further, this type of equipment is often a result of significant amount of research and development, the costs for which are recouped through equipment pricing. It should be noted, however, that higher initial costs are usually recouped through lower utility bills,” Yurek says.

Experts believe that there are a number of advantages to count on despite the high cost.

“While the capex cost of high COP HVAC is more expensive than conventional technologies, the lifecycle cost, considering the efficiency, energy, and operational and maintenance costs are relatively low,” Mazroei says.

INNOVATIONS IN THE HVAC INDUSTRY

Today companies can custom manufacture HVAC equipment to fit specific requirements so as to minimise the impact on the environment. Some companies work with the design team to make sure that the HVAC equipment is energy efficient, provides excellent indoor air quality and quiet acoustical performance.

The custom manufacturers help meet efficiency goals by using various technologies to develop and integrate components into the HVAC systems.

The industry is said to be seeing innovation in fields such as air conditioner equipment, energy efficient compressors, variable refrigerant flow with variable speed drives, digital scroll technologies, building systems integration, and building automation and energy management solutions.

“The overriding changes in the sector include integration of various other building systems like security, safety, fire, communication, Internet and power along with HVAC for reducing capital expenditure as well as efficient management in operational and maintenance phase of buildings,” says Subramanian.

Since there is a strong synergy in heat, power, water and cooling technologies, the renewable energy technologies provide lot of integration among these technologies in many sectors such as commercial, residential, industrial, and oil and gas for energy efficiency and sustainability. This is further supported by the GCC countries’ strategies to use renewables in the energy mix.

033

GREEN SPORTS 2014 FIFA World Cup

034

GREEN SPORTS 2014 FIFA World Cup

Brazil World Cup scores environmental goals With the World Cup now under way, it’s time to take a look at the environmental ramifications of one of the world’s biggest sporting events

035

01

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest single-event sporting competition in the world and its impact on society and the environment is indisputable. Staging an event of that scale requires careful consideration of all aspects to ensure a balanced approach and sustainable outcome.

With the World Cup now underway and all eyes on the Brazilian cities playing host to this epic competition, it’s time to take a look at the environmental ramifications of one of the world’s biggest sporting events. Around US $1.5bn has been set aside to address the climate impacts of the event. More than 3.6m domestic and international tourists are expected to travel to Brazil during the games, and more than 50% of the 2.7m tonnes of CO2 equivalent that will result from the games is from these travellers.

The legacy of Brazil’s World Cup venues will likely be more about environmental sustainability than ground-breaking architectural design, according to experts in the field.

Here are the measures that FIFA and the Brazilian government have undertaken to take to help offset some of the negative ecoconsequences of the games.

SOLAR ENERGY

Four World Cup stadiums have 5.4MW of solar electricity capacity.

These include: Belo Horizonte’s Estadio Mineirão (1.4MW), Brasilia’s Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha (2.5MW), Itaipava Arena Pernambuco (1.4MW), and Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Maracana (500kW). China’s Yingli Green Energy installed the panels at Itaipava Arena Pernambuco. The company also partnered with Light ESCO, EDF Consultoria and the State of Rio de Janeiro to install 1,556 PV modules at the Maracana stadium.

036

“Our goal is to leave behind a positive legacy in Brazil even after the 2014 FIFA World Cup is over. We are proud of the solar projects we have provided, but we also wanted to do more to directly support local Brazilian communities who are making positive impact on the environment. By contributing to a Brazilian project, while at the same time, offsetting our own ecological impact, we can make a more significant contribution,” says Yingli Green Energy’s Vice President of Global Marketing, Judy Tzeng Lee. LEED CERTIFICATION

In conjunction with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that several World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification, including South America’s largest stadium Maracana.

Originally built and used for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the LEED Silver Maraca stadium is once again reprising its role by playing host to the final game of the 2014 World Cup. The stadium will also serve as a major sporting venue for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, hosting both the opening and the closing ceremonies as well as major sporting events.

The other LEED-certified stadiums for the 2014 FIFA World Cup include Castelao Arena in Fortaleza, Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Arena da Amazônia, and Arena Multiuso in Recife.

“Even as the world’s top teams take the field, the venues themselves are also in the spotlight, demonstrating not only the worldwide applicability and adaptability of the LEED green building rating system, but also Brazil’s leadership position at the forefront of the movement to high-performing green buildings,” says Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC. 01 Several stadiums hosting the World Cup 2014 have achieved LEED certification by the USGBC

“Our goal is to leave behind a positive legacy in Brazil even after the 2014 FIFA World Cup is over” JUDY TZENG LEE, YINGLI GREEN ENERGY 02

ECO LIGHTING, IRRIGATION

The Estadio Nacionál has eco-lighting, special irrigation for its landscaping using rainwater, and intelligent urinals that can calculate when water needs to be pumped into them during breaks in the games. GE flood lighting has illuminated the fields at five of the 12 arenas hosting the World Cup. At the National Stadium in Brasilia and the Amazonia Arena, GE has provided lighting solutions for the entire complex, both to light the field and interior spaces. In the Pernambuco, Beira Rio and Maracana arenas, the company’s flood lighting has illuminated the playing fields.

“High-definition broadcasting requires tenfold levels of lighting and colour. GE’s lighting technology meets FIFA’s specifications so fans around the world can feel they are in the stands when they turn on their TVs,” says Alexandre Ferrari, GE Lighting’s General Manager in Brazil.

GREEN TOURISM

FIFA is encouraging eco-friendly travel between stadiums and sustainable tourism practices via a phone app called the Green Passport Initiative (GPI). Sustainable production and consumption are the two pillars of the Green Passport 2014 campaign, which aims to ensure that natural resources are produced, processed and consumed in a sustainable manner, while at the same time, promoting socio-economic growth and minimising negative impacts in the environment.

By developing activities focused on sustainable production and consumption, the campaign involves the Brazilian tourism sector in activities such as Sustainability Journeys – workshops

02 China’s Yingli Green Energy installed 1,556 PV modules at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro

to engage hotels and restaurants in eco-efficiency practices in five host cities – and the Green Passport Pledge, which invites the tourism sector to commit to more sustainable practices.

“Launched ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the Green Passport campaign hopes to leverage the event’s immense popularity among millions of fans worldwide to promote a greener and more responsible travel culture; one that promotes attitudes and practices that are respectful of the environment and that support economic and social development at the host destination,” says UN Under Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

In addition, more than 90% of Brazilians have indicated that they want a green World Cup, and that’s part of the reason why a Brazillian armadillo (an endangered species) named Fuleco is the mascot of the 2014 games.

However, one big downside of the World Cup games is the amount of merchandise created to celebrate the event – in the case of the 2014 games, non-governmental environmental organisation Greenpeace has found plenty of toxic chemicals in the trinkets and clothing in FIFA merchandise.

Beyond the positive greening measures, some persistent ecological problems in Brazil will only get worse from the onslaught of tourists, both domestic and international. Sewage treatment, for example, which contributes to poor public health, is still not given importance in Brazil. The sewage is a major pollutant in Brazilian waterways and seas. Trash disposal is also a problem – one estimate has 100 tonnes of trash simply going out to sea near Rio de Janeiro every day.

037

COMMENTARY Water conservation

Conserving every drop Sustainable buildings, which hugely impact water management, are increasingly gaining prominence in the region

Water conservation and management has been on the rise in the past few years globally. Unfortunately, the UAE ranks among the top water-scarce countries in the world.

A report by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) warned that at the current rate of consumption, the country is utilising underground resources 24 times as fast as they could be replenished and if no efforts were taken to stop the misuse of water consumption, the country’s resources will be exhausted within the next 50 years. In 2009, the UAE’s domestic water consumption rate reached 550l per person per day – approximately two times the global national average of 250l per person per day.

With the continuous increase in population, especially with Expo 2020, the country’s resources are threatened even further and concerns are high about what impact such demand would have on our limited resources.

The UAE Government has raised awareness regarding this topic and has committed to this cause by mandating green building regulations, which prioritises water conservation as part of its requirements and assessments. The government has also launched social campaigns to raise awareness and educate residents about this major issue and promote the efficient use of water.

Water consumption in the UAE is primarily divided into: domestic use, irrigation, and industrial. Surprisingly, the industrial sector consumes the least amount of water. For the other two sectors, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have taken the initiative of mandating certain regulations that would at least save 20% of water consumption annually. Installing water conserving fixtures and appliances, and efficient irrigation systems alongside encouraging the use of native and adaptive species that do not

038

require a lot of water is mainly tackled under this regulation.

Moreover, the regulation also extends to water features and swimming pools.

The concern here is not in the regulation itself. Our fear is that despite installing efficient fixtures, consumer behaviour would still supercede our efforts and we would find that we are still at a point of no or minimal savings.

As sustainability professionals, we encourage the use of on-site grey water recycling systems as this would at least assure that even the highest rate of overconsumption is still accounted for somehow. For example, Dewan Architects & Engineers has installed the first on-site grey water treatment and recycling system in Abu Dhabi at the Premier Inn Hotel – an ADIA project.

This feature is capable of offsetting 100% of the building demand and hence, would not rely on the main supply lines for water. The treated water from kitchen, toilets, showers and condensation are collected and treated on-site and is then reused in the domestic and irrigation uses. Besides, efficient water fixtures, appliances and irrigation systems exceeding the minimum requirements mandated by Abu Dhabi has been installed, thus saving about 30% in water consumption. Of course, it goes without a doubt that the supply market has grown tremendously offering easy availability of high-saving products.

It’s important that we also educate the end user. A building cannot be sustainable without the right social behaviour and consumption. Together with the government, the residents have a responsibility towards saving this scarce resource. We need to start watching and changing our consumption behaviour so that we can witness an overall reduction in water demand.

COMMENTARY Water conservation

“If no efforts were done to stop the misuse of water consumption, our resources will be exhausted within the next 50 years” ENGI JABER, SUSTAINABILIT Y PROGRAMME SPECIALIST, DEWAN ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

039

INNOVATION Product Update

Innovation

040

Trick LED iGuzzini +971 4 701 7825 www.iguzzini.com

Nest Learning Thermostat Nest www.nest.com

Unidrive M Emerson +971 4 811 8100 www.emerson.com

Lighting systems manufacturer iGuzzini has launched the Trick LED, which is capable of generating geometrical effects, with a welldefined shapes: circles, concentrated lines, decorative graphic elements in numberless combinations, as well as grazing light effects.

The fitting is a point capable of defining and personalising space, giving rhythm and creating design sets. Three bodies are available: small 45mm, medium 90mm, and large 160mm.

Trick has been created in blade of light, wall washer and radial versions to create eight different luminous effects.

Google is turning the Nest Learning Thermostat into the hub of smart homes. With the “Works with Nest” developer programme, gadgets, cars and universal remotes will all work with the Thermostat, providing automated actions agnostic of the brand.

“The Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Protect alarm are already helping people save energy, stay comfortable, and improve home safety — but that’s only the beginning,” said Matt Rogers, founder and vice president of engineering at Nest. “Our goal has always been to bring this kind of thoughtfulness to the rest of your home and life.”

Unidrive M is the new family of variable speed drives from Control Techniques, an Emerson Industrial Automation company.

The Unidrive M family consists of seven drives, each of which has been specifically designed to meet the needs of customers in the manufacturing automation market. Customers can upgrade seamlessly to Unidrive M from the company’s standard products: Commander SK and Unidrive SP. The Unidrive M701 is the direct replacement for Unidrive SP and there is maximum compatibility between the two drives.

Key features Recessed (ø 45 mm) and wallmounted (ø 90 - ø 160 mm) versions.

Wall-mounted versions have a screen and a base for support.

PMMA screen, die-cast aluminium supporting base, stainless steel plate for fixing to wall, supplied with L=400 mm cable (except versions with power supply).

All external screws are in A2 stainless steel

Key features The thermostat programme itself in about a week. It creates a personalised schedule based on the temperature changes made.

If the thermostat heats up in direct sunlight, it automatically adjusts itself to the right temperature.

The thermostat learns how long it takes your home to heat up and cool down, so it will show how long it will take to reach your target temperature.

Key features Open Ethernet architecture for current and future enhancements.

Design flexibility using standard induction, permanent magnet, servo and linear motors in open or closed loop configuration Allows users to use networked devices Onboard “RT Machine Control Protocol,” a real-time Ethernet protocol for improved machine control and fast communications.

MULTICAL ® 302 BTU meter Setting the standard for cost effective metering

NEW Based on our long-term experience within metering and billing of Cooling energy consumption Kamstrup introduces MULTICAL® 302 – a compact BTU Meter that offers you the best within precision metering, data communication and user interfaces on low operation costs.

• • • •

Compact design – easy to install Integrated Wire and Wireless M-Bus communication On-site configuration of all parameters Large data storage for optimum customer service

Kamstrup Middle East FZC · P.O. Box 500 468 · Dubai · United Arab Emirates · Tel: +971 4 453 7337 · dubai@kamstrup.com · www.kamstrup.com

NETWORK Appointments

Network Emrill appoints Jason Ruehland as MD

Martin Cooper

RUEHLAND WAS ABLE TO SECURE CERTIFICATION FOR EMRILL WITH THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF CLEANING SCIENCE

Directors of REC

named new Interim CEO of REC Solar The Board of Solar ASA has appointed Martin Cooper as Interim CEO with effect from July 1, 2014. Øyvind Hasaas’

GlassPoint Solar appoints country chairman WITH MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN KUWAIT’S OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY, SHEHAB WILL LEAD THE COMPANY’S EXPANSION IN THE STATE

last day as CEO of REC Solar ASA was June 30, 2014.

Cooper is currently the CFO of REC and is a Chartered Accountant with a MBA from Henley Management College,

Facilities management company Emrill has appointed Jason Ruehland as Managing Director.

Shaun Carter, Emrill Board Member said: “After going through a thorough selection process, Jason was identified as the strongest candidate to lead Emrill through its next stage of development where he will be able to apply his operational expertise, his keen eye for innovation and creativity along with a fresh and competitive edge to the leadership of the business.”

Ruehland joined Emrill in 2011 and has been instrumental in its rise to the pole position of industry leaders.

During his three years in the role of Operations Director, Ruehland was able to secure certification for Emrill with the British Institute of Cleaning Science, integrate low cost mobility solutions, increase sales of home maintenance packages by 38%, reduce lost time accidents by 66% and implement monthly contractual reviews and contract improvement plans that resulted in enhanced performance and customer experience to ensure customers for life.

With over 13 years of experience in the engineering, maintenance and facilities management industries, Ruehland’s greatest strength is driving low cost innovation into the business to increase revenue, improve profits and deliver world class services to our clients.

Prior to this, Ruehland was responsible for the delivery of hard and soft facilities management services of over US $30m per annum for 40 properties across the UK with Carillion.

042

Oxfordshire, England. He has been with REC since July 2013.

Prior to joining REC, he has worked many years as the CFO for publicly listed companies in diverse international industries.

The chairman of the board, Ole Enger, said: “As Interim CEO, Martin’s task is to continue to build on the foundation that Øyvind has established. He will continue the momentum for growth and profitability.”

Solar enhanced oil recovery (EOR) firm GlassPoint Solar has established a new office in Kuwait City and has appointed Abdul Hussain Shehab as Country Chairman. With more than 40 years of experience in Kuwait’s upstream oil and gas industry, Shehab will lead the company’s expansion in the State.

Shehab was previously the CEO of Al-Dorra Petroleum Services Company and prior to that served as the Deputy Managing Director of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) overseeing the West Kuwait Fields. He was with KOC for more than 30 years holding various management positions across reservoir development, drilling and production operations. Under his leadership, KOC initiated the first steam flood project to produce heavy oil at the Wafra Field in the Neutral Zone.

DIARY DATES Events & Conferences

Diary dates ICSET 2014 Flora Grand Hotel Dubai, UAE August 22-23

SCIEI International Conference on Substantial Environmental Technologies (ICSET 2014) aims to be one of the leading international conferences for presenting novel and fundamental advances in the fields of Substantial Environmental Technologies.

It also serves to foster communication among researchers and practitioners working in a wide variety of scientific areas with a common interest in improving Substantial Environmental Technologies.

The year 2014 is the first year of ICSET, it will be held every year since 2014, the conference will be a international forum for the presentation of technological advances and research results in the fields of Substantial Environmental Technologies.

044

Saudi Agriculture Seminar Series Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 8-9 The Saudi Agriculture Seminar Series will take place as part of the renowned Saudi Agriculture exhibition, now in its 33rd year of running, which is co-located with Saudi Agrofood for the food product and technology industry and Saudi Food Pack for the food processing and packaging industry.

These seminars will cover specific areas of interest including, agribusiness and food security, irrigation technologies and efficient use of water resources, organic farming and poultry farming. These seminars will provide the ideal platform to discuss the current and future overseas agriculture investment business strategies for Saudi Arabia, how to improve the efficient use of available resources and the current trends in technology and the worldwide agriculture industry.

LightingTech KSA Saudi Arabia November 10-11 LightingTech 2014, powered by Saudi Build, is a lighting seminar targeting designers, specifiers, construction professionals as well as government officials in Saudi Arabia.

The event will bring together key government officials and regulators, lighting industry experts, construction professionals and solution providers to learn about the latest government regulations and industry standards and certifications.

ADIPEC ADNEC Abu Dhabi, UAE November 10-13 Established as the largest conference programme in the Middle East, ADIPEC 2014 will attract 400+ leading regional and International speakers from 37 countries. In total, ADIPEC is projected to welcome 60,000+ attendees out of which 6,500 are conference delegates.

As the premier speaking platform in the MENA region, technical professionals are invited to be part of the 2014 programme to address some of today’s pressing industry issues.

Themed under “Challenges & Opportunities for the next 30 years”, the conference will cover streams including E&P Geoscience, Unconventional Resources, Field Development, Drilling and Completion Technology, Projects Engineering and Management, Operational Excellence, HSE and Gas Technology.

RECRUITMENT Sustainability vacancies

Sponsored by

Recruitment Renewables: Ready for the next step in recruitment In recent years, the renewable energy sector has gained increasing attention across the region with most Middle East countries presenting ambitious plans for an increase in wind and especially solar power generation.

Companies from all over the world have sent the first wave of business development specialists to establish bridgeheads: put their name on the map, collect information,

work on the first tenders.

After a long wait, numerous awards are anticipated throughout 2014 and whilst initial design work was often completed remotely from North America, Europe or Asia, those awarded projects will need to build their team up locally to remain competitive – and hence job opportunities will multiply for renewable experienced construction specialists in

almost all disciplines.

This should also represent a great opportunity for some engineers (civil, electrical, mechanical...) to start to develop a specialisation in the renewable sector, a position that should bring high benefits in the coming years with the increasing demand for such experience.

Jean-Maxime Long, Managing Director of sustainability recruitment consultancy Allen & York

SUSTAINABILITY VACANCIES FROM ALLEN & YORK Solar Lead Project Engineer United Arab Emirates

Environment & Sustainability Director United Arab Emirates

Waste Management UAE National Abu Dhabi

Environmental Consultant Qatar

An opportunity exists for an experienced engineer to oversee the design and construction phase of a number of solar projects being developed across the MENA region.

A senior role for a Manager experienced in the Environment or Sustainability sector to take a key position running the commercial operations of an established international consultancy business.

A key government entity is currently looking to combine the expansion of their waste management team with the appointment of an experienced Emirati Manager.

A mid-level Environmental Consultant, well-versed in managing Environmental Impact Assessment projects, to join the Doha operations of a reputed international consultancy business.

Deputy CEO (Power) United Arab Emirates

Environmental Remediation Project Manager Kuwait

Energy Engineer Dubai

Risk & Safety Engineers UAE, Qatar or Oman

Opportunity for an experienced engineer to work with a specialist energy management business and advise clients on how to improve the energy efficiency of their building portfolio.

Allen & York is looking for experts involved in the delivery of technical risk & safety services to the Oil & Gas industry, increasing efficiency and mitigating hazards to both the natural & man-made infrastructure.

A top management position for a prestigious IWPP, to be in charge of both the technical management of the plant and to lead to negotiation and renewal of the main contracts like PWPA and LTSA.

Allen & York are currently looking for an experienced remediation expert to oversee a number of oil field lakes and contaminated sites in Kuwait.

To apply to any of these vacancies please visit: www.allen-york.com or contact our Middle East office at: +971 (0)4 446 9828 email: middle-east@allen-york.com To advertise your vacancies please contact Junaid Rafique on + 971 4 375 5716 or junaid.rafique@cpimediagroup.com

045

GREEN PERSONALITY Al Gore

Saving the future Al Gore is working to save the world from environmental catastrophe, a mission that began when he was still a boy

Former Vice President of the United States (1993–2001) Al Gore has been an environmental activist for a number of decades. Gore was the 2000 Democratic Party presidential nominee, and the co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

In 1976, after joining the United States House of Representatives, Gore held the “first congressional hearings on the climate change, and co-sponsored hearings on toxic waste and global warming.” He continued to speak on the topic throughout the 1980s and was known as one of the Atari Democrats, later called the ‘Democrats’ Greens, politicians who see issues like clean air, clean water and global warming as the key to future victories for their party.”

In 1989, while still a Senator, Gore published an editorial in the Washington Post, in which he argued “Humankind has suddenly entered into a brand new relationship with the planet Earth. The world’s forests are being destroyed; an enormous hole is opening in the ozone layer. Living species are dying at an unprecedented rate.”

In 1990, Senator Gore presided over a three-day conference with legislators from over 42 countries which sought to create a Global Marshall Plan, “under which industrial nations would help less developed countries grow economically while still protecting the environment.”

The Concord Monitor says that Gore “was one of the first politicians to grasp the seriousness of climate change and to call for a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases.”

As Vice-President, Gore was involved in a number of initiatives related to the environment. He launched the GLOBE program on Earth Day 1994, an education and science activity that, according to Forbes magazine, “made extensive use of the Internet to increase student awareness of their environment”.

In the late 1990s, Gore strongly pushed for the passage of the Kyoto Protocol, which called for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. He was opposed by the Senate, which passed unanimously the Byrd–Hagel Resolution, which stated the sense of the Senate was that the United States should not be a signatory to any protocol that did not include binding targets and timetables for developing as well as industrialised nations or ‘would result

046

in serious harm to the economy of the United States’.

In 1998, Gore symbolically signed the protocol. Both Gore and Senator Joseph Lieberman indicated that the protocol would not be acted upon in the Senate until there was participation by the developing nations. The Clinton administration never submitted the protocol to the Senate for ratification. The same year, Gore began promoting a NASA satellite that would provide a constant view of Earth, marking the first time such an image would have been made since The Blue Marble photo from the 1972 Apollo 17 mission. The Triana satellite would have been permanently mounted in the L1 Lagrangian Point, 1.5m km away. During this time, he also became associated with Digital Earth.

Gore and The Alliance for Climate Protection created the We Can Solve It organisation, a web-based programme with multiple advertisements on television focused on spreading awareness for climate crisis (global warming) and petitioning for the press putting more attention on the crisis, the government doing more to help the environment, and their ultimate goal is the end to global warming. Although focused mostly upon the United States, and Americans, it is an international petition and effort. It already has over one million signatures.

In recent years, Gore has remained busy travelling the world speaking and participating in events mainly aimed towards global warming awareness and prevention. His keynote presentation on global warming has received standing ovations, and he has presented it at least 1,000 times according to his monologue in the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth. In the movie, Gore calls for people to conserve energy.

Gore’s global warming presentations in several major cities have been associated with exceptionally severe cold weather, a juxtaposition since dubbed ‘the Gore Effect’. He is a vocal proponent of carbon neutrality, buying a carbon offset each time he travels by aircraft. Gore and his family drive hybrid vehicles.

In 2007, Al Gore was the main non-official representative for the US in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, which is a series of discussions that plans to continue where the Kyoto Protocol left off when it expired in 2012. He used a famous World War II poem written by Pastor Martin Niemöller to describe how the international community is eerily accomplishing nothing in the face of the greatest crisis in human history.

GREEN PERSONALITY Al Gore

“We need to solve the climate crisis, it’s not a political issue, it’s a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act, that’s a renewable resource, let’s renew it” AL GORE, ACADEMY AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, 2007

047

COMMENTARY Sanjay Bhatia

Are we doing enough?

Sustainability is wider than the general perception because it has to be built in to each and every action, which includes preserving resources Although many of us have some idea of what sustainability means conceptually, how many of us know what this means in terms of our lifestyle and personal responsibilities? Where the progress of society towards a sustainable future may be viewed as inadequate, it may be easy for us to blame governments and corporations, but given that the activities of governments and organisations serve individuals, what can we as individuals do and influence?

The general definition of sustainability is understood to mean something along the lines of not consuming resources faster than their production or not polluting the environment. These resources may be environmental, economic or indeed communal. Many people believe they are living sustainably because they are doing better than others around them by separating their rubbish for recycling more than others or riding a bicycle to work rather than driving. How do we know if we are doing enough?

Often people suggest that they are not prepared to live sustainably as individuals until there is a collective movement with those around them doing the same; otherwise there is a feeling of self-sacrifice with little notable impact whilst those around them continue to live in relative luxury.

Furthermore responsibility is often transferred when it is said that we need the development of centralised systems before we can live a fully sustainable lifestyle. For example, it is often asked, ‘Why should we avoid using our car if the bus and railway systems are so inadequate?’

However, sustainability does not stop at merely reducing your consumption of resources. It is wider than the general perception because sustainability has to be built in to each and every action which includes preserving and extending the benefits of existing

048

resources to derive maximum benefit. In today’s economies, the infrastructure around us are the largest investments made for the future of the economies and are built at a huge financial and environmental expense. Therefore, it is important that these investments are maintained and preserved so as to extend their life and improve their return to the society at large. This requires a strategic implementation of sustainable practices across planning, design, construction and maintenance.

What currently defines sustainability leadership? Experts continue to point to integrating sustainability deeply within an organisation, making progress toward big goals and delivering sustainable products as key drivers.

Yet we now know that achieving sustainability progress on a large scale will require significant shifts in public policy, consumer behaviour and other systems, with the private sector playing an important role in creating the political and social pressure for positive change. We believe this era will be defined, in part, by companies that have taken on an unprecedented degree of advocacy and action aimed at systems change.

No longer the domain of beret wearing activists ; green, ethical and eco-friendly business practices are a sure route to sustainable business, cost-savings, improving profitability, lowering carbon footprints, raising productivity and meeting eco-targets. It is no longer a lifestyle of choice, but has become a required lifestyle.

The biggest benefit of all? It’s good for everyone.

About the author Sanjay Bhatia, Account Director, IWP at EFS Facilities Services, is a Facilities Management professional with 17 years of experience across various markets.

www.renault-me.com

RENAULT TWIZY.

PLUG INTO THE POSITIVE ENERGY!

100% ELECTRIC ZERO EMISSION*

OR S F W O N

ALE

UA E H T IN

E

FOR INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR NEAREST RENAULT DEALER. BOOK YOUR RENAULT TWIZY TEST DRIVE. VISIT WWW.TWIZY-ME.COM OR SCAN THIS CODE FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE JOIN US ON /RenaultME

ABU DHABI: AIRPORT ROAD 02-4496300 ABU DHABI: MUSAFFAH 02-5550099 AL AIN: SANAYA 03-7219999 * NO EMISSION IN USE.

DUBAI: AL QIYADAH – AL ITTIHAD ROAD: 04-299 8999 DUBAI: SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD: 04-407 5555 SHARJAH: SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED ROAD: 06-598 6222

We create chemistry that makes compost love plastic.

Most plastics don’t biodegrade, but ecovio® plastics from BASF disappear completely when composted in a controlled environment. Using compostable bags for collection of organic waste makes disposal more hygienic and convenient. Rather than ending up in landfills, the waste is turned into valuable compost. When the plastic bag you use today can mean a cleaner future for the environment, it’s because at BASF, we create chemistry.

www.wecreatechemistry.com