BGreen August 2014 by BGreen

Inside

Leak detection Car recycling MENA solar report Nil to landfill

THE BUSINESS OF SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE 48 | AUGUST 2014

Inspiring Ecology Eco-efficient mosques gain prominence in the Middle East, taking sustainability to the grassroots

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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 DESIGNER LUCY MCMURRAY 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

Eco ethos The positive impact of mosques in advancing the concept of sustainability in the society is indisputable. Last month, Dubai launched the first environmentally friendly mosque in the entire region, inspiring many more such eco-friendly initiatives that are in line with the Emirate’s vision for a sustainable future. The initiative is certainly a part of a growing regional movement towards green living. The Khalifa Al Tajer mosque has been built to meet guidelines set out by the US Green Building Council. The mosque integrates renewable energy solutions in its design and adheres to the recent legislation in Dubai, which requires new buildings to include green standards in design, construction and operation. Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia announced that developers are retrofitting over 90,000 mosques in the Kingdom, using advanced green building techniques to reduce lighting and energy consumption by 4080% and water usage by 30-40%. Introducing this ‘green’ culture in mosques will strengthen the green building sector in the region significantly. Any sustainability effort needs recognition. The BGreen Awards 2014 aims to recognise and reward leadership in sustainability and celebrate the contribution businesses, institutions, communities and individuals make to a more liveable and sustainable Middle East. Change takes effort and there are a huge number of areas that need specific focus to make it happen, so our awards are categorised to enable a broad range of approaches to be recognised. The nominations are open.

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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.

CONTENTS August 2014

Contents 07 UPDATE REGIONAL NEWS

30 RENEWABLES THE RISING SUN

Qatar focuses on solar energy UAE introduces sustainability in schools

Conventionally oil-rich Gulf countries are looking up to their other abundant energy resource – the Sun

12 UPDATE WORLD NEWS World needs $550bn annually to deal with climate change Renewable energy provides 6.5m jobs globally 14 UPDATE OFFBEAT NEWS Two architects are planning to convert football stadiums into something Brazil desperately needs – affordable housing

16 COVER STORY INSPIRING ECOLOGY Eco-efficient mosques gain prominence in the Middle East, taking sustainability to the grassroots 34 COLUMN NIL TO LANDFILL An integrated and holistic approach to construction waste management is a step in the right direction

27 AUTOMOTIVE END OF THE ROAD The GCC countries could recycle almost 1m tonnes of metal from vehicles that can no longer run on roads

38 GREEN PERSONALITY PIERCE BROSNAN The James Bond star cares deeply about the planet and is determined to fight for causes he believes in

22 ENERGY AND WATER STEMMING THE LEAKS If the region wants to avoid acute water shortage, losses due to network leakage need to be addressed

40 COMMENTARY ENERGY SUBSIDIES MENA countries are said to account for nearly half of the global spending on energy subsidies

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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:

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UPDATE Regional news

First eco-friendly mosque opens in UAE The Khalifa Al Tajer Mosque in Dubai aims to achieve LEED Silver certification Dubai’s Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) last month opened the first environmentally friendly mosque to worshippers. It is said to be the first eco-friendly mosque in the entire Islamic world. The Khalifa Al Tajer Mosque in Deira, Dubai, can accommodate about 3,500 worshippers. Located on 105,000 sq ft of land, the new green mosque was designed with energy efficiency in mind. The building, which covers 45,000 sq ft, uses green building materials and thermalinsulation systems for lowering energy consumption. Tayeb Al Rais, Secretary-General of Awqaf and the Minor Affairs Foundation, a Dubai government body, in remarks at the opening ceremony, expressed his hopes that similar green projects will be implemented in line with Dubai’s vision for a sustainable future.

“Environmental awareness is a pillar in Islam,” he said adding that he hopes the new mosque will serve as a reminder for

Qatar focuses on renewable energy; opens PV factory Qatar has unveiled a photovoltaic solar-panel factory with the ability to generate 300MW of energy a year. Qatar Solar Energy (QSE) also announced a three-phase plan to eventually produce 2.5GW of solar energy annually. While Qatar - the largest exporter of liquid natural gas in the world - is unlikely to trade fossilfuel production for solar anytime soon, QSE board member Reyad Fezzani said the time has come to focus on renewable energy and move towards other environmentally friendly energy sources. Qatar also plans to convert 2% of its power output to renewable sources by 2020.

people of their duty towards the environment. The mosque meets recent legislation in Dubai that requires new buildings to include green standards in the design, construction and operation of buildings, he noted. “The mosque integrates renewable energy solutions in its design. Built with the standards and specifications required for green buildings in mind, the mosque aims to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for conformance to the sustainability requirements of the US Green Building Council (USGBC),” Al Rais added. The exterior lighting poles of the mosque are fitted with solar panels, the battery storage systems are powered by solar energy, and the water heaters also have solar panels.

Dubai traffic lights to go green The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will soon replace the existing traffic lights in Dubai with halogen bulbs using LED powersaving technology. Replacing the traffic lights is part of RTA’s plan for the second half of this year to upgrade traffic systems, which would accordingly improve the safety on the heavily congested roads, along with realising RTA‘s strategic goals of safety and environmental sustainability.

Haya Water signs $99m wastewater contract in Oman Oman Wastewater Services (Haya Water) has signed contracts for the third and fourth packages of wastewater network project in the Wilayat of Al Amerat. The US $99m contracts included establishment of networks for water treatment in the northern and eastern areas of the wilayat. The project in the northern area was assigned to Consolidated Contractors Company and is worth $42m. It includes laying of 6.2km of wastewater pipes and 13.35km of treated water lines. The project in the eastern area was assigned to Gulf Petrochemical Services and Trading Company for $55.5m. It is expected to be completed in 44 months, by January 2018.

UPDATE Regional news

Sharjah residents are biggest water savers The Emirate’s per capita daily consumption is less than half the national average Residents of Sharjah use the lowest amount of water per day in the UAE, a report titled ‘The World in 2014’ said. The emirate’s per capita daily consumption is around 200l — less than half the national average. The report said Sharjah’s rate is within UN recommendations, mainly due to efforts by the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA). For example, SEWA’s free installation of water-saving devices is said to have slashed consumption by up to 40%. According to a local news report, Ghada Juma, Director of SEWA conservation department, said, “Financially, the water production and treatment is expensive. Seawater desalination plants consume energy and money, so water conservation will relieve pressure on these plants and reduce the financial impact of drinking-

water treatment.” In Sharjah, the conservation initiatives are part of SEWA’s Tarsheed (rationalisation) campaign. Representatives recently visited a number of suburban housewives to improve conservation awareness, besides sending text messages and placing TV and radio ads.

DEWA to spend $17.6m to install surge protection devices

Consultants hired for Solar Innovation Centre in Dubai Ted Jacobs Engineering Group (TJEG) will provide consultancy services to design and supervise the construction of Dubai Electricity & Water Authority’s (DEWA) new project, The Solar Innovation Centre. Kettle Collective will also work closely with TJEG as the lead architect for the project which was launched by DEWA with support from the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy. The Solar Innovation Centre will be a focal point for companies, researchers, university students, individuals working in the field of solar energy as well as for developers and manufacturers of cleanenergy technologies. The centre is expected to be completed by November 2015.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has awarded a US $17.6m contract for a project that increases the reliability of its water networks across Dubai. It involves the supply, installation and commissioning of surge protection devices for DEWA’s pumping station in areas such as Jebel Ali and Mushrif. The efforts are said to further establish Dubai as a global hub for trade, and tourism by providing a reliable infrastructure .

The efforts also cover lectures at schools and universities, hospitals, public departments and sports clubs. To reach children, the campaign created mascots to simplify conservation messages. Tarsheed also distributes brochures and posters in different areas of Sharjah as a part of a yearlong awareness campaign.

Sustainability to be included in public school curriculum Emirates Foundation has concluded the third phase of incorporating sustainability in the curriculum of public schools in the UAE. The project aims to incorporate subjects such as environment, globalisation, peaceful co-existence, food security, energy, and financial literacy as a part of the curriculum, in addition to enhancing participatory learning and teaching methods which stimulate learners to bring about a behaviour change. It is further aimed at providing students with resources to enhance their thinking skills to be able to anticipate and make decisions in a collaborative manner and provide solution to sustainability challenges.

UPDATE Regional news

Agricultural training centre launched The UAE has launched a new centre for agricultural training and development as part of its efforts to promote concepts of economically feasible projects that increase produce and build capacities of farmers. Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, said UAE is keen to train farmers and raise their awareness in a way that contributes to sustainability of the agricultural sector and improve local production.

Metito enters partnership with Japanese firms

du’s retail outlet achieves LEED plantinum certification

Water management firm Metito Holdings has entered into a strategic partnership with Japanese companies Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), which will see significant investment into the company. The partnership comprises a share purchase agreement with MC and MHI, which will acquire 38.4% of Metito shares, predominantly from its existing shareholder Gulf Capital for an undisclosed sum. JBIC will also subscribe as a preference shareholder, providing Metito with additional funds of up to $92m to fund growth opportunities. This investment aims at supporting overseas business deployment of Japanese companies.

UAE-based telecom operator du‘s second largest Signature Shop was awarded a LEED Platinum certification, after scoring 90 out of a possible 110 points to make it the country’s greenest telecom retail outlet. This is the second du shop to have achieved LEED Platinum certification, having followed in the footsteps of company’s green shop in Fujairah City Centre. Abdulhadi Alalyak, Vice President - Asset Management and Corporate Administration, du, said, “Our newest du Shop is the embodiment of our commitment to adding life to life through services that bring more convenience, while adhering to our sustainability values. It sets an example of the possibilities of bringing sustainability into retail, in ways that will add more value by improving customer experience. The launch of our second LEED Platinum certified Shop is in line with our support of the UAE leadership’s vision of a more sustainable future for the country.” Apart from being environmentally-conscious, the du shop has also been designed and constructed with customer experience in mind to make transactions quick and convenient.

Jordan’s Irbid, Philadephia Solar sign deal The power purchase agreement is said to be the first of its kind in the country Jordan’s Irbid District Electricity Company has joined hands with Philadelphia Solar to buy power generated from the latter’s projected 10MW solar-fuelled plant, local media reported. This is said to be the first power purchase agreement between a renewable energy project and a power company. The US $22m facility is expected to be operational in mid2015, according to Philadelphia Solar. “The plant, which is located in the Northern Badia in Mafraq Governorate, will help reduce pressure on the government amidst an increasing energy bill,” Abdulrahman Shehadeh, Founder and Chairman of Philadelphia Solar, said. Stressing the importance of the project, Energy Minister Mohammad Hamed said the government is going ahead with renewable energy projects in implementation of the National Energy

Strategy, which envisions an increase in renewables’ contribution to the overall mix of energy resources. The minister added that Memoranda of Understanding were signed with several companies for implementing renewable energy projects, with around 45 firms expected to submit their technical and

financial offers by the end of September. Of the total, four companies will be selected to build four plants with a total capacity of 200MW. The minister added that some wind and solar energy projects will be implemented through grants from Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

UPDATE Regional news

Petrixo to use Honeywell’s fuel tech The company will annually process 500,000 metric tonnes of renewable feedstocks into jet fuel and diesel Honeywell’s wholly-owned subsidiary UOP has been selected by Dubai-based Petrixo Oil and Gas to provide green fuels process technology at its new refinery in Fujairah, UAE. Petrixo will use UOP Renewable Jet Fuel process technology to process approximately 500,000 metric tonnes per year of renewable feedstocks into renewable jet fuel and renewable diesel. The process technology is capable of processing a variety of renewable feedstocks. Petrixo announced earlier this year that it will invest US $800m to build the new refinery, which will have a design capacity of 1m tonnes per year of biofuel products, and will be the first commercialscale renewable jet fuel production facility outside of North America. “Petrixo believes that new energy solutions are immensely important for scalable, environmental and renewable solutions,” said Dr Eid Al Olayyan, CEO of Petrixo Oil & Gas. “UOP’s green fuels

technologies are proven refining solutions that produce high-quality products compatible with petroleum-based fuels.” The UOP technology is designed to provide flexibility to adjust the feedstock mix depending on parameters such as cost and availability, as well as to enable adoption of newer-generation feedstocks.

Damac Properties receives New partnerships for turtle Green Building Certification conservation in Oman Real estate developers Damac Properties has become the first company ever to receive a Green Building Certification from the Department of Planning & Development, Trakhees. Trakhees, a Dubai-based local regulatory authority and the first to undertake local certification, awarded the certificate to NAIA at Suburbia Jebel Ali hotel apartments, which will open later this year. The project demonstrated its compliance to Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Sustainability criteria for the built environment, and became the first project to ever be certified ‘green’ under the scheme.

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The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) has signed two memoranda of understanding (MoU) with the Oman Oil Company (OOC) and the Port of Duqm to support marine turtle conservation on Masirah Island. According to a press release, the project aims to collect nesting data and help ESO field workers to engage with the local community through awareness campaigns. Amor al Mattani, Vice President, ESO said, “ESO has been studying sea turtles on Masirah Island since 2008 and the new partnerships will allow us to continue our programmes in order to understand the population trends.” Mulham al Jarf, Deputy CEO, OOC, said, “In line with OOC’s corporate sustainability objectives, this project empowers communities to actively participate in preserving the environment.” Peter Broers, General Manager, Port of Duqm Industrial Land, said, “This ESO project will give us the insight to find out how the port activities and the natural habitat can go hand in hand.” Masirah Island is home to the world’s largest population of nesting Loggerhead Turtles.

NEWS BRIEFS ENOC donates to UAE Water Aid initiative Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) pledged AED 3m towards the UAE Water Aid initiative (UAE Suqia). It aims to provide access for 5m people around the world to fresh drinking water. Saeed Khoory, CEO of ENOC, handed over the cheque for AED 3m to Yahia Abdullah AlMuaimi, Local Aid Section Head of Red Crescent. Donation boxes are placed at all service stations enabling donors to make their contributions.

EGBC to participate in UN Global Compact Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) has been formally accepted as a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, a strategic policy initiative that aligns the operations of members with ten universally accepted principles including environmental sustainability. EGBC is currently one of only two Business Association participants from the UAE. The country has over 50 participants including the city of Dubai.

UPDATE World

CLIMATE CHANGE

RENEWABLES

World needs $550bn to deal with climate change

Renewable energy provides 6.5m jobs globally

The investment would scale-up renewable energy to 36% or more of the total energy mix globally by 2030

Sector shows significant job growth over 2012; largest employers include China, United States and India

The transition to a sustainable energy future will require, on average, US $550bn investment in renewable energy per year until 2030, the International Renewable Energy Agency said at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF Wall Street) in New York. The investment, coupled with increased emphasis on energy efficiency, would scale-up renewable energy to 36% or more of the total energy mix globally by 2030, and put CO2 emissions on a 450ppm path, keeping the global temperature increase at an acceptable threshold, according to the agency’s new report, REmap 2030. “We need to double the level of investment that we are seeing today to significantly scale-up renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions to an acceptable level,” Adnan Z Amin, Director-General of IRENA, said at the meeting. “This level of investment together with energy efficiency measures will help mitigate the catastrophic impact of climate change,” he added. The annual investment includes investing in heating and cooling in stationary applications in the industrial, residential and commercial sectors. The majority of the investment needs to flow into wind power, hydropower and solar power. The benefits of the renewable energy transition partially outweigh the investment needs. “The emerging challenge we are facing today is financing renewable energy technologies in the end use sector. This is crucial to make the renewable energy transition complete,” Amin said.

In 2013, approximately 6.5m people were already employed in the renewable energy industry worldwide, according to a new study titled ‘Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2014’. The study underlines the important role that renewables continue to play in employment creation and growth in the global economy. The comprehensive annual review shows steady growth in the number of renewable energy jobs worldwide, which expanded from 5.7m in 2012. This proves that the sector is no longer niche, and that it has become a significant employer worldwide. Renewable energy employment was shaped by regional shifts, industry realignments, growing competition and advances in technologies and manufacturing processes in 2013. The largest employers by country are China, Brazil, the United States, India, Germany, Spain and Bangladesh, while the largest employers by sector are solar photovoltaic, biofuels, wind, modern biomass and biogas. Surging demand for solar PV in China and Japan has increased employment in the installation sector and eased some PV module over-supply concerns. In the wind industry, China and Canada provided positive impulses while the outlook for the US remains somewhat mixed because of political uncertainty. The offshore wind industry is still concentrated in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom and Germany. The biofuels value chain provides the second largest number of renewable energy jobs after solar PV. The US remains the largest biofuels producer, while Brazil remains the largest employer.

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01 Adnan Z Amin, Director General of IRENA

UPDATE Offbeat

Casa Futebol Fancy living in one of Brazil’s world cup stadiums? Two architects are planning to make sustainable use of all that gigantic spaces sitting vacant

The FIFA World Cup 2014 has ended, leaving Brazil with the heady task of deciding what exactly to do with the 12 stadiums that were built or converted for games. Two architects have published a proposal to convert the stadiums into something Brazil desperately needs: Affordable housing. French architects Axel de Stampa and Sylvain Macaux have been tackling an architectural issue each week for 29 weeks running at their site 1 Week 1 Project. Their stadium-focused solutions entitled Casa Futebol are extremely timely, especially after outcry surrounding Japan’s Olympic stadium forced architect Zaha Hadid to redesign it to be more flexible—and more multipurpose—at a savings of US $1.3bn. While the idea itself is completely unrealistic—these structures were not designed to support hundreds of additional housing units—it does raise an interesting question about exactly how the venues for these mega-events should be reused. So what will happen in Brazil? Some of the venues will be dismantled (they were only temporary) and some will be reused (a few are undergoing special modifications for the 2016 Olympics), but for the most part, there is not any kind of longterm vision for how to best utilize the stadiums, which are

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gigantic structures that will often be sitting vacant. Adding housing, in a way, makes perfect sense. At the heart of the Casa Futebol proposal is a colorful modular housing unit that can be installed between the concrete pylons that form much of the stadiums’ infrastructure. These units can easily stack around the structures’ perimeters, making great use of what is traditionally wasted space in any sporting venue. The stadiums themselves would remain functional, according to the proposal, with a portion of ticket sales going towards the maintenance and upkeep of the residential units themselves. It is likely that kids would have access to the field when it’s not being used, giving them the best public space in the city. And like the cluster of lucky homeowners who peer into Chicago’s Wrigley Field, certain families would get what are pretty much front-row seats to all events. While some stadiums claim they will be converted into publicaccessible parks, even the most promising reuse plans for World Cup stadiums are still event-based, meaning they are financially dependent on someone’s ability to book events and sell tickets. Turning a stadium into a high-density, mixed-use residential centre is actually the perfect way to take advantage of the structure’s size and central location.

COVER STORY Green mosques

Inspiring ecology Eco-efficient mosques gain prominence in the Middle East, taking sustainability to the grassroots

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COVER STORY Green mosques

Saudi Arabian developers are retrofitting mosques to reduce lighting and energy consumption by up to 80% and water use by up to 40%, in addition to reducing carbon emissions by up to 30% Dubai’s first environmentally friendly mosque, the Khalifa Al Tajer, opened its door to worshippers last month. The emirate is clearly expanding the realm of its green building initiatives and according to reports, it is also planning to retrofit a number of mosques in order to make them more eco-efficient. In the region, mosques have great influence on the society due to the large number of worshipers who visit them. Thus making them more eco-friendly will mean taking sustainability to the grassroots level. Mosques are not only spiritual centres as they also accommodate social and educational activities. This is why a large number of experts say that mosques’ positive impact in advancing the concept of sustainability in society is indisputable. Saudi Arabia, which issued decrees in March this year to ensure sustainability on an industrial scale, is also planning to build greener mosques. To this effect, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs is retrofitting over 90,000 mosques across the Kingdom to make them more eco-friendly. Developers are using advanced green building techniques to reduce lighting and energy consumption by up to 80%, water use by up to 40%, and carbon emissions by up to 30%. Experts also believe that this will in turn lead to significant economic returns. “The ministry’s efforts to utilise solar and other renewable sources of energy along with promoting energy efficiency initiatives, is part of its bid to put sustainability on the national stage. Through mosques, the government aims to directly communicate the importance of green buildings to the people and create awareness among all the stakeholders,” says Esam R Al Mazroei, Managing Director, Bahri & Mazroei Group. The concept is gaining so much prominence in Saudi Arabia that awards, such as the Abdullatif Al-Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture, are being founded to promote sustainable designs. According to the award’s executive committee, its main objectives are to develop and enhance environmentally-interactive architecture and achieve an integral balance between a mosque’s beauty, spirituality and its surroundings. This year, the awards were won by the mosque at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran, the Al-Kindy Square Mosque, Four Communities Mosque in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh and the umbrella project in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The committee believes that it is vital for houses of worship to set positive examples by ensuring sustainability at the social, cultural, economic and environmental levels. The Abdullatif Al-Fozan Awards is being planned to include mosques from other countries as well.

THE WAY FORWARD

While designing and building mosques, their everyday functions need to be taken into account. As their activities become more and more intensive and well organised, mosques attract a huge number of people, who normally exceed its capacity. This physical challenge leads to poor indoor as well as outdoor air quality, puts pressure on cooling systems thereby rendering them inefficient and escalates demand for natural resources, such as water. These problems can be potentially addressed through retrofitting by opting for energy efficient ligthing and water fixtures, and improved HVAC systems. However, while building a new green mosque, the objective would also be to utilise as many green materials as possible, categorically use thermal insulation and perhaps incorporate solar panels while designing the mosques. “Mosques have unique functional requirements and operational characteristics as they are partially or fully occupied for about an hour for five intermittent periods during the day. People do not usually arrive at or leave the mosque at exactly the same time during this hour but rather at random and therefore maximum occupancy is expected to occur during the actual performance of each prayer which lasts from about 15 to 20 minutes,” Al Mazroei says. “In such an operating environment, combined with very hot climates, maintaining indoor thermal comfort will require a considerable amount of energy. This can be reduced by proper operational zoning, effective HVAC operation strategies coupled with optimised demand management and using co-efficient of performance (COP)-based design,” he adds. HVAC systems play a significant role in building green because they are a large contributor to indoor environmental quality and energy. Further, high COP HVAC systems can reduce energy consumption of the building, permit a substantial offset of necessary capacity and improve air quality. “By designing and operating HVACs properly, mosques can reduce the reliance on supplemental mechanical cooling systems. In addition to this, there is a considerable demand for water in mosques, which is mostly produced through energy intensive desalination process and this has a impact both on energy and carbon sustainability,” Al Mazroei says. He adds, “Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest markets for high COP HVAC systems due to a combination of factors such as demographics, desert climate, increasing energy/carbon intensity, and Oil and Gas.” Indoor air quality in mosques is also affected by carpets, which assumes even more importance because worshippers perform

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Mosques have unique functional requirements, operational characteristics and requirements as they are partially or fully occupied for about an hour for five intermittent periods during the day prayers by kneeling down and prostrating. Most carpets contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are emitted as gases and can have a negative health impact if inhaled, according to Steven Pratt, Regional Director Sales – Middle East, Interface. “While the risk of developing a health issue due to VOCs depends on how much is in the air, how long and how often a person breathes it, reducing VOCs will greatly increase indoor air quality and improve well-being,” he adds. When exposed to VOCs, people may experience a wide range of symptoms that can include nose and throat discomfort, headache, dyspnea, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. The odour from a new carpet is a VOC called 4-phenylcyclohexene, which is a by-product of the latex binder used to secure the fibres. Thus it is implicit that carpets with low emissions are chosen and if installation requires gluing down the carpet, one can use lowemitting, non-solvent adhesives. “We believe people are becoming more aware about the issues and the demand for low VOC carpet will increase,” Pratt says. Water saving technologies are a part of every green building and it is no different in mosques. Last month, during Ramadan,

several mosques across Dubai were retrofitted with equipment to save water. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) partnered with the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities to replace faucets used for wudu (ablution) in several mosques with high-tech water saving equipment. “This initiative is in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve sustainable development in the emirate. We spare no effort in preserving our valuable natural resources and protecting our environment to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come,” says Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dewa. Grohe, manufacturer and supplier of sanitary fittings, launched a ‘Green Mosque’ initiative in the Middle East in 2009. “This is part of Grohe’s global WaterCare campaign which seeks to increase public awareness about water conservation techniques and secure the future of this precious natural resource. The Great Umayyad mosque in Syria was selected as the beneficiary of this

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COVER STORY Green mosques

initiative because it is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world and is considered the fourth most sacred place in Islam. The initiative will have a great impact in preserving water and saving public funds,” says Simon G Shaya, General Manager and President, Grohe Middle East and Africa. The company’s eco-efficient products include the Contropress and Contromix self-closing taps, which minimise water wastage during ablution and Euroeco Cosmopolitan S Self-closing pillar taps, which are fitted in several mosques in Saudi Arabia. Grohe also has a dedicated product line called the EcoJoy, which are said to be systematically designed to save water and energy. Lighting is another important aspect at mosques. Sergio Padula, Technical Director – Middle East, iGuzzini says highquality LED solutions - such as the ones the company manufactures - can help save over 0% of energy and consists of added benefits in term of easy maintenance and reduced heating.

“LED is also the most preferred lighting technology in the region. It is well-positioned in the market, considering the fact that it accounted for almost half of our turnover last year. I believe Saudi Arabia’s new sustainable mosque initiative will definitely drive businesses of LED lighting suppliers in the region,” Padula says. Lighting can be further optimised with the use of locallydeployed sensors, which can be cost effective as well as energy efficient. Companies offer a wide variety of sensors such as the ultrasonic ceiling or wall switch sensors and digital time switches, which can be set as per prayer timings. Ensuring sustainability in mosques is not a particularly new concept, however, it has the potential to hugely impact the environment, especially in this region. Introducing this ‘green’ culture in mosques will strengthen the green building sector significantly.

Ushering a new wave Dubai sets a benchmark by building the most environmentally sustainable mosque in the region Touted as the first green mosque to be built in the region, the Khalifa Al Tajer Mosque in Dubai has been designed to achieve highest levels of eco-efficiency. Built on a 105,000 sq ft of land, the mosque covers 45,000 sq ft, excluding landscaping. The materials and other components used to build the mosque helps to save 20 to 25% on energy and water resources. It has been built with environmentally friendly materials as well as thermal insulation systems. This ensures that the building is naturally cool, thereby requiring less air conditioning, which in turn corresponds to less greenhouse gas emissions. Within the building, sensors and climate control system have been installed that remotely adjust the intensity of the AC or switches it off when the prayer rooms are empty. Similarly, motion-controlled sensors with timers are fitted inside the mosque. This means, energy efficient LED lights are remotely switched on before prayer timings

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and automatically switched off when there is nobody in the room. With all these sensors, it is reported that there is not a single electric switch in the mosque. However, curiously enough, the abundantly available solar energy is sparingly used to power the building. It is being used for external lighting - wherein the poles are fitted with solar panels and a battery storage system - and for heating water. The most important element at the mosque is its water saving capabilities. The mosque integrates latest green technologies, which adjust the speed of water flow in taps and recycle the used water in washrooms and for gardening. Having strictly followed Dubai’s green building regulation, the mosque’s foundation aims to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification conferred by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). Further, more mosques in the emirate are expected to adopt eco-friendly elements.

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Stemming the leaks If the region wants to avoid acute water shortage, losses due to network leakage need to be addressed

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ENERGY AND WATER Leak detection and prevention

Whenever countries in the region have faced water scarcity, governments go into overdrive pumping sea water into large desalination plants to ensure clean water supply. However, what authorities seem to overlook is the amount of water that is lost through network leakages – which is clearly a case of unsustainable utilities distribution. The problem takes even more prominence in the dry desert lands of the Gulf where water is a not an easily available resource, and its treatment and production in itself can be a burden on the governments’ exchequer. According to the World Bank estimates, each year 32bn m3 of treated water is lost through leakages in distribution networks globally. An additional 16bn m3 per year is supplied but not invoiced due to improper billing, poor metering or corruption and thefts. These elements then represent a country’s NonRevenue Water (NRW) or unaccounted-for water, which refers to the difference between system input volume and billed authorised consumption. NRW percentages impact the efficiency of the water industry in the GCC. According to industry estimates, the UAE has performed better than its GCC counterparts with only 13% of unaccounted-for water. “This is mainly because most of the water infrastructure has been setup in the past decade and is in good condition,” says Kshitij Nilkanth, Programme Manager, Environmental Technologies Practice, South Asia and Middle East, Frost & Sullivan. “Bahrain attributes 23% and Oman 31% to unaccounted-for water. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have massive scope of improvement with an average of 35% unaccounted-for water,” he adds. Utilities and water authorities have built a number of water treatment plants, but leakages at current level hinder not just the supply but are also responsible for losses in water revenues, which otherwise would help utilities become revenue-neutral and in due course, profitable. Critical leaks are the non-visible ones and most likely take place in the underground pipes. Leaks or chances of leaks depend on the age and the overall condition of the network. Another factor that plays a key role here is how well the pressure is managed in the networks. “Water damages frequently occur when leaks are undetected over extended period of time. It is critical to have a proactive strategy to detect a leak and reduce water loss. This can be done by trained technicians, engineers and deployment of specialised equipment,” Nilkanth explains. Leak detection technologies have been a widely researched subject and have undergone major changes. The most commonly used method involves acoustic equipment which ‘listens’ to the noise originating from two points and collates information through a leak noise co-relator method. There have been improvements in leak detection technologies. However, their adoption is said to be sluggish especially in developing countries and this is primarily due to the limited revenues that municipalities/utilities generate, a report by Frost & Sullivan report says. Globally, the focus is on improving water supply and service coverage, including desalination and setting up of water treatment and wastewater/sanitation infrastructure. Leak detection is yet to take centre-stage among the issues faced by utilities in developing countries. Typically, leak detection is performed by deploying zone-

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ENERGY AND WATER Leak detection and prevention

“Network leakages require active detection technologies and setting up of required infrastructure such as advanced metering, billing equipment, and improved monitoring and tracking system” KSHITIJ NILKANTH, PROGRAMME MANAGER, ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES PRACTICE, SOUTH ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST, FROST & SULLIVAN

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metering technology to identify areas of interest and then using acoustic listening devices to locate leaks along the distribution lines. Unfortunately, not all leaks can be detected by this method and background leaks are not always audible, which means the leak can run indefinitely because the water seeps into the ground below. Moreover, it is a labour-intensive task that involves walking over the underground lines and listening for the sounds of possible leaks. “Water network leakages require active leak detection technologies, setting up of required infrastructure including advanced metering, billing equipment and improved monitoring and tracking system. This requires overhauling of current systems and therefore investments, which becomes a challenge,” says Nilkanth. Latest software offer apps that provide efficient GIS-centric leak repair workflow, allowing utility operators to quickly dispatch leak repair jobs, and field crews to spatially view the leak location, locate valves to isolate the leak, perform the repair, and document the network condition and amount of water lost during the leak period. The applications also allow field users to take photos and capture the GPS location of the leaks, which can be used to analyse network areas prone to future leak issues. “In recent years, innovations using high resolution acoustics and surface sensor array to detect and optimise leak sounds have been developed. Use of radiometric technologies in combination is helping improve detection performance and accuracy. These technologies also aid mapping of the piping network by providing a three dimensional representation of the network helping identify condition of pipes,” Nilkanth adds.

According to a report by Sensus, utilities could save up to $12.5bn by implementing smart water systems, so there are huge opportunities for smart water companies who are offering the right solutions. These companies offer leak detection services that uses Infrared Energy Pattern Analysis (IR-EPA) to investigate suspected anomalous area, during which specific temperature patterns created by underground leaks caused by pipelines or underground storage tanks (USTs) are detected. This investigation is complemented with Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) for large aerial surveys. Further, sub-meter GPS is used to ensure field crews can easily locate the anomalous areas and it is possible to investigate an entire system without disrupting workflow. Such investigations can be explored further by utilising Ground Penetrating Microwave Radar (GPR), which provides 3-D views of specific areas that require more detail, such as composition, depth, and size of underground anomalies, which helps in the remediation process. Other innovations within the smart water networks allow utilities to monitor and maximise existing water supplies, respond to regulatory pressure for improved customer services using cloud-based platforms, save expenditure on new infrastructure to secure water supplies and generally improve their overall network efficiency. These also come with long-term benefits – saving water resources now will stand utilities in good stead for a future characterised by climate change, increasing water scarcity and population growth. A closer look at water leakage reduction in public water systems could just be the thing the GCC governments need to step up the game against perpetual water shortage.

AUTOMOTIVE Vehicle recycling

End of the road The GCC can recycle almost 1m tonnes of metal from vehicles that can no longer run on roads

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AUTOMOTIVE Vehicle recycling

“Stricter laws, green marketing and public-private partnerships are key drivers for the vehicle recycling market in the GCC” SUBHASH JOSHI, SENIOR CONSULTANT, AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSPORTATION PRACTICE (MENA), FROST & SULLIVAN

A globally rising trend, End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) recycling is a market with high growth potential in most of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Though currently at a nascent stage with the first plant being opened in Sharjah in 2013, the GCC countries have the potential to recover 0.9m tonnes of metal by 2020. Automobiles are one of the highest recyclable-engineered goods produced, with recovery rates of almost 90%. Middle East in general and the GCC in particular, are fast growing markets for the automobile industry. According to Frost & Sullivan, vehicle sales in the GCC are likely to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5% between 2014 and 2020. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are expected to dominate with a combined market share of 76.5%. Higher standards of living combined with other factors like improved per capita income, auto-financing programmes, lack of public transportation system and growing population, are driving the auto sales in the region. Projection last year said the Middle East’s automotive market is likely to grow 20% annually over the next five years. “The automotive aftermarket in the GCC countries in 2012 was vibrant and estimated to have grown between 15% and 20%. By 2016, the aftermarket sector is predicted to hit US$14.4bn,” Ibrahim Mohammad Al Janahi, Deputy CEO of Jafza and Chief Commercial Officer of Economic Zones World (EZW), was quoted as saying. Frost & Sullivan estimates 58m tonnes of metal is expected to be recovered from ELV recycling by 2020, globally. Vehicle ownership has been increasing at a very fast pace and has already crossed the 1bn mark, which has also resulted in an increase in generation of ELV. Since ELV consist of 73-75% metal, it has been traditionally traded as a valuable secondary resource and is easily recyclable. Earlier this year, UAE-based waste management firm Bee’ah opened a facility for the shredding and recycling of automobiles in Al Saja’a, Sharjah. The company claims that the facility is the first of its kind in the UAE and contains machines that can shred up to 60 cars per hour, with an average-sized car taking about 50-70 seconds to be fully destroyed. “Car recycling helps both people and companies to grow, by helping to protect the environment and its resources,” said Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO, Bee’ah. “Additionally, it returns materials back into the economy cycle.” The auto recycling industry plays an important role in conservation of natural resources through recycling and reuse of vehicle parts, automotive fluids and scrap metal. Today, most of the global car manufacturers have acknowledged that used cars are an important source of secondary raw materials and by closing the gaps in the material cycle through recycling, ELV contributes

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towards conservation of natural resources by providing renewable raw materials, which are cost effective and environment conscious. “Almost 1.17m vehicles will be reaching End of Life (EOL) state by 2020 in the GCC, which makes the GCC countries highly potent for ELV recycling,” says Subhash Joshi, Senior Consultant, Automotive & Transportation Practice, Middle East and North Africa, Frost & Sullivan. “ELV offers a sustainable business model for recyclers and part re-manufacturers, which are presently very limited in the region,” Joshi adds. Globally, countries are making it a priority to encourage recycling of ELV. Japan, for example, has outlined a law that defines responsibilities of automakers and other concerned parties in order to encourage the recycling, thermal recovery, and proper treatment of ELVs. In the GCC, Mercedes Benz has made an inspiring effort on this front by developing their own recycling management system. However, challenges like lack of unified regulations and infrastructure, limited attention to ecological impact of ELV disposal, and minimal vehicle assembly and manufacturing in the region are hindering growth of ELV recycling market in the GCC. “To address these challenges, the GCC governments have to advocate stricter laws with respect to ELV recycling and initiate appropriate incentives for all stakeholders involved in the process,” says the Frost & Sullivan report. Another important aspect is to initiate green marketing to brand the automotive recycling industry as a professional organisation selling green, economical and safe recycled parts, Frost & Sullivan recommends. There is a need for Public-Private Partnership, with the cooperation of all stakeholders, and appropriate incentives, to develop an efficient and viable recycling industry in the GCC.

01 Bee’ah’s car shredding and recycling facility in Al Saja’a, Sharjah

RENEWABLES MENA Solar Report

The rising Sun As countries worldwide continue the search for alternate energy options, the oil-rich Gulf countries are looking up to their other abundant resource: the Sun

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RENEWABLES MENA Solar Report

Despite the increasing popularity of solar power around the world, the Middle East has been slow to adopt renewable energy. This is not particularly surprising, given the region’s massive wealth of hydrocarbons. However, over the past five years there has been a sea change in the countries’ approach to the sector. Today, every state has adopted a 2020 renewable energy target, ranging from 42% in Morocco to just 1% in Dubai, while the amount of planned renewable energy capacity to be installed by 2020 has more than doubled to 54,000MW since 2011. Last month, Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) released a report prepared in collaboration with MEED, that forecasts that the MENA region could see more than US $50bn worth of investment in its solar power sector by 2020 as regional governments push for the adoption of clean energy and take advantage of the region’s high solar irradiation levels. All 14 countries covered in the report now have renewable energy targets which – if met – imply a total installed capacity of more than 54,000MW by 2020 compared with 16,600MW installed today. At current prices, this will require investment of more than $190bn. Installed electricity generating capacity totalled just under 260,000MW at the end of 2012. Of this, over 16,600MW, representing 6% of the total, came from renewable energy sources, the report said. The majority of existing renewable capacity comes in the form of hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 15,200MW. Of the remaining renewable energy capacity in the MENA region at the end of 2012, wind was by far the largest segment, totalling 1,038MW. The installed solar capacity, excluding the thermal elements on integrated solar combinedcycle (ISCC) schemes, stood at 271MW. However, of the 37,400MW new build requirement, more than half will be sourced from solar energy. Solar is the main focus in the GCC states where the wind profile is not as

advantageous. In North Africa, solar and wind power will be the two most important renewable energies, the report mentioned. Presently photovoltaic (PV) technology constitutes the majority of existing solar projects in the region. However, concentrating solar power (CSP) is gaining traction especially for larger projects, and is expected to equal PV in terms of installed capacity by 2020. Renewables policy is being driven by a number of factors such as: population, economic growth, declining availability of oil and gas for power generation, a growing environmental awareness, and the desire to capitalise on technological trends to create local employment. But, the targets are highly ambitious and unlikely to be met. This is mainly due to a lack of the right regulatory frameworks and fiscal incentives in most countries of the region. Financing is also a challenge. Without implementing policies such as feedin tariffs and tax incentives, countries will struggle to attract investment in their renewable energy sectors. This is already the case with most renewable energy programmes, with very few moving to schedule. Bureaucratic, financial, technological and regulatory issues are the prime reasons for this, underlining the need for governments to take a cohesive and committed approach to renewable energy. Nonetheless, even if only half the target is achieved, this will still represent a significant investment and herald a sea change in the region’s approach to renewable energy. Just as importantly, it bodes well for further development up to 2030. The country with the most ambitious target is Saudi Arabia, with 23,900MW of renewable capacity planned by 2020 from almost nothing today. Of this, at least 10,000MW will be in the form of solar energy, with the ultimate figure dependent on the procurement process. In 2012, the country announced it was raising funds to spend US $109bn on solar energy, in a push to secure a third of its electricity from renewable resources by 2032.

If 2020 renewable energy targets are met, Middle East will have a total installed capacity of more than 54,000MW compared with the current 16,600MW

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RENEWABLES MENA Solar Report

The country with the most ambitious target is Saudi Arabia, with 23,900MW of renewable capacity planned by 2020 from almost nothing today The goal will be overseen by the King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (KACARE). The KACARE programme is by far the most ambitious in the region and one of the biggest of its type in the world. However, the programme is already nearly a year late under the schedule proposed by its draft White Paper in early 2013, and there are concerns over when or if it will go ahead. The UAE too has been stepping up investment in solar. Last year Abu Dhabi launched Shams 1 – the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant (CSP) in operation. The 100MW plant, located in the western region of Abu Dhabi, generates enough clean energy to power 20,000 homes in the UAE. Dubai too opened the first phase of a 13 MW photovoltaic park last year, which has the capacity to generate 1,000MW of power when completed. Qatar recently unveiled a first-of-its-kind solar-panel factory that plans to produce 2.5GW of solar energy annually. “It’s an exciting future for solar energy and we haven’t even scratched the surface,” Qatar Solar Energy company (QSE) board member Reyad Fezzani says. While Qatar - the largest exporter of liquid natural gas in the world - is unlikely to trade fossil-fuel production for solar anytime soon, Fezzani said the time had come to focus on renewable energy. Qatar’s government plans to convert 2% of its power output to renewable sources by 2020. “Hydrocarbons are going to be with us for many years, but we need to move towards environmentally friendly energy sources,” he adds.

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Egypt, Algeria and Morocco are the three states that are very upbeat about renewables. Egypt, which already has 3,370MW of installed renewable capacity, is looking to grow that fourfold to 12,000MW over the next seven years, primarily through the construction of wind farms, although solar will also play a role. Morocco is perhaps the most advanced nation in the region in terms of solar energy development. Its first CSP project is off the ground and 200MW of additional solar power is under procurement, which when completed will give it the largest solar capacity of any state in MENA. The Algeria experiment remains stymied by political issues and accusations of corruption in the energy sector. Should it overcome these issues, it has the finances and resources to deliver substantial uplift in its solar energy plans. For most Arab states, raising the contribution of solar power in the energy mix is only one part of the renewables drive. Increasingly, governments see the capacity push as nurturing new solar-related manufacturing, which will not only create much-needed employment, but also assist in economic diversification. To date, the largest investments have been in the first polysilicon plants in the Gulf, while in North Africa, the focus has been on PV panels manufacturing. For oil-rich Gulf States, the move towards solar energy is a smart one. The more solar energy they use to power their nations, the more petroleum they can export to oil-thirsty countries. (With inputs from MENA Solar Energy Report 2014 by MESIA in collaboration with MEED)

COMMENTARY Construction

Nil to landfill An integrated approach to construction waste management is a step in the right direction for project teams to achieve their sustainability goals With the large-scale and rapid development of projects being planned, designed and built in the Middle East, it is imperative that we explore innovative and sustainable ways to minimise our construction waste. Though significant gains have been made over the past few years in the regulatory environment for sustainability, there still remains a need to raise awareness and improve accessibility within the current market in regards to the benefits of effective construction waste management. It is now time for project teams to adopt an integrated and holistic construction waste management approach across the project lifecycle in order to establish a platform for a paradigm shift towards a â&#x20AC;&#x153;zero-construction-wasteâ&#x20AC;? industry. The construction process generates vast amounts of waste, the majority of which is either excess virgin product, site damaged virgin materials, and reusable or recyclable materials. Concrete, timber, metals, plastics, paper/cardboards, excavated soils and gypsum are all prime examples of recyclable materials with a high resource value, which unfortunately in many cases are still being disposed to landfill.

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Legislative mandates such as the Dubai Green Building Regulations, Estidama Rating System, Global Sustainability Assessment System, as well as other international sustainability rating systems like LEED and BREEAM, outline the requirements for the segregation of waste streams on site, in addition to the establishment of a robust monitoring and reporting programme. These regulations and rating systems require project teams to prepare and implement a Construction Waste Management Plan, with the objective of diverting as much construction waste as possible from disposal in landfills or to incineration facilities. The backbone of any such management plan is the identification of waste avoidance and reduction strategies. This is where the globally-recognised waste hierarchy is used to prioritise what constitutes the best overall environmental option for the management of each waste stream. The application of the hierarchy also prevents emissions of greenhouse gases, reduces pollutants, saves energy, conserves resources and stimulates the development of green technologies. In order to ensure integrated approach is adopted across the

COMMENTARY Construction

“It is important that construction waste management plans are prepared early on in the design phase in a collaborative environment with all project stakeholders” STEPHEN SMITH, SUSTAINABILIT Y MANAGER, BROOKFIELD MULTIPLEX

entire project lifecycle, it is important that Construction Waste Management Plans are prepared early on in the design phase in a collaborative environment with all project stakeholders, particularly the main contractor. The plan needs to be a partnership between the client, project designers, main contractor and subcontractors throughout the lifecycle of the project. The role of the design team can have significant influence on the overall project and waste generation. Key considerations for designers can include simplifying material components, materials optimisation, specifying materials which utilise recycled content in their production, utilise modular components where possible and design for future flexibility and adaptability. Additionally it is important to consider the building’s deconstruction method, even in the early design stages. It is evident throughout the market that contractors can no longer use a “one-stop-shop” for the management or removal of construction waste due to green building regulations. Waste reduction and minimisation techniques must be bespoke, aligned with construction methodologies and operations, and easy to

implement. You will often find that this will require the engagement of several waste service providers and/or merchants, arrangements with the supply chain for accepting material off-cuts, recovering materials for re-use onsite and the sustainable procurement of materials. It is essential to educate the onsite teams to ensure the achievement of minimised construction waste. A robust monitoring and reporting system should also be utilised to monitor the effectiveness of the waste management plan as well as analyse data for trends. An integrated and holistic approach to construction waste management is a step in the right direction for project teams to achieve their construction waste goals. However, the market will only continue to mature and evolve once the environmental, social and economic benefits of recycling and resource recovery are fully realised in the region. The increase in demand for materials with recycled content, coupled with increasing waste disposal costs and the limitations on landfill capacity, will help lay the foundation for systemic change throughout the construction industry, creating more sustainable environments for future generations.

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DIARY DATES Events & Conferences

Diary dates Future Interiors Qatar Al Sharq Village and Spa, Doha, Qatar September 8-9

Future Interiors Qatar provides the meeting place for project owners, managers, design professionals, contractors and consultants to stay up to date on industry trends and lucrative business opportunities. The conference is an excellent opportunity for industry practitioners to exchange ideas and best practice, as case studies from major projects in Qatar and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries will be highlighted. The event will also provide a focused platform for manufacturers, materials suppliers and solution providers to showcase their expertise, products and services.

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Sustainable Design & Construction Middle East Summit Dubai, UAE October 19-22 Dubai’s successful bid for Expo 2020 has pushed the bar higher for green efficiency not only in the UAE, but across the Gulf. At the forefront of sustainable design and construction are the building regulations, as governing bodies put more focus on conservation in the Middle East. Whether LEED, GSAS, Estidama, BREEAM, or the UAE’s Green Building codes, designers and developers are considering ways to ensure their designs comply with building regulations. The Sustainable Design & Construction Middle East Summit will be held from 20-21 October 2014 with special Façade and HVAC Focus Days on 19 and 22 October respectively. Sustainable construction experts will discuss key trends and innovations taking place in the field.

Future Landscape & Public Realm Qatar Doha, Qatar 27–28 October

ADIPEC ADNEC Abu Dhabi, UAE November 10-13

As Qatar prepares for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, the design, construction and supply of appealing outdoor spaces has become ever more important. Future Landscape & Public Realm Qatar provides an excellent opportunity for landscaping and exterior design professionals and urban planners to gather and discuss the latest trends, key challenges, ongoing projects and upcoming opportunities in Qatar.

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