The UAE is leading the way in the Middle East in incorporating sustainability and environmental standards into construction and real estate. Ian Bevan and Ejiro Otu discuss how there is still more to be done to encourage green building solutions.
When it comes to sustainability, the UAE is no stranger to firsts.
As an example, the UAE was the first Gulf country to ratify the Paris Climate Agreement, the first Gulf country to commit to reducing emissions in all economic sectors by 2030, and the first to achieve net zero by 2030. He also took the lead in efforts to do so. 2050.
The country is now applying sustainability and environmental standards to its fast-growing construction and real estate sectors, and in some areas it is increasingly, if not identical to, some of the most stringent building codes in the world. We are beginning to see the adoption of compliant regulations.
Additionally, some exciting city-scale developments are taking shape that are setting high standards for sustainability, liveability, and environmental design.
The UAE has built a strong foundation for further development, and real estate and construction regulations are expected to continue to evolve as the country seeks ways to develop sustainably.
federal background
Environmental regulatory measures are taken both at the federal level and in individual emirates.
At the federal level, there is a focus on laws and regulations to promote energy and water conservation, renewable energy deployment, and other measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many of which have been in place for some time. It has been implemented before.
The federal law on the protection and development of the environment has been in force since 1999. It sets out general principles and obligations regarding environmental protection and gives the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment the power to issue regulations on matters such as energy efficiency and conservation. .
UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030 include national goals for environmental protection, energy efficiency, renewable energy and low-carbon development.
Forward-looking goals such as reducing CO2, diversifying energy sources, increasing the share of clean power in the overall energy mix and strengthening the country’s resilience to the impacts of climate change are also set out in the Energy Strategy 2050 and the UAE Climate Change Plan 2017-2050. included in both. .
In terms of construction, the UAE Cabinet has approved the application of green and sustainable building standards across the country as early as 2010. In 2022, the Cabinet approved further measures under a new set of national building regulations and standards aimed at energy reduction. In-building usage is reduced by 25% and water consumption by 16%.
Action at Emirates level
Individual Emirates, particularly Abu Dhabi and Dubai, have developed their own standards for green construction and energy efficiency in the building sector, and some of the most decisive action has been seen regarding real estate regulations and standards.
Abu Dhabi’s Estidama is a sustainability framework that includes a built environment rating system.
Enacted in 2010 by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, the law requires all new buildings and developments to meet and comply with standards in four key areas: environmental, economic, social and cultural. To obtain certification, a development must achieve at least one Pearl rating, while a government building must achieve two Pearl ratings.
This standard also applies to all existing buildings undergoing renovation or redevelopment, but not to other existing buildings. Estidama also provides guidelines for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of sustainable buildings and communities.
Dubai launched the Al Safat Architectural Rating System in 2016. Currently, this system has become the most important standard in the development of the emirate’s evaluation based on four categories of ecology and planning. Build vitality, energy efficiency and water. materials; and waste management.
Under Al Safat, all new buildings and developments must achieve at least a Silver Safa rating, but developers can also aim for higher Gold or Platinum ratings by meeting more stringent requirements.
The standard focuses not only on environmental performance, but also on innovation in key areas such as green technology and the use of efficient electrical and mechanical systems, all aimed at reducing energy consumption and reducing carbon emissions. That’s what I mean.
Standards in practice
A number of high-profile, large-scale developments in the UAE involving both government support and private developers demonstrate how efforts to create a greener real estate sector are progressing.
The Masdar City project, which began in 2006 and is expected to be completed in 2025, includes a wide range of academic, commercial, and residential developments that are subject to the Estidama Pearl rating system. It also includes many buildings that meet strict international building standards. For example, the Siemens regional headquarters building was his first LEED Platinum-certified office project in Abu Dhabi and is now at the vanguard of sustainability standards in the country.
Dubai Sustainable City – a project led by private sector group Diamond Developers – is the region’s first community designed to achieve net zero. It is built around an integrated sustainability plan that covers all aspects of street, housing and amenity design and was awarded Diamond Developer of the Year at the 2022 Smart Built Environment Awards.
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), located on Al Maryah Island, is the first international financial center to achieve carbon neutrality, with four towers offering approximately 200,000 square meters of office space built to strict international standards. Contains development. This is the first development in Abu Dhabi to receive the prestigious LEED Core rating and Shell Gold pre-certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
international comparison
Although the UAE has made great strides in implementing sustainability standards in real estate and construction, there are some key differences from other markets.
Regulations in the UK are mostly mandatory, including building regulations enforced by local authorities and energy performance regulations, which require all buildings to obtain an energy performance certificate when built, sold or let. These mandatory regulations are underpinned by BREEAM, a voluntary scheme that assesses the environmental performance of buildings and covers aspects such as energy, water, materials, waste and pollution.
In contrast, most standards and rating systems in the UAE are voluntary. However, they often closely mirror other international systems, particularly BREEAM and the US LEED rating system, and are tailored to local climate and environmental conditions. For example, the Estidama Pearl rating system prioritizes water and energy performance, weighted to reflect local environmental pressures. Both Estidama and Al Safat are equivalent in most respects to the UK Building Regulations in terms of scope and standards.
In all these jurisdictions, regulations and standards are largely driven by the building stock of different markets. For example, the UK has a mature and diverse building stock, so policy focuses on both new and existing buildings, both of which must meet regulations such as energy performance certificate requirements. yeah.
As the UAE’s stock is relatively young, policy is primarily focused on new development, renovation and redevelopment. Currently, there are no minimum standards for existing stock that is not being redeveloped.
Challenges to overcome, opportunities to seize
The UAE has made further progress than other countries in the region in developing and applying sustainability and environmental standards in the fast-growing real estate sector.
However, it is clear that there are challenges to overcome.
One obvious area that needs to be addressed is the application of standards to existing building stock that has not been renovated or redeveloped. Despite the pace of new development in the country, there is still a large amount of older buildings and housing remaining that would benefit from stricter standards. Greening these buildings will be an important part of the UAE’s journey towards greater sustainability.
Perhaps the greatest challenge, and therefore the area of greatest opportunity, concerns the development of economic incentives and mechanisms to promote green development. The lack of these undoubtedly acts as a barrier to sustainable development and hinders further progress for developers, owners and occupiers.
The UAE has the opportunity to develop a range of incentives such as grants, loans, guarantees, tax credits and rebates, which will improve the availability and affordability of green building solutions, including access to innovative technologies. The price will be significantly improved.
Unleashing these economic incentives, which have been evident from time to time in this region as well as elsewhere, will put countries on the path to sustainable development even faster and faster. It helps to dispel the idea that it is too expensive, despite the fact that it promotes it. .
We fully expect such incentives to be devised in the coming years, further accelerating that transition.