The past few years have witnessed many Gulf countries doing well in terms of establishing sustainability and ecological research organizations. The green movement has been taken up by premiers and civic bodies in the Gulf States as well, through establishing legislation governing sustainability and green building.
Concretizing the need for sustainability is Abu Dhabi, which is not merely UAE’s capital, but also the clean energy capital of the world. In addition, the emirate’s Urban Planning Council (UPC) has recently announced the creation of its own green building rating system, Estidama, with high expectations that the latter will become a benchmark for regional developers. Estidama will come into force within the early months of 2010, applying to new and existing buildings.
The system is expected to complement the criteria within the already existing and internationally acclaimed programmes like US-based Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), South Africa’s Green Star and UK’s BRE Environmental Assessment Method (Breeam).
This, according to UPC, is expected to help developers and their consultants to draw upon programmes with which they are most familiar, in their quest for Estidama’s green rating.
Next door in Dubai, a green building code is also in the pipeline and it is expected to be unveiled to the emirate’s construction fraternity in the very near future.
Materials and resources
Sustainable sourcing of building materials, under the Materials and Resources category of the LEED rating system, can earn points for construction projects. However, industry experts agree that it is one of the most difficult parts in the green rating processes.
Owing to this, Danube Building Materials, a regional leader in construction, building materials and shop fitting industries, recently announced the launch, in the GCC, of the first Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)-certified whitewood and hardwood timbers products.
FSC and PEFC are independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisations that promote sustainable management of forests through independent third party certifications. Certification from these bodies is therefore a testament of responsible production and consumption of forest products, making it easy for consumers to make eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
Found to be the most specified green-building product in McGraw-Hill’s database of 60,000 project specifications, the incorporation of FSC certified hardwood and timber into building projects, can earn more
rating points towards green certification.
Talking to Clean Middle East, Frank Owens, Danube Building Materials product manager for Hardwood Timber, said: “Green projects that specify FSC or PEFC cannot meet those requirements with conventional, uncertified wood. Until now, there has been no legitimate Chain of Custody-certified hardwood and whitewood local supplier in the UAE with ready stock on the ground. Going forward, Danube will be able to offer customers a choice between conventional uncertified timbers and a greener, more environmentally-friendly alternative in FSC and PEFC certified products.”
However, he noted that “there is a real urgency in cities like Dubai to focus on energy efficiency and the environment in light of the explosive growth they have enjoyed in recent years and the resulting strain on existing energy resources and infrastructure.”
“Certified timbers provide a green option for discerning consumers and project managers who want assurance that the wood materials they procure have been produced in an environmentally responsible way. Even still, with the certified hardwood and whitewood timber line-ups, contractors can expect the same performance and quality as the uncertified timbers they have been buying for years. However, there is an added benefit, which is the confidence in knowing the product has a minimal impact on the environment.”
.jpg)
FSC and PEFC timber products are known to come from forests that have been independently inspected and evaluated according to environmental, social and economic principles. The certified products make their way to the end user through a certified chain of manufacturers, buyers and sellers called a Chain of Custody, which ensures that owner of the goods cannot mix uncertified wood with certified materials.“This certification therefore, delivers a peace of mind to the consumer that their purchase of wood materials has not had a detrimental effect on the environment,” said Frank.
Spurring demand for green building materials
From a purely commercial point of view, the latest sustainability and green building principles have spurred the demand for green building products, as acknowledged by Frank. “Many countries in the Gulf want to discard the image of being some of the largest energy consumers in the world, and the growing governmental involvement in creating more environmentally friendly building requirements reflects this demand.
“Today, there is a growing number of LEED certified projects in the UAE, more than that of any other country outside of North America. Perhaps the most iconic project that comes to mind is Masdar in Abu Dhabi, which aims to be the first zero-carbon city of its kind in the region. It specifies certified timber materials for the project.”
He added: “We expect additional demand to be generated when the revisions to the Dubai Green Building Regulations take effect, as certified timbers will fit into the final draft in one way or another. Looking down the road to the not-too-distant future, projects that require at least some certified wood materials may become more the norm than the exception.”
Banking on this demand, Danube is planning to widen its selection of certified wood products and other green building materials. “We are in the process of adding to our certified wood products line up (likely to launch before year end) plywood, veneer and MDF to make Danube an unrivaled, single source solution for the complete gamut of certified wood products in the UAE and the greater GCC,” said Frank. FSC and PEFC timber products are known to come from forests that have been independently inspected and evaluated according to environmental, social and economic principles.
“Today, there is a growing number of LEED certified projects in the UAE, more than that of any other country outside of North America.
