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The “National Sustainability” campaign highlights the country’s efforts to achieve climate neutrality.
• Launching several projects and initiatives to enhance sustainability in the sectors of infrastructure, housing, roads and federal buildings.
• Sustainability guides for federal buildings and roads aiming to support urban development in the country in a manner consistent with environmental and infrastructure sustainability efforts.
• The use of modern technologies in the construction and maintenance of federal roads that take into account the requirements of sustainability, including the technology of recycling cold asphalt.
• The “Federal Roads Sustainability System” serves to develop and improve road efficiency and green procurement policy, which aims to reduce harmful substances to the internal environment.
Abu Dhabi, August 8, The UAE continues its efforts to preserve the environment by adopting a sustainable approach in constructing buildings and developing infrastructure and roads, thus strengthening its position as a global leader in this vital field.
The UAE has an infrastructure that is among the best, most developed and sustainable in the world, in addition to having a federal road network with international specifications capable of meeting the growing demand for land transport and ensuring sustainable development.
The theme of “The Path to Climate Neutrality” is part of the “National Sustainability” campaign, which was recently launched in conjunction with the preparations for the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which will be held from November 30 to December 12 of this year in the city of Dubai Expo, the UAE’s efforts to achieve the goals of climate neutrality, in line with the country’s national directions and strategic plans.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about environmental sustainability issues, encourage community participation, and support national strategies related to climate action, in order to achieve a positive impact on the behavior and responsibilities of individuals, leading to an environmentally aware society.
Sustainable standards for federal buildings and roads.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is making intensive efforts to promote sustainability in all its forms in all the projects it supervises its implementation, in a way that contributes to reducing the carbon footprint in the Emirates, as the Ministry launched many projects and initiatives in the sectors of energy, infrastructure, housing and transportation, including its adoption in 2019 of standards New sustainable construction of federal buildings and roads at the state level.
Sustainable standards are applied to government buildings, such as schools, hospitals, health centers, and other federal projects. Sustainable standards for roads also focus on the impact of materials used on the environment, the efficiency of lighting and safety systems, and everything that reduces energy consumption and emissions, especially reducing footprint. According to the standards, achieving sustainability is part of the contracts concluded with the consultant and contractor, who undertake the implementation of the Ministry’s projects.
The Ministry also launched the Sustainability Guide for Buildings and Roads, which is a guide for implementing the federal guidelines for sustainable roads and buildings. It was developed based on international best practices to meet and match the requirements and needs of the UAE, which leads to raising the efficiency of assets and reducing maintenance and operation costs.
According to the guide, the buildings and roads that have been or will be constructed must have high energy efficiency standards, use sustainable building materials as well as waste management, achieve the welfare and happiness of users, and reduce the negative impact of projects on the environment and climate.
The Ministry has also completed the Federal Building Sustainability System, as the system targets five axes represented in reducing energy consumption and raising its efficiency, which will reduce negative environmental impacts and achieve financial savings for building operators, as well as reduce water consumption, in addition to preserving the natural environment, reducing the impact of climate change, and achieving luxury and comfort. Improve indoor air quality and thermal insulation.
Sustainability guides.
In 2021, the Council of Ministers approved the sustainability guides for federal buildings and roads within the building regulations in the country, with the aim of supporting urban development in the country in a manner consistent with environmental and infrastructure sustainability efforts, and contributing to achieving the national agenda and the UAE’s vision and readiness for the next fifty years.
The sustainability guides for federal buildings and roads are an important qualitative step towards achieving the goals of sustainable development, as they enhance the utilization of modern technology for smart cities, building systems and big data, with the aim of preserving national resources and the right of future generations and reducing emissions in a way that contributes positively to efforts to combat climate change.
The sustainability guides for federal buildings and roads are in line with the best practices globally in the field of construction with the aim of achieving the highest standards of sustainability in the construction and infrastructure sector, which enhances the country’s global competitiveness. Efficiency and quality of roads and federal buildings and increasing their lifespan for a longer period through the use of sustainable materials that reduce the need for maintenance and contribute to reducing the time and cost of implementation and operation.
Also, during the year 2022, the Council of Ministers approved the National Building Regulations in the country, which includes sustainability guides for buildings, roads, and federal housing, and the National Guide for Building Sustainability for the two axes of operation and maintenance, in a way that ensures the achievement of strategic results and targets, in terms of reducing the use of materials and natural resources by 15%, Reducing the carbon footprint by 5%, reducing energy in roads by 45%, reducing energy in buildings and housing by 25%, reducing water consumption by 16%, and supporting the green economy.
These guides focus on 7 sectors that support the country’s efforts to promote the principles and goals of sustainability, namely: energy, materials and waste, environment and climate change, operations management, and c.
