Your Journey to a Greener Office: Why it Should Include LEED?
At a global level, buildings and the construction industry are jointly responsible for nearly a third of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2018. [2] Transforming commercial and residential buildings and adopting sustainable design, construction and fit out approaches is one of the major actions we can take to tackle climate change. The UAE has placed combating climate change as one of its core objectives, even renaming the Ministry of the Environment as the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and expanding its mission to implement comprehensive programmes to protect the UAE’s unique environment and to reduce the impact of climate change. The Green Agenda 2030 specifically addresses sustainable building and construction.
If you are a UAE-based company, project developer or owner, you will be aware of the multiple initiatives undertaken by the government to promote sustainable building and the various certification schemes. Wanting to be more environmentally-aware is not just an ethical choice for business; it is becoming an operational necessity. In previous posts, we’ve discussed the many benefits of sustainable office fit out. There are countless benefits to having a green office in terms of productivity, and profitability. “ Green” certification is important because it ensures that contractors are complying with all the relevant local regulations and international standards for a sustainable build and that there is an objective third-party verification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one of the most popular and wide-spread green building rating systems in the UAE and globally. [3]
In 2017, Core Savills identified over 550 projects in Dubai undergoing LEED certification. At that time, Dubai was one of the top 10 countries with the most LEED projects (outside the US). [4][5] The UAE is a trailblazer in terms of environmental action in the region. For example, in April 2019, it was announced that Dubai is the first city in the region to receive the highly prestigious LEED for Cities Platinum certification. [5] The LEED City rating is measured across 14 metrics relating to the energy and water sector, waste treatment, transportation, human experience, education, prosperity, equality, and health and safety. The intent of the rating is to encourage all cities to measure and improve performance, and focus on the effects of ongoing sustainability efforts.
As humans, living in modern developed economies, we spend much of our time indoors. On average, Americans spend 87% of their time inside buildings and an additional 6% in vehicles. [6] Improving conditions in buildings can have a measurable impact on occupant health and well-being. According to the IEA (International Energy Agency), the buildings and building construction sectors are together responsible for 36% of global energy consumption and nearly 40% of CO2 emissions. [7] Any sustainable interventions to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions have to include changes to the ways we construct and inhabit buildings. LEED, as the most widely known green building certification, can help companies and contractors improve human health, increase productivity and reduce negative environmental effects.
Everything You Need to Know About LEED
What Is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)?
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organisation that was one of the first initiatives to address the need for a green building standard by developing LEED – an independent verification system for green building. Beginning in 1998, LEED has evolved from: “…one standard for new construction to a comprehensive system of interrelated standards covering aspects from the design and construction to the maintenance and operation of buildings”. [8]
LEED is a point based green building rating system certified by US Green Building Council, and has synergy with other external best green building practices (e.g. ISO, ASHRAE, Cradle to Cradle and WELL). There are four levels of LEED certification based on points awarded – Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum being the highest level of certification.
LEED certification provides evidence from an independent third party that a building was designed, constructed, fitted out or maintained to improve environmental performance. The certification can also help to guarantee that projects have been implemented or maintained at the highest levels of sustainability.
Article originally published by Summertown. Read it full here https://bit.ly/2Jwb8ml
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