Abu Dhabi is forging ahead with sustainable renovation projects for existing buildings that will have a significant impact on the emirate’s economy, according to a senior government official.

Matthew Plumbridge, the consultant for Environment and Sustainability Planning at the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA) said there were a number of ongoing projects that were setting the sustainability benchmark, citing the comprehensive cooling plan (CCP) by the Executive Affairs Authority as a prime example.

“The CCP is an exemplary project, approaching the sustainability of existing buildings from an economic rather than environmental viewpoint,” remarked Plumbridge, a headline speaker at the upcoming 'World ecoConstruct,' summit in the UAE capital.

A pioneering ‘green’ construction industry event, the 'World ecoConstruct, will be held from April 22 to 25 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

“The DMA’s building code and Environment Health & Safety Management system for the construction sector provides a robust regulatory framework to deliver safe, quality and environmentally sustainable buildings,” explained Plumbridge.

"A key component of the codes is the Abu Dhabi International Energy Conservation Code which achieves energy efficiency targets established by the UN for ‘extremely hot climates," he stated.

In one of the panel discussions at the summit, Plumbridge will outline how to turn ‘old’ into ‘gold’, where the expert will assess the extent to which sustainable methods of output can be cost-efficient as well as environmentally beneficial for existing buildings in Abu Dhabi.

World ecoConstruct, a crucial collaboration between Abu Dhabi’s two leading building and construction events, CityBuild and Arabian Construction Week, is the region’s only dedicated exhibition focusing on sustainable design and construction for the built environment.

Co-located with the 6th edition of Cityscape Abu Dhabi, this event will provide key sourcing and knowledge platform for billions of dollars committed to major projects in Abu Dhabi and surrounding region. Together the events attract over 30,000 visitors.

Fatma Amer, the advisor of Building Code and Construction, Municipal Regulations Divisions at the DMA, is in favour of sustainable enhancement to existing buildings.
 
"New York’s iconic skyline could hold important clues as to what can be achieved in the Gulf region," remarked Amer, who will also be key speaker alongside Plumbridge at the summit.

Highlighting New York’s Greener, Greater Building Plan (GGBP) in particular, Amer says that the sustainable model is aimed at ensuring all construction projects in the city require annual energy efficiency benchmarking.

“By 2030, the GGBP will achieve citywide energy cost reduction by $700 million annually and create roughly 17,800 construction-related jobs over 10 years,” said Amer.

She is confident that similar results can be achieved in Abu Dhabi by transforming existing buildings to conform to new energy standards.

Having served the City of New York Municipality in various capacities for more than 25 years, Amer will provide an assessment of the GGBP as part of her presentation.

“World ecoConstruct is very reputable in the area of green construction where I can meet the best in the industry and get the latest in the field of sustainability,” said Amer.

“As a representative of Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs and formerly of New York City, this conference is an opportunity to clarify the role that the Municipal System plays in order to make the concept of sustainability a reality,” she added.-TradeArabia News Service