UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said its headquarters in Dubai has been awarded the Leed Gold green building certification by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building design strategies and construction practices.

The certification identifies TRA as a showcase of sustainable design and demonstrates the leadership in transforming the building industry, which is in line with its efforts to become more sustainable, said a statement from the UAE telecom watchdog.

TRA had explored and implemented innovative and alternative solutions to enhance the sustainability of business operations, reduce costs and, most importantly, contribute to a healthier, cleaner global environment for future generations.

The TRA headquarters produces 28.8 KWH per day of solar power, which is used to light the building façade at night besides an output of 12 cu m of recycled water per week for irrigation and other applications.

The telecom regulator pointed out that only those projects are recognised by Leed that follow a high environmental standards of sustainability; water and energy efficiency; optimum utilisation of materials and resources, healthy indoor environment quality, which leads to the reduction of global greenhouse gases.  
 
On the certification, Saeed Al Suwaidi, the deputy director general for support services sector at TRA, said: "Leed certified buildings have a positive impact on the health of occupants, while also promoting renewable, clean energy. In our desire to become greener, we applied leading techniques and technologies to be able to reduce the environmental impact of green gasses globally."

"We encourage everyone in the UAE to take such initiatives seriously to transform the way businesses think about how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated across the region," he added.-TradeArabia News Service