Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has extended the deadline for submissions for the ‘2016 EmiratesGBC Awards’ until March 3.

The awards recognise organisations and individuals across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) who have demonstrated excellence in sustainability in the building sector, said a statement from EmiratesGBC.

Entries can be submitted in both English and Arabic languages to facilitate the process for everyone across the region, it stated.
 
The awards will be given under the following six categories:
*Green Facility Management Organisation of the Year - For rewarding a UAE-based FM organisation for its commitments towards sustainability
*Green Building Material/Product Award for the successful introduction to the Mena region of a construction material or product/component which addresses green building principles
*Green Building System Award for a building system that provides a more sustainable solution to green building construction than traditional construction methods in the Mena region
*Green Building Research Award for research that establishes dependable data, in an area not previously available, related to green building performance in the region
*Training Initiative of the Year for the best sustainability training initiative and
*Green Building of the Year, for buildings finalised in the past three years that show excellence in terms of design, construction site management, waste and green standards. This honour is presented in four sub-categories including Green Hotel, Green Commercial Building, Green Residential Building and‎ Green School.

In addition to the professional award categories, EmiratesGBC is also running the "2016 Dr Owainati Student Excellence Award" to honour a student from a recognised university in the UAE who has conducted exceptional research work in a subject related to green buildings in the Middle East, said a senopr.

To qualify for this award, sponsored by EmiratesGBC co-founder Dr Sadek Owainati, and open only for students from any university in the UAE, the research topic must be directly applicable to green building design, technology, construction or operation with emphasis on its applicability in the Mena region, said the organisers.

The deadline for submitting entries fr the student award is March 17, they added.-TradeArabia News Service