US Green Building Council has signed up as a premium supporting partner for this year’s edition of the Smart Skyscrapers Summit to be held from May 16 to 17 in Dubai, UAE.

This association is especially relevant as the increase in green construction in the GCC and other regions is driven by the surging environmental awareness amongst all key stakeholders, said the event organiser Expotrade.

The council’s Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system is recognised as a widely accepted certification for green buildings.

During the summit, it will give a presentation on how Leed, currently in 155 countries and territories, is being used in skyscrapers to great benefit in terms of energy efficiency, water conservation and the creation of healthier indoor environments.

“Skyscrapers represent a bold, innovative architectural vision,” remarked Mahesh Ramanujam, the chief operating officer at US Green Building Council and president of Green Building Certification Institution (GBCI).

"Many of the world’s most prominent skyscrapers, powered by green building rating systems such as Leed, are built to last longer and reduce the impact on the environment," he stated.

"These structures also foster greater community connectivity and create economic concentration, benefiting the surrounding community through employment opportunities and investments in local infrastructure," he added.

Talking about the partnership, Brad Hariharan, the regional director of Expotrade Middle East, said: "With buildings consuming approximately 40 per cent of the world’s energy, it has become imperative to ideate and derive solutions that contribute a significant amount of energy efficiency in the building sector and diminish the effect of climate change."

Welcoming the US Green Building Council, Hariharan said: "The summit focuses on innovative green building solutions and our partnership with the council establishes a shared commitment towards creating sustainable cities for the future."

Spread across two days, the third Annual Smart Skyscrapers Summit brings together more than 400 industry professionals from the architecture, construction, real estate and building industry to connect and hear industry leaders deliver insightful sessions into this burgeoning market.-TradeArabia News Service