Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Menat (Middle East, North Africa and Turkiye) region, has been awarded the prestigious leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED certification for 12 of its branches by the US Green Building Council (Usgbc).

Seven of Emirates NBD’s branches in the UAE, located at Yas Mall, Al Reem Mall, Al Barsha Branch, Mirdif City Centre, Sharjah City Centre and Deira City Centre, have been certified LEED Platinum and Al Zahia Mall branch has been certified LEED Gold, marking a significant milestone in Emirates NBD’s sustainability commitments.

In Saudi Arabia, Emirates NBD became the first bank to achieve LEED Platinum certification for its KAFD branch.

This recognition was in addition to the recent six branches in Saudi Arabia awarded LEED gold certificates, which included the branches in Jeddah Trio Branch, Al Shefa Branch, Qourtobah Branch and Anas Bin Malik Branches in Riyadh in addition to Jubail Branch and Qassim Buraida Branch.

The standout sustainability innovations across all Emirates NBD branches receiving the LEED certification were; optimised energy performance, waste management, water use reduction, use of low-emitting materials and thermal comfort.

Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Operating Officer at Emirates NBD, said: “We are delighted to achieve LEED Platinum and Gold ratings across Fourteen of our UAE and Saudi Arabia bringing our total LEED certified branches to 27.

“This reflects our commitment to achieving the highest standard of green building performance and reducing operational emissions as part of our broader ESG Strategy.”

Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of ESG at Emirates NBD, said: “Emirates NBD’s commitment to delivering global standards for sustainability in line with the UAE’s Net Zero goals and our COP28 commitments is clearly demonstrated through our achievement of Platinum and Gold LEED certification numerous branches in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

“Emirates NBD is dedicated to ensuring that our branches use cutting edge technology and innovation in the built environment, so we play a key role in creating a healthy and sustainable future.”

“This accomplishment positions Emirates NBD as the leading bank in MENA region with the highest number of LEED branches certified.

“This achievement is a testament to our adherence to our sustainability goals and demonstrates how Emirates NBD leads by example when it comes to sustainability and embraces innovation in our operations.”

The LEED framework, developed by Usgbc, is the foremost programme recognised for implementing several sustainable strategies including energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, transportation, and human experience.

LEED is the most widely used sustainable buildings rating system in the world. It provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving sustainable buildings and has gained global recognition for its comprehensive approach to evaluating and certifying sustainable building practices.

Emirates NBD first received LEED certification across several of its branches in 2020, making it the first bank in the region to achieve this accolade.

Emirates NBD Group was the Principal Banking Partner for the 28th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), being held in Dubai, UAE in 2023 and is a key contributor to the UAE’s Sustainability agenda.

The group is a signatory to the UAE Climate-Responsible Companies Pledge initiated by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, in support of the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Initiative. – TradeArabia News Service