The recent green initiatives launched by the Sustainable Energy and Environment Division (Seed) of Tecom Investments have proven that costs of going green should not be considered a barrier to implementing the standards, said its top official.

“Contrary to the long held assumption that going green merely adds to your Capex, it is clear from the numerous projects successfully completed by Tecom that this is definitely not the case. In fact, going green has saved us money, and not merely in the long-term,' remarked Ali Bin Towaih, executive director of Seed and Enpark, the energy and environment park and a member of Tecom.

'We have, on the other hand, seen immediate returns on our environment-friendly initiatives,' said Bin Towaih during his keynote speech at the recently held 'Meed Green Building and Sustainability Conference' in Dubai that investigated the latest regulatory developments as well as key projects that conform to green building standards.

'As a case in point is Tecom's management office, which we have transformed into the greenest commercial interior in the Middle East by achieving the Leed platinum certification. The green premium of this project was an incredible 0.48 per cent,' he pointed out.

'Another example is the DIAC Leed Silver a project which had a green premium of only 0.08 per cent,' he added.

Pointing out the lessons Tecom has learnt in its various initiatives, Bin Towaih said, “The importance of early co-ordination through integrated project teams cannot be stressed enough. The successful Leed certification of these projects can be largely attributed to the integrated team work, starting at the very early stage of the project.'

“Moreover, developing a set of green fit-out guidelines would be a great value to any organization, especially when a large number of offices are renovated every year. Standardizing the green features that are most important to an organization can achieve smoother certification,” he noted.

The representatives from various Dubai government departments took part in the conference, highlighting the important role played by government departments in creating a sustainable society.-TradeArabia News Service