Bahrain's government has to urgently address the issue of developing sustainable energy resources, Housing Minister Shaikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said.

He was speaking as he opened the Green Building Forum at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The event, which attracted more than 200 delegates, is organised by Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE) in partnership with North Star Associates and run alongside the gulfBid and gulfINTERIORS exhibitions.

In a keynote speech, the minister stressed the need for the government to address the supply side of electricity and water by developing sustainable energy sources.

'There is a high degree of urgency for this,' he said.

'The Middle East has the highest carbondioxide emissions per capita, while awareness of global warming in the Arab region is behind the rest of the world.'

He said that while Bahrain was committed to embarking on sustainable energy source development, producing more green energy was only half the battle.

'No energy policy can be complete without a full understanding of the opportunities to save energy and how these can be captured in an economically sound way,' he said.

'Research has shown that by capturing the potential available for existing technologies, we could cut global energy demand growth by half or more over the next 15 years.

'Investing in energy productivity generates energy savings that could equal $600 billion annually by 2020 across all developing regions.

'Because of their positive returns, energy-efficiency investments are also the cheapest way to meet growing energy needs.'

He said his ministry had been actively pursuing green buildings in the last two years, focusing on global best practices to deliver durable housing units that are both environmentally sensitive and affordable for the target group.

'The ministry has decided that, as part of its social housing programme to develop 50,000 housing units over the next five years which will include green building practices,' he said.

'In the Public Private Partnership pilot project which is currently out for tender, and which will deliver around 5,000 units by the second half of 2012, the consortia have been asked to incorporate the latest green building practices, including those related to electricity and water conservation.

'At the same time, they are directed not to economise on the indoor or outdoor living environment.

'Furthermore, one of the evaluation criteria for the bidders will be Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating,' he said.

'The ministry is also updating its building code, making it much easier for the private sector to develop and implement new green building techniques and methods for the benefit of the environment and individual citizens,' he said.

Barwa & Qatari Diar Research Institute (BQDRI) chairman and managing Director Dr Yousef Al Horr outlined progress on the evolution of a performance-based green buildings rating system in the Middle East and North Africa, while prominent US renewable energy scientist Mowafak Al Jassim spoke about the way in which buildings were rapidly becoming energy generators.

The cost implications of Leed certification and adopting green building technologies were discussed by Emirates Green Building Council Chairman Jeffrey Willis.

The opening session was chaired by HCE chairman Anwar Abdulrahman.

Panel sessions were moderated by Unido ITPO head in Bahrain Dr Hashim Hussein, Al Hilal Group managing director Ronnie Middleton and the British Council in Bahrain director Brendan McSharry.-TradeArabia News Service