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ABU DHABI, 19th September, 2022 (WAM) — The Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced today that it has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certificate in Operations and Maintenance (O+M) Version 4.1 USA Green Building Council (USGBC), the most widely used green building classification system in the world.
The award recognizes EAD’s outstanding efforts to manage sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly buildings, as well as the application of sustainability standards across three of its facilities.
The institution received LEED Platinum certification for its leadership in applying energy and environmental protection systems to its headquarters and the operation and maintenance of the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve. The EAD office in Al Ain has achieved LEED Gold certification for the application of energy and environmental protection systems in operations and maintenance.
USGBC also recognized EAD’s sustainable facility management and leadership in energy and environmental design, while commending it for meeting the necessary certification standards. These include managing indoor environmental quality, including factors such as air quality, green cleaning materials, pest management and zero tobacco smoke. The agency is also considered energy efficient due to reductions in electricity usage and greenhouse gas emissions intensity, chilled water consumption, and the amount of refrigerant used in the three facilities.
Notable achievements include EAD’s use of water conservation measures such as low-emission vehicles, efficient sanitation and low water intensity in its transportation sector, as well as a sustainable procurement policy for daily office supplies, a proactive facility management and renovation policy, and office waste segregation and recycling exists. As a result, EAD’s office buildings are performing well, and building operations data for the 2020-21 period shows that EAD meets LEED certification standards.
Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, said: “At EAD, we work very hard to ensure that all our physical assets are sustainable and green so that we can be a credible and accountable organisation. We get what we deserve. The rewards for these efforts, and I’m very proud of my team’s continued implementation of environmentally sustainable practices, have resulted in our being LEED certified and recognized by such a respected international entity.”
Fatima Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Director of Facilities Management and Administration at EAD, added: “We are one of the few entities in Abu Dhabi to receive LEED certification and are proud to work alongside other compliant buildings such as ADNOC Headquarters Building, Masdar City Siemens Building, Masdar Headquarters and IRENA Building, also in Masdar.”
The certification is in line with EAD’s strategic focus of “Leading the Enterprise in Environmental Sustainability”, which aims to reduce the agency’s environmental footprint, increase efficiency and raise awareness of sustainability.
Earning a LEED certificate involves two stages. The first is a 12-month Feasibility, Gap Assessment and Measures Implementation, followed by an 18-month Phase II Performance Monitoring and Certification.
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