UAE builds green communities with government and private sector support – News

Achieving a green agenda in real estate and urban housing is a long way off, but requires collective collaboration from industry, government and the entire supply chain

As the UAE embarks on a new 50-year growth cycle to develop the UAE into the world’s most dynamic economy, the UAE’s strategy to achieve net-zero growth by 2050 – the first Middle East and North Africa (Mena) to set targets for net-zero emissions ) country – zero emissions – will be a key factor in achieving this vision.

The UAE’s ambitious net-zero road vision lays out a promising roadmap for a future filled with vast opportunities and pioneering innovations. It significantly expands the scope for more sustainable development across the country to protect the national economy and further enhances the UAE’s global position as a future-proof investment destination.

The UAE has announced a projected investment of more than $160 billion to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which is certainly an ambitious target. But with the World Economic Forum (WEF) estimating that annual global economic output will be reduced by as much as $23 trillion due to increased emissions, tackling climate change is a collective responsibility shared by the public and private sectors.

The UAE’s efforts are being led by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, which is promoting collaboration with all industry and government stakeholders to take steps to reduce emissions and instill a culture of sustainability in projects and communities.

These initiatives include energy projects aimed at increasing the contribution of clean energy to the UAE’s total energy production from 25% to 50% by 2050 and reducing the carbon footprint of electricity generation by 70%. There is also desalination, especially through the use of reverse osmosis desalination plants, which the UAE has invested in desalination plants worth about $2 billion.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects aim to mitigate climate change by capturing carbon dioxide from sources such as power plants and storing it underground. Finally, invest primarily in sustainable and clean mobility, such as electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

But the infrastructure and real estate sectors will have a major impact on the UAE’s pursuit of net-zero emissions. According to Norton Rose Fulbright’s assessment, regulatory and legislative support for the Net Zero 2050 plan will be key to its success, and the UAE has taken several steps to improve the regulatory environment in the infrastructure sector.

For example, Dubai has approved regulations such as green building and sustainable building standards to ensure developers adhere to sustainable development practices. Abu Dhabi launched the Estidama Pearl Rating System in 2010 to assess sustainable building development practices and minimise water, energy consumption and waste generation.

This is how sustainable projects (such as Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai) and communities such as Sharjah Sustainable Cities are already part of the national net zero landscape The reason for the imprint.

Sharjah Sustainable City – a joint venture between the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Diamond Developers – represents an environmental leap for the sector in the UAE, with villas powered by rooftop solar panels, waste-to-energy biogas plants, for internal mobility of electric shuttles and facilities to grow your own vegetables and vegetables through vertical farming. As the emirate’s first fully integrated and sustainable city, Sharjah Sustainable City aims to create a net-zero community that reduces its carbon footprint and saves significantly on energy consumption and bills.

By combining the best sustainable building and construction materials, sustainable engineering and construction, low-carbon agricultural technologies, clean transport and renewable energy, Sharjah Sustainable City sets a new benchmark for sustainable communities and is poised to propel the industry forward in Pursuing a net zero journey. But the journey has not been without challenges.

Net zero will certainly become more commercially viable by combining industry incentives and policies and introducing a standardized measurement framework. For example, developers cannot achieve net zero alone. A report by the World Green Building Council found that there are currently only 500 net-zero commercial buildings and 2,000 net-zero residential buildings globally.

This is why contractors, governments and other stakeholders need to develop and integrate solutions that make the industry greener: suppliers and suppliers must make net zero materials a priority. The government can support the economy through infrastructure and green buildings, clean transport and renewable energy such as green hydrogen – as is the case in the UAE.

Achieving a green agenda in real estate and urban housing is still a long way off, but requires the collective collaboration of industry, government and the entire supply chain. As projects such as Sharjah Sustainable City demonstrate, it pays to work together to create a sustainable environment for future generations.

– Yousif Ahmed Al Mutawa is CEO of Sharjah Sustainable Cities