DLD and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment launch the Sustainability Report
DUBAI: Dubai Land Department (DLD), in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), has announced the launch of the Sustainability Report on the sidelines of the sixth World Government Summit, which was hosted by Dubai from 11th to 13th February.
The report was prepared in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), DLD, MOCCAE and the United Nations to address the state of the environment in Arab cities, with a particular emphasis on real estate sustainability in buildings and construction.
His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said that achieving a balanced relationship between development and the environment in the UAE has received great attention from the nation’s wise leadership, with the principle of ‘integrating the environmental dimension into the comprehensive development plans’ playing an essential role in the country’s development policy.
Al Zeyoudi added: “We believe that transforming our national economy into a low-carbon, sustainable green economy is not only the responsibility of the government sector, but also of our wider society and those concerned with development in the public and private sectors. The government has been keen to encourage opportunities for investment in green projects by creating an attractive investment environment, legislation, regulation and management, as well as by promoting partnership initiatives between the public and private sectors and relevant international organisations.”
Al Zeyoudi confirmed that the Sustainability Report is the result of the efforts of all concerned parties in the UAE and has been produced in alignment with the UAE Vision 2021 to achieve global leadership in terms of real estate sustainability, enhancing the nation’s competitiveness, and taking advantage of opportunities to improve resilience to future challenges.
His Excellency Sultan Butti bin Mejren, Director General of DLD, commented: “We are proud to launch our report on the sidelines of the World Government Summit and to have played an important role in bringing it to fruition. The report is a reference for researchers, specialists and all relevant institutions and agencies in the field of sustainability, and underscores the UAE’s leading position among the world’s most sustainable countries through our commitment to applying the highest international standards in the real estate sector.”
The preparation of the report involved 14 months of research conducted by sustainability specialists in the Arab region, who collected the data required to support its core themes. The report was also supported by a number of green building councils in the Arab region, as well as the EU project for the Mediterranean region in the field of real estate sustainability.
Bin Mejren added: “The challenges we face require us to work together to achieve sustainable solutions that will help us to avoid the dangers posed by the pressure on ecosystems and various resources. In the face of these challenges, we must adopt a sustainable approach to urban development in our modern world. We have been able to achieve this goal by supporting sustainability standards in the Emirate’s construction industry, as well as by developing innovative high-end systems that support our goals for sustainable development.”
The report highlights the state of real estate sustainability as well as sustainable laws, regulations and efforts in a number of Arab cities, documenting a wide range of governmental and private sector initiatives that have contributed to the advancement of sustainability initiatives in the Arab region.
The project is the first official report on the state of real estate sustainability in the Arab region and has received support and accreditation from the United Nations. DLD has played an important role in this collective effort, working in cooperation with MOCCAE and UNEP to produce an integrated report that highlights one of the most important issues for the future of the region and its population.
A special meeting was held in Cairo in cooperation with CEDARE and the Arab League to discuss the results of the report with a group of experts and specialists in various aspects of sustainability.
The report sets a new benchmark for real estate sustainability research as the team of experts has documented regional information on green building and real estate sustainability for the first time. The report was produced in both Arabic and English, providing an important tool for professionals and researchers to base their findings and recommendations on.
The results of the report will be used to support regional cooperation projects on various aspects of real estate sustainability, as well as the efforts of institutions and agencies working in this field.
The project is part of a wider effort to document the state of real estate sustainability in the world under the umbrella of the United Nations, with the first report issued in South America and our region representing the culmination of this international effort.
