Green drive is growing on builders in Abu Dhabi

Green drive is growing on builders in Abu Dhabi ABU DHABI // When the Urban Planning Council launched its sustainability programme, Estidama, two years ago, pitching the green building guidelines was not an easy sell. "We're seeing everybody on board now - builders, suppliers, government agencies," Mr Alabbar said. "It's an economic driver; building green buildings makes more economic sense than not building green buildings. "If you haven't done it before, sustainable is tough," said Edwin Young, an adviser for Estidama. The first response is an automatic rejection saying 'I don't want to do it'. Developers, builders and consultants initially baulked at the concept of green building, and nearly all of the construction applications in the first three months after Estidama came online were rejected because they did not meet sustainability requirements. Sustainability will work, though, only if the occupants of green buildings change their behaviour. "Occupiers play an important role," said Rym Baouendi, an adviser for Estidama. "This is about change," said Matthew Plumbridge, an environmental and sustainability planning consultant for the Department of Municipal Affairs. When it comes to behaviour, we have an opportunity to promote our message in places like mosques and schools. We have to spread the word about how behaviour can have a positive impact. Changing attitudes is a challenge, for sure, and it cannot happen overnight. This year has seen so much progress, and we could not be prouder. Saeed Alabbar, the vice chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council, a forum of industry professionals committed to environment-friendly practices, said the progress in the past few years could be attributed to economic factors. "We can improve sustainable education. "We needed an additional team to support and guide the consultants and contractor," he said. "We still have some issues overall, but people are now coming around," he said. In the past year, however, attitudes have been swiftly changing and the Urban Planning Council (UPC) is now training 30 people a week to use the programme. "We spent a lot of last year talking about myth and fact," Mr Young said. Green drive is growing on builders in Abu Dhabi Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 29/04/2012