Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has organized an academic class for its employees to qualify for the International Diploma in Environment. The course took place at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai and was attended by 12 trainees from different departments and divisions. This course aims to enable qualified employees to work on current environment systems and to promote their competitive capabilities to better understand and apply the latest international techniques in the field of environmental conservation and pollution prevention, as well as the application of best international practices in the field of environment management.

“In line with DEWA’s strategy to implement world-class quality and environment standards, we have organized this course in cooperation with the British Safety Council to educate our staff in the field of environment management to qualify for this diploma, which has become one of the key performance indicators for any organization at all professional levels,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“DEWA works on promoting environmental education amongst society by providing assistance, advice and workshops. We are also making every effort to enhance this level of awareness within DEWA to overcome environmental challenges affecting us all today. This is why DEWA applies the highest environment standards and specifications. We want to achieve the highest levels of environment management as one of the major means of achieving a sustainable future for Dubai,” he added.

“The British Safety Council’s International Diploma provides the necessary skills and competencies to effectively manage environment protection systems in order to create a safe and secure work environment; to improve general performance levels and to enhance the competitive potential of DEWA,” said Nasser Al Shaiba, VP - Business Improvement & Standards at DEWA.

This course develops an environmentally-sustainable culture based on a number of skills, experiences and cost-savings as well as understanding the principles and philosophy of international conventions for the environment.

The qualifying training course for the international diploma on environment management comprises three main parts. The first part discusses environmental awareness and legal compliance. The second part covers environmental systems and the third part deals with environment tools and techniques.

Dubai, UAE -: In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to encourage the use of public transport means, to enhance its role in the Emirate of Dubai and to promote Dubai’s vision for environment conservation and sustainable development, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA accompanied by a number of EVPs and Senior staff used Dubai Metro to get to work on the occasion of the Public Transport Day.

On this Initiative, His Excellency said “This initiatives aims to encourage employees to use means of public transport such as the metro, buses and marine transit to enhance a public-transport culture and raise awareness of its importance for users in particular, and for Dubai in general, and its role in reducing traffic congestion and attaining a sustainable environment through having an integrated solutions. The public transport system in Dubai constitutes one of the major elements for improving the environment, reducing traffic congestions and saving resources that in return assist in supporting the sustainable development.”

His Excellency indicated that this initiative is one of several initiatives adopted and operated by DEWA to conserve the environment and reduce emissions. He also noted that DEWA is one of the leading government authorities that apply environment and resources conservation strategies which assist in reducing carbon emissions rates by encouraging employees to get to work by using public transport means.

In the context of Dubai’s Strategy for Environment Conservation and Sustainable Development for generations to come, DEWA is always working on promoting the culture of saving our resource among all class of community through providing necessary assistance and tips on how to save such resources and raising awareness among authorities to face all challenges related to environment.

Since the opening of Dubai Metro Green Line which serves DEWA through Dubai Healthcare City Station, DEWA is encouraging its employees to use the metro and promoting its benefits in terms of reducing the rates of carbon emissions from vehicle’s exhaust which are harmful to the environment.

Dubai Municipality, Emirates National Oil Company and TNT Express UAE on Sunday have jointly launched Dubai’s recycling initiative, Tadweer. The drive is aimed at encouraging the public to donate their used laptops, which will be recycled, refurbished and donated to educational, social and charitable institutions, while also contributing to the charity initiatives in line with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Foundation.

The campaign will continue for 8 to 12 months with more collection points to be opened at ENOC/EPPCO stations in due course.

Tadweer was launched on Sunday in partnership with TNT Express UAE in Dubai attended by His Excellency Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, UAE Minister of Environment & Water, Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General, Dubai Municipality, Saeed Abdullah Khoory, ENOC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mark Pell, Country General Manager of TNT Express UAE and other dignitaries from the government and private sector.

HE. Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd said the UAE is taking several concerted initiatives to promote sustainable development with a focus on involving private sector organisations and the public at large. ENOC’s Tadweer programme will be a strong value addition to our efforts, while also contributing to the welfare of the economically disadvantaged students. We urge more corporate organisations and individuals to step forward and partner in green programmes that will help our nation to promote environmental sustainability.

Lootah said Dubai Municipality is the recycling partner of the initiative, whereby all the laptops sourced through collection boxes located at 10 ENOC/EPPCO stations in Dubai will be formatted, fixed and refurbished at its PC Refurbishment Centre for distribution to charity organisations or welfare institutes. Members of the public can contribute second-hand, damaged or discarded laptops.

Pell commented: “We are very pleased to support the Tadweer project with our transportation network and logistics expertise to deliver the laptops. The company demonstrates its commitment to the community service in every way possible, and we consider ourselves an active part of the society.”

The operational aspect of the campaign is simple: People who wish to donate their used laptop can visit any of the ten participating ENOC/EPPCO retail station and collect branded sleeves to place the laptop. The laptops will be collected from the collection points every week by TNT. The refurbished laptops will be distributed as per the specifications of Dubai Municipality to welfare schools, educational institutes or NGOs.

Sharjah, UAE –: His father once taught him: “earth is a mosque, and everything in it is sacred.”  Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, acclaimed author of ‘Green Deen’, believes in demonstrating the Islamic religion as that which protects the planet.

Arriving from Brooklyn - New York this month, the American Muslim is set to speak at the ‘Forum for Environmental Change’ held on Monday 17th October, 2011 during the Green Middle East exhibition, at the Sharjah Expo Center.

Ibrahim hopes that his latest book, ‘Green Deen’ will help rebrand Muslims from terrorists to environmentalists. “I use ‘Green Deen’ to (also) mean finding inspiration in one’s faith to become more conscious about humanity’s effects on the planet. Islam is a ‘Green Deen’ in many ways. First and foremost, Islam recognizes that while God is all-powerful, humans can and do impact the Earth,” he stated.

“The planet is my home, and yours too. Together, we can protect, maintain, and respect it. How we treat the planet is a reflection of how we treat ourselves. And that’s why I’m a pedestrian. There’s nothing better than walking on the Earth as God intended.”

With Sharjah being at the forefront of leading positive environmental change, the ‘Forum for Environmental Change’ which is organized and hosted by Bee’ah – the UAE’s leading integrated and award-winning environmental and waste management company – and held at the Expo Centre Sharjah, aims to create a platform of knowledge and expertise for the region’s environmental industry.

“The Emirate of Sharjah is renowned as the cultural and religious hub of the UAE. We at Bee’ah are committed to positioning Sharjah as the ‘Green Emirate’, by not only building the systems and infrastructure, but also fostering the social change required to achieve our goals.” commented Chief Executive Officer at Bee’ah, Mr. Khaled Al Huraimel.

“Ibrahim’s dedication to the environment is rooted in his teachings of Islam, inspiring and connecting people through their faiths, encouraging them to bridge the gap between their beliefs and their affection for our planet Earth.”

Mr. Saif Al Midfaa, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah added saying, “As a key speaker at Green Middle East, Ibrahim will motivate both delegates and Sharjah’s youth, through his experiences and well-spoken persona, about how Islam has been in existence for quite some time and the role of Muslims to protect the world and its environment.”

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin is a second generation American Muslim, media personality and a policy advisor in New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. He has worked with Green for All, Green City Force, Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice and the Prospect Park Alliance.

A strong and inspirational public speaker, Abdul-Matin has appeared on “Fox News,” Al-Jazeera and ABC News “This Week”. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, CNN.com, HuffingtonPost.com, The Daily Beast, GOOD Magazine, ColorLines, Wiretap, and Elan Magazine. “Green Deen” has been featured on “The Brian Lehrer Show,” “Global Grind,” “Energy Now” The Center for American Progress, and America.gov.

Green Middle East is set to be the leading regional exhibition for the environment industry in the Middle East region. Visitors from across the region will visit Sharjah, including government institutions, ministries and municipalities, to attend and exhibit their latest products, services and initiatives to demonstrate their commitment and sense of environmental responsibility towards enhancing our ‘Green’ nation.

For attendance to the Green Middle East exhibition and Environmental Forum, visitor registration forms are available online at www.green-middleeast.com

Ben Churchill, Managing Director, Emrill

Dubai, August 22, 2011 : Emrill, the leading Facilities Management provider in the UAE, today announced it has received ISO certifications for Environmental Management and Occupational Health and Safety Management systems, further reiterating the company’s commitment to delivering excellence with stringent systems and checks in place.

The prestigious ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certifications follow Emrill’s successful certification to ISO 9001:2008 for its customer focus, leadership and continual improvement.

“Emrill is delighted to be recognised for great work and quality management systems with the ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certification which recognises the paramount importance we give to Environment and Safety,” said Ben Churchill, Managing Director, Emrill. “As industry leaders this reaffirms our position and as part of the country’s responsible citizenry, Emrill continues to make every effort to reduce, reuse and recycle. We are glad our efforts have exceeded expectations of a global organisation like ISO.”

Mr Churchill also said the ISO certification allows its customers great comfort to know their FM Company of choice adheres to worldwide standards in business quality and leadership while ensuring environmental management, health and safety systems are built into all their processes.

“Delivering worldwide standards enables us to track and measure the improvements in our procedures and thus enhance customer experiences,” he said. “We have achieved this through continuous training for our staff to ensure that our 4,000 employees well trained multilingual employees deliver excellence. Emrill’s best practices in Environment, Occupational health and Safetyfactors have helped us become one of the finest FM companies in the region.”

Emrill offers a full range of Asset and Facilities Management services with innovative solutions tailored to support master developments, residential communities, leisure, corporate and commercial complexes. Emrill’s solutions include consultancy, infrastructure management, corporate, hospitality, community and residential solutions.

• Copper promotes sustainability and helps reduce impact of new material extraction on the environment
• Perfect fit to the current emphasis of the region on sustainable development

Ravinder Bhan

Dubai, UAE; July 6, 2011: International Copper Association (ICA), the apex body promoting the use and application of copper across various sectors, has urged developers and construction industry stakeholders in the Middle East to adapt the usage of energy efficiency materials to promote the region’s green built environment.

With the focus of the region on infrastructure development, the use of copper will further enhance the energy use efficiency the buildings under construction, thus contributing to long-term sustainability benefits.

Ravinder Bhan, the local representative of ICA, said: “One of the pressing challenges faced by urban policy makers in promoting sustainable development is the growing demand for energy, led by the massive infrastructure projects currently being undertaken. While there are concerted efforts to drive the creation of sustainable built environments, it is important that green best practices are integrated from the inception.”

He added: “By adapting green building practices, overall operating expenses and costs in terms of repair and maintenance can be reduced in the long run. Buildings also have the greatest impact on climate change with increased consumption of electricity and natural gas by the residents that are powered by plants that contribute to carbon emissions. The use of copper can significantly enhance energy use efficiencies, and thus contribute to a greener environment.”

Tom Dietsche, LEED Program Manager, US Green Building Council, explained: “Green Building projects that can earn LEED points include those that have incorporated recycled content materials, such as copper, which promotes sustainability and helps to reduce the impact of new material extraction on the environment.”

Copper is possibly the greenest commonly used architectural metal today. It plays an essential role in the modern building, from recycled cladding and roofing systems, to high-tech plumbing and heating systems using tube and fittings which are manufactured from recycled copper.

Copper sheet is light in weight, easy to work and join, visually attractive and extremely durable. Copper alloys, such as bronzes and brasses (copper, alloyed with aluminium and zinc principally) are also used in architectural design, offering a variety of colours and finishes, combined with copper’s exceptional characteristics.

Copper is a key component of many energy-saving technologies including passive solar water heating systems, which employ copper to capture and convert sunlight into heat. Copper heat exchangers efficiently transfer the thermal energy absorbed by the solar collector to the home’s hot water system. “Sunlight is abundant in the Middle East region, renewable and, even where it is not readily available, can supplement a home’s hot water needs virtually cost-free once a system is installed,” added Bhan.

It is one of the few architectural metals commonly used without the application of a coating or finish applied to retain and enhance its natural appeal and long life. Copper’s high ductility makes it easily formable - so it is easy to work with and ideal for cladding complicated details and shapes.

Shell, KHDA announce 6 winning schools in 2011 Better Environment Awards in Dubai

May 16, 2011

In line with its commitment to promote the highest levels of social awareness regarding the issues of environment, safety and health in the UAE, Shell, in coordination with the Knowledge & Human Development Authority in Dubai (KHDA), has recently announced six winning schools that participated in the Shell Better Environment Awards (BEA) 2011, which covered topics including environmental cleanliness, protection of national resources, promotion of sustainability, and environment, health and safety issues in the country. The winning schools were announced at a ceremony held at the Sheikh Rashid Auditorium, Indian High School, Dubai. The award ceremony was attended by senior officials from Shell and KHDA, representatives from the 27 participating schools, and the renowned polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan who made a special presentation on the urgent need to protect the environment.

The list of winning schools of the Shell Better Environment Awards 2011 include New World School under the Alternative Energy category; Zayed Bin Sultan School in the Water & Electricity category; Our Own English School and the Indian High School under the Ecological Footprint category; Haya Bint Al-Hussein School in the Global Warming category; New Arab Unity School in the Health Nutrition category; Jumeirah Model School and the Central School under the Safety at School category.

Omar Al Qurashi, Director of Communications, Shell in Dubai, said, “This cycle of Shell BEA was launched in cooperation with the Knowledge & Human Development Authority with the aim of raising awareness and inspiring the younger generation to contribute towards addressing key challenges concerning the environment, health and safety.”

“Sustainable development is integral to the way Shell does business in the UAE and throughout the world. In all our efforts to meet growing global energy demand we never lose sight of the importance of maximizing the impact of our work on the quality of life and safety of society as well as the health of the environment. The Better Environment Awards reflects our utmost commitment to safeguarding the interests of the local communities that we operate in and serve,” he added.

Fatma Al Marri Chief Executive Officer for the Schools Agency at the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said: “I strongly believe in the commitment of Shell to help create a better environment as I have been involved in various environmental programs organized by Shell when I was still a school principle in the 1996. Having witnessed the impact and the contributions of Shell towards establishing a sustainable, healthy and safe society, I am certainly very eager to continue to support and contribute towards the success of the Shell Better Environment Awards.”

As part of the preparations for this cycle of BEA, Shell conducted a series of site visits, in coordination with KHDA, to different schools in Dubai, to promote health, safety and environment (HSE) issues and encourage students to participate in programmes that support the protection of the environment. These site visits were conducted to follow up on the projects and to assess the level of awareness, at the school level, about climate change, road safety, obesity and smoking, as well as to educate students on how to achieve sustainable development goals. Shell had also organized an exhibition to showcase the projects of students participating in BEA 2011.

Earth Day celebration

Canon Middle East office at DIC to also host bulb exchange program to encourage residents to swap non-energy efficient bulbs with energy saving alternatives

April 21, 2011

In line with its continuing thrust to be a socially responsible and environmentally conscious company, Canon Middle East, leader in imaging solutions, has announced that it has partnered with Dubai Internet City (DIC), a member of TECOM Investments, and Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF) to organise an environment photo exhibition in celebration of Earth Day, being observed in the UAE on April 22, 2011, which also coincides with the Regional Environment Day.    
 
The exhibition will feature select environmental conservation-themed photos from WWF’s Global Photo Network in partnership with Canon Europe, in a move to raise environmental awareness among Dubai Internet City’s residents and visitors. The photo exhibition will be displayed at Canon Middle East’s office building in Dubai Internet City, as well as other buildings in DIC.    

As part of its Earth Day celebrations, Canon will also be organising a bulb exchange program at its building to facilitate DIC residents to swap their non-energy efficient light bulbs with energy-saving alternatives.
   
Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications Manager at Canon Middle East, said: “Environment conservation has always been high on Canon’s agenda over the years, and we have been focused on taking proactive steps to promote environmental sustainability. To mark Earth Day this year we are pleased to team up with Emirates Wildlife Society – in association with WWF and Dubai Internet City and organise this photo exhibition and bulb exchange initiative. The key is to create as much awareness as possible on the pressing need to conserve the environment and to involve residents in the various programs that we undertake.”

Nicolas Delaunay, Director, Business Development & Marketing at EWS-WWF said: “This photo exhibition is a great opportunity for everyone to learn about environmental issues that matter to all of us. We hope that it will serve as an inspiration to adopt the necessary changes for a more sustainable future. We greatly appreciate the efforts put forward by Canon Middle East in organizing this exhibition in collaboration with DIC, in order to spread the message of environmental conservation amongst UAE residents.”

Majed Al Suwaidi, Director-Business Development at Dubai Internet City, said: “In today’s times, it has become absolutely imperative for companies in the region to take their environmental mandate seriously and initiate concrete steps towards its conservation. Dubai Internet City’s partnership with Canon is a testimony to the priority we place on this core responsibility. We are delighted to contribute to the environmental photo exhibition pioneered by Canon and look forward to supporting more such opportunities in the future.”

Canon Middle East has also successfully carried forward the momentum of its environmental campaign to 2011 through its involvement in major initiatives such as the “Earth Hour” celebration, “Can Collection campaign” and “UAE Clean Up Drive” by Emirates Environmental Group.

‘Shell Better Environment Award 2011′ held in cooperation with Knowledge & Human Development Authority in Dubai to highlight climate change, road safety, obesity and smoking

April 03, 2011

A group of experts specialized in key issues concerning health, safety and environment (HSE) began a series of visits to different schools in Dubai, encouraging students to participate in programs supporting the UAE environment and urging them to heighten their interest in HSE issues. The activity provides an opportunity to conduct discussions on various issues that are highly relevant to the society, including climate change, road safety, obesity and smoking among others. 

The site visits were organized by Shell in coordination with the Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai to assess the progress of the different projects that are entered in “Shell Better Environment Award 2011″ (BEA). Award supervisors expressed their commitment to help raise the awareness level in schools about the importance of achieving positive results in terms of environment protection and discovering new ways to face future challenges in the area of sustainable development. The visits also provided an opportunity to offer students an overview of what judges will be expecting from their projects and presentations.

“We are delighted to see such great progress of the Shell Better Environment Award. We are confident that these projects and the innovative ideas from the students will ultimately contribute in various ways to protect the environment and to enhance the health and safety standards of our society. Moreover, it is very important that we continue to generate greater awareness about these important issues and Shell believes that cultivating the proactive support of different schools will deliver great dividends in terms of discovering more innovative ways to address key challenges in the areas of environment, health and safety,” said Omar Al Qurashi, Director of Communications, Shell in Dubai.  

The Shell Better Environment Awards 2011 was launched in November 2010 in cooperation with the Knowledge & Human Development Authority with the aim of raising awareness and inspiring the younger generation to contribute in addressing key challenges concerning the environment, health and safety.

Recent site visits at participating schools indicate high level of innovation and quality of projects entered in Shell BEA 2011

March 30, 2011

Shell has revealed that the awareness level on key issues concerning the environment, health and safety (HSE) has been increasing among different schools in the UAE, as manifested during a series of visits conducted recently in different schools participating in the Shell Better Environment Awards (BEA) 2011. Shell further noted that the growing interest and proficiency at the school level about HSE issues has been manifested by the exceptionally high degree of innovation and quality of the various projects that are currently undertaken by participating students of BEA 2011.

The site visits were organized by Shell in coordination with the Knowledge & Human Development Authority to check on the progress of the different projects that are entered in BEA 2011, while it also provided an opportunity for Shell to conduct discussions and provide students an overview of what judges will be expecting from their projects and presentations. The different student projects touched on a variety of HSE issues that are highly relevant to the society, including climate change, road safety, obesity and smoking among others.

“We are delighted to see such great progress of the Shell Better Environment Award. We are confident that these projects and the innovative ideas from the students will ultimately contribute in various ways to protect the environment and to enhance the health and safety standards of our society. Moreover, it is very important that we continue to generate greater awareness about these important issues and Shell believes that cultivating the proactive support of different schools will deliver great dividends in terms of discovering more innovative ways to address key challenges in the areas of environment, health and safety,” said Omar Al Qurashi, Director of Communications, Shell in Dubai.

The Shell Better Environment Awards 2011 was launched in November 2010 in cooperation with the Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA) with the aim of raising awareness and inspiring the younger generation to contribute in addressing key challenges concerning the environment, health and safety.