The United Arab Emirates’ march towards developing world-class infrastructure is paved by green buildings. While the façade is grey, and reflective of the sandy landscape, hundreds of these steel behemoths are ‘green’ in the way they were built and currently operate. The UAE currently has 1,354 programmes under LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) which includes certifications and registrations. The country to its credit, was ranked amongst the top 10 countries globally for the number of buildings which are LEED-acccredited, as of November 2021. The emirate of Dubai leads the country as it is ranked third in the list of global cities with the highest number of green buildings, according to a 2021 report.

Dubai’s urban environment is seeing a rapid built-up, but the LEED-certification process has kept pace with this development. An example of development and sustainability going hand-in-hand was the Expo 2020 city development which received 121 LEED-certifications as it hosted the World Expo in 2021. The smart city was built around the theme of sustainability and has repurposed 80 per cent of the World Expo site which is now open to visitors as Expo City Dubai. This site will play host to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in 2023.

The Expo City has a mix of LEED-certified buildings which include 103 LEED-Gold, nine LEED-Silver and two ‘Certified’. These rankings are being stressed upon as LEED-certifications are among one of the most widely used, and globally recognised ways of “providing a framework for healthy, highly-efficient and cost-saving green buildings.” While the original set of rules and regulations was created in the 1990s by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED accreditations are now managed by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

The LEED-certification system certifies buildings through:

• Reduction in energy and water consumption over its lifetime;
• Lower operational costs and carbon footprints;
• Constructed from environmentally-sensitive materials;
• Fewer impacts during construction;
• Better indoor air quality;
• Better connected to the community, contributing to a more sustainable urban environment.

The built environment accounts for 40-50% of global greenhouse gas emissions and hence it has become crucial for built-developmental work to reduce its carbon-footprint in a manner that can be measured. LEED-certifications have come to represent the gold-standard or rather the green-standard of the built environment. This accreditation system is centred around the accrual of points. Projects are judged and scored in as many as nine categories, with a maximum possible points totalling 110. However, assessment criteria and categories can vary, in recognition of factors that are more or less relevant to different assessments.

The ratings are based on an assessed projects’ scores which then translate into four grades of ratings:

• Certified (40-49 /110)
• Silver (50-59 /110)
• Gold (60-79 /110)
• Platinum (> 80 /110)

The current LEED-rating framework (v4.1) was released in 2019, and it has a vast scale and scope of implementation. It is often referred to as the “green building project and performance management system”. It incorporates key environmental considerations such as less energy and water usage, a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, as well as in-use building performance monitoring. This ability of the certification system allows LEED to simplify and guide the development and maintenance of a greener built world.

LEED-certifications are not only applicable to new developments but also to existing buildings. LEED-certification O&M helps facility managers by acting as a blueprint for implementing sustainable facility management strategies. With the focus now on efficient energy management and reduction in consumption, LEED certifications help FM executives reach pre-set targets.

We spoke to Cameron Mehrabanpour, Facilities Manager at Heriot-Watt University Dubai to understand the impact that LEED-Certified Buildings can have on the built environment and the obstacles that face developers, and facility managers to obtain one. 

1. What are the challenges faced while moving to more sustainable practices? How do you make being sustainable a habit?

Sustainability is now strongly embedded in every sector and more so in the built environment. According to a 2021 Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction report, the built environment generates nearly 50 per cent of annual global CO2 emissions. Of those total emissions, building operations are responsible for 27 per cent annually. In comparison, building materials and construction (typically referred to as embodied carbon) are responsible for an additional 20 per cent annually. The advantages of sustainable or green buildings can hardly be disputed, with benefits for us and our health. And, of course, sustainable construction mitigates climate change and protects the world around us. However, we must not ignore the challenges that come with it, such as:

• Cost Considerations: The cost of using sustainable materials and fixtures can be costlier, increasing the investment involved.
• Inadequate awareness: Builders can lack the awareness required to support sustainable construction, thereby passing the necessary changes to make a building green.
• Unwillingness to make changes: This can apply to builders, facility management organisations and individuals. From the development stage to tenants of the building, it is imperative to make conscious changes to support sustainability.

Additionally, to make sustainability a habit it needs to start small. Every little change counts. Furthermore, developers need to embed sustainability into their plans right in the beginning to have a lasting positive impact on the environment.

2. What are the key factors in managing LEED-certified buildings?

LEED is a holistic system that focuses on various elements of a building such as energy, water, and health, and looks at the big picture, factoring in all the critical elements that work together to create sustainable and environmentally conscious buildings. It is vital for facility managers and the facility team to be fully aware of the health of the building at all times. Ensuring every part of the building is energy efficient, making necessary changes and rectifying problems that lead to low efficiency, encouraging inhabitants to make sustainable choices such as using the stairway instead of the elevator, ensuring the air-conditioning and lights are switched off if a room is not being used, these are all key in managing LEED-certified buildings.

One of the big challenges we had at Heriot Watt Dubai was attaining the credits for Innovation with regards to Green Cleaning Policy, this applies to all cleaning procedures, cleaning material and equipment purchases. The service used for cleaning had difficulties sourcing the EU Ecolabel certified cleaning chemicals in the local market and had to train staff to set up the tracking plan for water, energy, and toxic chemical usage. Working together we achieved the credit and LEED Gold for the new campus.

3. Can you provide two examples that explain the difference while managing a non-certified vs. LEED-CERTIFIED facility?

• LEED-certified premises require LEED Accredited Professionals to manage the building. The accreditation illustrates to the industry that the professional has a deeper understanding of green buildings and LEED certifications. This builds credibility because it shows a grasp of current technologies and strategies.
• LEED-certified buildings also have a more complex reporting system to maintain their certification. Managers must keep a checklist that ensures the certification criteria are met throughout the lifecycle.

4. Do LEED credentials help Facility Managers? How so?

Being LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED-AP) positively impacts facility managers. It validates the individual's sustainability awareness. It allows facility managers to showcase their expertise in managing green buildings and acknowledges that sustainability is key to the overall health of a building. LEED-accredited professionals are also globally recognised and are part of a wider community in the sector. Furthermore, it increases employability and will result in a higher salary package.

5. How do FM teams have an impact on building operations that lead to LEED certification?

The general shift toward building energy-use reductions has led to an expansion of FM teams from their traditional roles. The work facility managers do differ with the kind of property they are managing however the primary goal is to maintain buildings and provide safe and healthy environments to the inhabitants. As the duties of FM teams have developed, the expectations and capabilities to be knowledgeable in sustainability and efficient building practices have accelerated. By being embedded into the day-to-day functioning of a building, facility teams are capable of making the required changes that lead to LEED certifications. FM teams also have management buy-ins to advise them on energy reduction and sustainable changes to support certification capabilities.

The FM team at Heriot Watt Dubai had to undertake various external training courses to ensure correct strategies for conserving energy, water, and chemicals used for cleaning as well as sustainable storage and handling of cleaning chemicals. We also had to review the sustainability criteria for cleaning products and review our purchasing guidelines.

6. Do you advocate for buildings to become LEED-certified?

Most definitely. Each building has its role to play in improving the environment and for the sector to be increasingly sustainable. From being energy-saving compliant in the planning and construction stage to converting an old building into a LEED-certified one, organisations need to understand the impact their facility or property has on the environment, including its carbon footprint.