In a built industry where "sustainability" is too often reduced to a corporate marketing exercise, the partnership between Berkeley Services Group and Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) stands out as a for its operational honesty and shared conviction.

In this episode of The Hub by Built Environment ME, Editor Marisha Singh sits down with Dr. Habiba Al Marashi (Co-founder & Chairperson of EEG) and Nadesh Gandhari (Head of ESG at Berkeley Services Group) to unpack exactly what it takes to drive true decarbonisation and human-centric governance inside the region's most demanding sectors. With the built environment accounting for a staggering 28% of total emissions in the UAE, Berkeley and EEG demonstrate how moving away from transactional corporate social responsibility (CSR) and shifting toward an active, integrated ESG operating model can reshape an entire organization from the ground up.

What We Discuss in This Episode:

00:00 – Introduction: Purpose vs. Practice in UAE Real Estate

02:15 – The 1991 Vision: Dr. Habiba Al Marashi on Pioneering Environmental Discipline Before Legislation

05:40 – Digital Transformation: Introducing Berkeley’s "ESG Navigator" CAFM Module

08:30 – Balancing Automation & Human Capital: Upskilling Blue-Collar Labor to Supervisors

11:50 – Confronting Greenwashing: Dr. Habiba’s Direct Warning to Global Multinationals

14:45 – The UN Global Compact: Embedding Long-Term Structural Integrity Into Business Workflows