Emirates Green Building Council hosted its 14th Annual Congress over two days in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The event featured a series of engaging talks and panel discussions focused on how the UAE’s built environment can support the nation’s climate ambitions, particularly those outlined in its Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

👉Policymakers, industry experts, and sustainability leaders came together to explore actionable strategies for achieving Net Zero emissions and promoting sustainable construction.

Radhika Arapally, founder of Sustainability Kiosk, facilitated a roundtable discussion on the theme of ‘Zero Readiness and Resilience Framework’ specifically under the topic of ‘Data’. The session brought together professionals from various sectors and roles, where Radhika posed key questions about data accessibility and its role in supporting future growth.

Roundtable speakers: Ezzeddine Jradi, Norhan Bayomi, Mohamed Aljawabrah, Joe Saab,  Debisha Sharma

➡️Five key takeaways from the roundtable included:
🔸The journey of collecting, accessing, and benchmarking data is ongoing.
🔸 There is currently patchy availability of data in the UAE, particularly on embodied and operational carbon.
🔸 Improved collaboration between the public and private sectors could streamline the data-sharing process.
🔸 AI agents and their capabilities can assist in optimising both building operations and design.
🔸 Clear regulations surrounding data will help shift efforts from ambition to action.

What does it mean for Hospitality?
As hotels play a growing role in the UAE’s sustainability targets and the built environment, data and digital tools will be critical in tracking performance and driving continuous improvement for national contribution!