A few weeks ahead of the UN climate summit, COP 26, the UAE announced its Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative’, on October 7, 2021, during the auspicious occasion of Expo 2020 Dubai at UAE Pavilion in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
‘Net-Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative’, reflects UAEs true commitment towards minimizing the impact of its momentous economic growth on the environment. As a part of the Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, the UAE will invest over AED 600 billion in renewable energy to minimize carbon emissions and move the nation towards cleaner energy.
UAE Becomes First Gulf Country to Commit to Eliminate Net Zero Emission:
With this move, UAE has become the first of the Arabian Gulf to commit to eliminating carbon emissions within their country. Carbon emissions increase the temperature of the planet and are detrimental to the life and health of every earth dweller.
The UAEs net-zero initiative 2050 is also in line with the Paris Agreement – a legally binding international treaty on climate change that aims to reduce greenhouse emissions and minimize the rise in global temperature to 1.5 C compared to pre-industrial levels. Net-zero initiative 2050 will strengthen the pace of energy transition in the region and will have a profound impact on the global image of the UAE and portray it as a nation truly committed to the betterment of the environment in the eyes of the world.
Steps Taken by Kaizen AMS in Building a ‘Net-Zero Emission’ Dubai:
Being a sustainability-driven firm and a proud corporate member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Kaizen AMS – (a tech-enabled property management firm) invests significantly in protecting the environment from the catastrophic impacts of building emissions.
In line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed to promote the transformation of Dubai to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, Kaizen AMS has implemented several best practices to minimize the energy consumption of its managed communities. We have a dedicated Energy-efficiency team that regularly monitors the energy consumption in our managed communities and also research on the ground-breaking technologies and ways to minimize the emissions produced by the Kaizen AMS managed communities. We recommend the best energy-conservation practices to the top real estate developers we work with.
Kaizen AMS also shares the best practices to minimize the energy usage and the impact of the built environment through its one-of-its-kind thought leadership Blogs & Case Studies to bring the UAE real estate sector one step closer to the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
Some of these thought-leadership pieces are as follows:
- The Economics of Operating a Skyscraper
Measures Adopted by Kaizen AMS to Reduce Emissions:
As global companies are committing to the Net Zero Coalition to combat Climate change, and as more companies are becoming more environmentally conscious, Kaizen AMS has begun to see tenants asking about energy efficiency and environmental sustainability while enquiring to lease a property
The best practices adopted by Kaizen AMS at its managed communities to make them net-zero emission are discussed below:
Automation:
- Automating the areas of the community shares responsibilities such as: showers near the pool which turn off automatically
- Implementing the controls and equipment to measure consumption through BTU meters, BMS systems, and IoT sensors and ensuring they are being run by qualified people.
- Automating electronic appliances to reduce energy usage by 30% and also minimize energy bills of the residents
- Installing sensors in the Washrooms 65% saving
Timely Monitoring of Energy Consumption:
- Monitoring the consumption on weekly basis to discuss current month savings and next month goal
- Conducting timely internal energy audits
- Modeling the preservation of the building elements
Upgradation & Maintenance:
- Upgrading the existing mechanical system such as: air conditioners
- Conducting regular maintenance and upgrades of the building equipment
- Ensuring windows are installed correctly to prevent any possibility of air infiltration or water damage to boost energy efficiency
- Conducting low-emissivity glass coatings to minimize the UV & infrared light passing through the glass to prevent fade damage. This practice keeps the interiors cool in the hot weather and retains the warmth in winters.
Analysis & Consulting:
- Analyzing the data to optimize to extract value
- Seeking the advice of specialist energy management companies to come in and optimize further to extract deeper value
Following the Basics:
- Using long-lasting products to limit the need for material replacements during building life-cycle
- Installing energy-efficient LED lights
- Turning off Fresh Air Handling Unit (FAHU) after hours as well as on weekends in the common areas to conserve energy
- Turning off Chilled water (CHW) pumps after office hours i.e. after 8 pm
- Keeping Staircase and corridors lights turned to the minimum
- Recommending developers to use advanced materials such as efficient windows, sustainable construction materials, lighting, etc.
Impact of Kaizen AMS’ Efforts in Reducing Carbon Emissions:
The impact of the efforts laid by Kaizen AMS towards minimizing the energy consumption and emission level of its communities has come up with flying colours. Our utility expenses were reduced by AED 1 Million within a year i.e. from AED 15.5 Million in Q3, 2020 to AED 14.5 Million in Q3, 2021.
Our top 9 communities have witnessed up to a 17.2% decline in their energy consumption between Q3 2020 & Q3 2021. Kaizen AMS-managed communities in Dubai Marina, DIFC, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai South, and Dubai Land have been at the forefront in cutting down their carbon footprint by leveraging the practices discussed above.
Our initiatives to reduce carbon emissions have resulted in a decline in our operating cost which has reflected positively on our net revenues for FY 22.
Here are the details on the percentage decrease in Carbon Footprints at our top Communities between Q3, 2020 and Q3, 2021:
Queue Point witnessed an exponential 55.1% decline in Carbon emissions between Q3, 2020 & Q3, 2021, followed by Murano Residence with 29.4%, Mag 560 with 25.2%, and Hyati Avenue (APTS) JVC with 19.8%.
Shoreline 7/8 Palm Jumeirah has reduced carbon emissions by 17.1% followed by Sparkle Tower with 15.7%, RT 10 Hercules DubaiLand with 13%, and Sky Garden – DIF with 10.7%.
Park Avenue Silicon Boulevard was the only one to witness an increase of 31% in carbon emissions due to a substantial increase in its occupancy rate which increased the demand for Electricity resulting in more carbon emissions. Since then, Kaizen’s Property Managers at Park Avenue Silicon Boulevard have deployed advanced Building Automation and Carbon emissions control technologies to minimize the level of emissions.
Total Carbon Emissions at Top 9 Kaizen-managed Communities:
Kaizen-managed communities have been highly successful in minimizing the overall carbon emissions.
- At Sparkle Tower, the carbon emissions plunged from 682,346 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 575,070 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2021.
- SkyGardens has also reduced carbon emissions from 461,453 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 411, 963 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2021
- Shoreline 7/8 Palm Jumeirah has minimized its carbon emissions from 256,980 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 212,946 CO2e in Q3, 2021
- RT 10 Hercules DubaiLand has decreased its carbon emissions from 451, 556 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 392,447 in Q3, 2021
- Queue Point has also witnessed its carbon emissions plunging from 35,561 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 392,447 in Q3, 2021
- Park Avenue was the only one to show an increase in carbon emissions from 224,750 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 294,442 Kg CO2e in Q3, 2021
- Murano Residence reduced its carbon emissions from 191,373 CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 135,138 CO2e in Q3, 2021
- At Mag 560, carbon emissions fell from 31,095 CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 23,251 CO2e in Q3, 2021
- Hyatt Avenue reflected a decline in carbon emissions from 303,709 CO2e in Q3, 2020 to 243,487 in Q3, 2021
**The reduction in Carbon Footprints has been calculated based on the figures stated on the DEWA bills of these Communities.