The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, in cooperation with The Change Initiative, has organised a workshop focusing on the exchange of best practices and skills in energy efficiency and zero-energy buildings, which do not consume as much energy as the renewable energy generated onsite.

The workshop supported the implementation of the Demand Side Management Strategy to reduce energy demand by 30% by 2030. The strategy includes regulations for green building construction and the move to retro-fit over 30,000 existing buildings by 2030 to make them more sustainable.

Participants discussed the importance of adopting a green building strategy, which will contribute effectively to the reduction of power and water consumption, since buildings are the biggest consumer of power in the world these days.

"As an organisation responsible for implementing strategies and plans in the energy sector, the Supreme Council of Energy presented its Demand Side Management strategy goals to manage power demand, in cooperation with other organisations, including Dubai Municipality. Implementing the standards of green buildings in Dubai will contribute to saving power and water and using it efficiently," said Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary-General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

The workshop also featured discussions on how to refit and improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings in Dubai, which meet with the existing Demand Side Management strategy.

The workshop was also attended by Gundeep Singh, Founder and CEO of The Change Initiative, Abdullah Rafee, Assistant GM of Engineering and Planning at Dubai Municipality, Graeme Sims, Executive Director at Dubai's electricity and water regulator, the Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau, Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council, EmiratesGBC, Mohamed Tarik, Marketing Director at GE Power and Water, Emil Samarah, Chief Commercial Officer at Diamond Developers, and Jagath Gunawardena, Senior Manager at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Executive managers and experts in power efficiency and energy as well as a number of officials from the public and private sectors and non-government organisations, also attended.