The UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said its building in Abu Dhabi has achieved the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) Gold certification, issued by the US Green Building Council, for its sustainability standards.
Leed is an international system for measuring the design, construction and operation of high-operational, green buildings. It evaluates the impact and performance of any facility, taking into account several elements such as site selection, energy saving, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions, improved internal design environment, and others.
The buildings that receive this certificate are classified into three levels according to their application of the required standards: Platinum, Gold and Silver.
In this context, Mohammed Al Kitbi, the acting deputy director general of support services sector, said: "We, in TRA, are committed to implementing the UAE environmental protection strategy, preserving natural resources, and reducing the impact of carbon footprint and global warming."
"The report issued by the Green Building Council indicates that TRA Abu Dhabi building is an example of implementing sustainability standards, and presents a leading example of major development in the construction sector. We emphasise that the conservation of natural resources is a joint task not only for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, but also a national duty that we as individuals and institutions must strive to achieve with utmost seriousness," he remarked.
Al Kitbi pointed out that these efforts were aimed at strengthening the UAE’s ranking among countries concerned about the health of its citizens.
"The Green Buildings project, which is based on modern and advanced technologies including ICT, is part of the Smart City Project," he added.
The UAE is a founding member of the World Green Building Council, which was established in 1999 in California, with representatives of only eight countries. The council’s establishment was formally announced in 2002.