Dubai: The Sustainable City unveils world’s first net zero carbon building

The Sustainable City in Dubai unveiled the world’s first net zero carbon building.

The 50,000 sqft building will be home to SEE Institute, the sustainability research, development, and professional training arm of Diamond Developers.

The building will be offsetting all its embodied carbon emissions from construction and interiors prior to operations, based on an offset scheme. It will also produce more than 300 per cent of its operational energy requirements through renewable sources including solar panels and a biogas plant handling organic waste from TSC.

From this, 100 per cent will cover the operational energy and 150 per cent will offset emissions from commuting employees, water desalination, and consumable products that operate the institute. The remaining 50 per cent will enable the building to become carbon positive, a statement said.

Faris Saeed, CEO of Diamond Developers, said: “SEE Institute is the embodiment of our mission to spearhead the global movement towards sustainable knowledge and learning advancement, in line with the aspirations of the Paris Climate Agreement and the urgency of worldwide climate action. It also paves the way for bringing the UN 2050 targets forward and achieving a net zero carbon future today.”

“The institute’s purpose is to accelerate climate action through education, R&D, business incubation, events and conferences. Through targeted collaborations with partners, academic and government entities, we aim to inspire others by sharing knowledge and expertise to ensure a better tomorrow for generations to come.”

The new building will be dedicated to the advancement of sustainability knowledge, technology and innovations through research, training, events and incubation of tech startups. Completion is expected in the next few months, the statement added.

Located in Dubailand, The Sustainable City spans some 46 hectares and provides green residential facilities and amenities.