The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has signed an agreement with Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI). According to the MoU, the agreement will see the two organisations work together to promote green building by applying the LEED Platinum Rating for buildings that qualify.

The MoU was signed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA and Mahesh Ramanujam, CEO of USGBC and GBCI. The latter is an independent body that recognises excellence in green business industry performance and practice around the globe.

The MoU is part of DEWA’s efforts to achieve Dubai’s Demand Side Management Strategy to reduce electricity and water use by 30% by 2030 and the Carbon Abatement Strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 16% by 2021.

“The MoU with GBCI is part of our efforts to promote cooperation with international organisations and work together to establish the foundations of environmental sustainability. This supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy sources by 2050 and make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world,” said Al Tayer.

To achieve these goals, DEWA had previously established Etihad ESCO, which aims to retrofit around 30,000 existing buildings in Dubai.

DEWA’s Sustainable Building in Al Quoz is said to be the largest government building in the world to receive a LEED Platinum Rating. The building uses 66% less energy and 48% less water and features an on-site 660 kilowatt (kW) solar power plant according to DEWA.

The utility company is also building its new headquarters, named Al-Shera’a, which is expected to be the tallest, largest, and smartest zero energy building in the world. It is expected to become a sustainability benchmark in the region and globally.