Capital starts enforcing sustainability standards

The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City has announced the enforcement of standards meant for the sustainability of buildings (Estidama).

Since the introduction of the new system last month, 145 licences were subjected to the new conditions, the municipality said.

Such a move comes in the context of the Municipality’s efforts to enhance the sustainability standards and form the basis for projects developed and constructed within the Capital and the metropolitan area with the aim of laying the foundation of a sustained future aligned with the highest global standards and in conformity with the Abu Dhabi Plan 2030 that aims at making Abu Dhabi a model of a sustained global capital.

Engineer Salah Awad Al Sarraj, Acting Executive Director of Town Planning Sector, said: “Through complying with the full implementation of the Estidama programme as part of an ambitious plan to convert Abu Dhabi into a city adopting sustainability in all projects at the highest global standards and its drive towards a sustainable future, the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City stresses that all projects submitted for issuance of building permits have to be compliant with the stipulations and standards of Estidama programme.”

“Following the implementation of these new standards on all the buildings to be constructed within the Abu Dhabi emirate, it has become imperative to ensure that they address the standards of sustainability to qualify for obtaining one pearl,” Sarraj said.

“New buildings, schools and mosques funded by the government have to meet Estidama standards to qualify for obtaining two pearls, as per the Pearl Grading system,” added Sarraj.

As regards the apportioning of responsibilities between the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City and the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Sarraj said: “The Municipality is responsible for reviewing and auditing the transactions related to housing and villa projects in complexes encompassing up to 10 villas or less as well as all buildings spanning an area of 75,000 square metres. The Urban Planning Council will review and issue approvals relating to all other transactions, schools, mosques and government buildings.”

“The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City is keen on interacting with all bodies engaged in the real estate and construction sector and is running several initiatives to support its drive to implement Estidama standards.

“The Municipality has formed a panel of expert engineers and specialists of environmental, architectural and urban designs and tasked with the responsibility of setting up and developing a mechanism for the implementation of Estidama conditions and standards in coordination with those operating in the construction and real estate sector with the aim of easing the registration process,” the official said.

“The Estidama Team has carried out a trial project to ensure the success of the initiative, inviting consultants operating in Abu Dhabi to take part in the implementation of Estidama principles and requirements in a number of projects undertaken by them.

“The findings of this pilot project have been endorsed as decisions related to the delivering of documents and layouts needed for the building permits to complement with the requirements of Estidama regarding
the submission and review of documents and developing up the blueprints of completed projects to serve as demonstrative models for customers,” Sarraj said.

The Town Planning Sector, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, is running regular introductory workshops in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council to explain the Estidama Programme, Pearl Grading System, Submission of Layouts and Documents related Estidama at the Municiaplity, how to use and complete application forms, and the introduction of the existing educational tools.

The Municipality recently hosted the first of these workshops, which was attended by more than 500 participants from various consultancy and contracting companies.

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• UAE