The Sustainable City, the Middle East’s first fully-operational sustainable community, has become the first gated community in the region to release its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory. The initiative is part of The Sustainable City’s strategic collaboration with Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF(EWS-WWF).

The Sustainable City’s total emissions for the year 2017 are 8,761 tCO₂e with electricity accounting for 50%, waste for 38%, and water for 11%*. The GHG inventory covers the emissions from the fully operational Phase 1, as well as electricity and fuel related emissions from the under-construction Phase 2 of The Sustainable City. During the year 2017, 363 villas and 200 apartments were occupied, and the city had a resident population of approximately 1900. The inventory results show that the GHG intensity of the villas at The Sustainable City is almost 50% less than that of a conventional villa in UAE. The Sustainable City was successful in achieving a lower footprint through efficient design, rooftop solar, solar-charged electric buggies, organic waste composting and other low carbon initiatives. The per capita grid electricity and water consumption is 42% and 30% less than the Dubai average respectively.

The report was prepared in accordance with The Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories. The emissions results were verified by Dubai Carbon, a private joint-stock company established to cater to building a low-carbon and green economy.

Faris Saeed, CEO of Diamond Developers — the company behind The Sustainable City — commented: “The results of our GHG inventory confirm that The Sustainable City is continually working to fight climate change and proactively reducing our carbon emissions in alignment with the Paris agreement and the sustainable development goals. Moving forward, we will be taking steps to further reduce our emissions through the addition of 3.6 MW of solar PVs, the use of biodiesel for construction activities, and various awareness campaigns for residents.”

Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director General of EWS-WWF, said, “Climate change is a defining issue today, and cities and communities play a key role in addressing this global challenge. The Sustainable City is a prime example of how a mixed-use community can be developed and operated in line with sustainability principles and with consequently reduced emissions, even in the harsh climate of the Gulf. The partnership between The Sustainable City and EWS-WWF not only includes measuring and reporting the City’s GHG emissions but extends to examining best practices for mitigating carbon emissions from residential and non-residential activities.”

The Sustainable City and EWS-WWF are working together to address climate change, promote renewable energy, reduce GHG emissions and measure how the city performs against key performance indicators. The Sustainable City consistently demonstrates how a low-carbon business model can be transformational for real estate sector in the UAE, reducing the environmental impact of residential developments while also contributing to economic growth.