APC by Schneider Electric Launches Data Centre Auditing Services

Dubai-UAE: 13 December, 2010 – APC by Schneider Electric, a global leader in integrated critical power and cooling services, today announced the launch of auditing services to meet the growing concerns of companies about energy efficiency in data centres.

APC’s complete and expert audit provides a vendor-neutral suite of services that include a comprehensive evaluation of energy use in customer facilities with detailed reports on total data centre input power, IT load, power usage effectiveness (PUE), and power and cooling conditions. Consultants can also provide proposals to resolve issues with a range of recommendations to suit customer needs.

Olivier Delepine, Enterprise and Services Director for Middle-East and Africa, APC by Schneider Electric, said: "More data centre managers are beginning to look at energy as a productive asset, and they need the tools to be able to help maximise the utilisation of available resources with business and regulatory climates demanding increased efficiencies within the data centres. APC’s new audit service brings significant returns on investment as customers optimise current infrastructure and plan for future growth or consolidation.”

The introduction of the audit services is backed by the appointment of qualified professionals such as Mustapha Louni as the Data Centre Energy Efficiency Engineer for the region. Based in Dubai, Louni will be responsible for managing the implementation of APC audit services in the region and work closely with the services team to deliver the best service solutions to APC’s customers.

Delepine added: "Louni’s technical background and familiarity with the market will serve APC’s continuous expansion and involvement in the region.”

The audit service is a tremendous value-added service offered by APC to its clients in the Middle East and Africa. As a leading company in the data centre and cooling technologies business, APC aims to offer the complete spectrum of data protection solutions through providing the audit service. Through regular audits, data centres can be operated at optimum capacity and help save cost of repair or replacement of equipment that are prone to damage due to incorrect usage.

The services team audits the data centre and provides the customer with detailed proposals to improve energy efficiency. The proposal recommends a range of solutions leading to a scale of gains from minimum to maximum, so the customer can implement the changes that best fit their business needs and data centre environments.

Issues typically found in data centres are often addressed with a combination of airflow and cooling management techniques, smarter hot-cold aisle configurations and containment systems, upgrades to UPS systems, as well as modernisation of rack enclosures with new intelligent systems.

The APC Data Centre Cooling Analysis uses Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to analyse the airflow and temperature patterns of a data centre at the rack and room level. The CFD software creates a 3D model of the physical attributes within the space, as well as the location and performance characteristics of the cooling units, IT equipment, power systems and any other significant equipment in the data centre.

For more information regarding APC’s cooling solutions, please visit www.apc.com or call +97147099690/91

-      Ends –

About APC by Schneider Electric

APC by Schneider Electric, a global leader in critical power and cooling services, provides industry leading product, software and systems for home, office, data centre and factory floor applications. Through its unparalleled commitment to innovation, APC provides pioneering, energy efficient solutions for critical technology and industrial applications that are well planned, flawlessly installed and maintained throughout their lifecycle. APC solutions include uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), precision cooling units, racks, physical security and design and management software, including APC's InfraStruxure® architecture, the industry’s most comprehensive integrated power, cooling, and management solution.

As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centres/networks, as well as a broad presence in residential applications.

Focused on making energy safe, reliable, and efficient, the company's 100,000+ employees achieved sales of more than 15.8 billion euros in 2009, through an active commitment to help individuals and organisations “Make the most of their energy”.

www.apc.com

All trademarks are the property of their owners.

www.schneider-electric.com

DM organizes seminar on policy and management on the use of refrigerants

Environmental Studies and Planning Section of the Environment Department of
Dubai Municipality recently organized a seminar on the use of refrigerants and
regulatory policies in line with the decisions of the UNEP.

The seminar was attended by a number of government department coordinators
and owners of big trading agencies in Dubai, who use refrigerants. The subject of the
seminar revolved around the theme of the International Day for the Preservation of
Ozone Layer, "Ozone layer protection: governance and compliance at their best."

The seminar was chaired by Eng. Ahmed Abdullah Al Jasmi, Head of Environmental
Studies and Planning Section, who initiated the dialogue by stressing the continued
and strong commitment of the Municipality to strengthen communication with
all segments of society and adhering to environmental standards that constitute a
major part of its duties.

Eng. Narciso Zacarias, Specialist in environmental management in the Environment
Department briefed the participants on the latest timetable for the phasing out
of ozone-depleting substances and actions taken by the Environment Department
against improper disposal of empty containers and leakage control methods of
refrigeration equipments during maintenance operations and the mechanism of
reduction of these irregularities.

He also shed light on the Montreal Protocol for the application of operations to
accelerate the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances and appropriate ways
to control them, in addition to the continued commitment by the country, which
sought to limit and control this issue through multiple mechanisms.

During the presentation Zacarias, who emphasized the vital role played by the
Environment Department in reducing the increase of ozone-depleting gases in the
emirate, explained that there is a great responsibility placed on the Municipality for
monitoring and controlling the improper leakage in the cooling devices, as well as
to prevent the entry of refrigerants or solvents that are prohibited through various
ports of Dubai.

It was also noted that traders and technicians working in this area must have the
ability to detect ozone-depleting substances and have full awareness of trade names
and chemical composition of the hazardous gases, so that the unsafe leakage in the
refrigeration equipment is controlled and the entry of these materials to the country
is prevented.

He thanked all the participants and the tireless efforts of the Environment
Department in clarifying all the circumstances about this vital issue, and the full
readiness to adhere to the schedule for phasing out the ozone-depleting gases,
according to the decisions of the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations to
protect the environment.

DM organizes seminar on policy and management on the use of refrigerants

Environmental Studies and Planning Section of the Environment Department of
Dubai Municipality recently organized a seminar on the use of refrigerants and
regulatory policies in line with the decisions of the UNEP.

The seminar was attended by a number of government department coordinators
and owners of big trading agencies in Dubai, who use refrigerants. The subject of the
seminar revolved around the theme of the International Day for the Preservation of
Ozone Layer, "Ozone layer protection: governance and compliance at their best."

The seminar was chaired by Eng. Ahmed Abdullah Al Jasmi, Head of Environmental
Studies and Planning Section, who initiated the dialogue by stressing the continued
and strong commitment of the Municipality to strengthen communication with
all segments of society and adhering to environmental standards that constitute a
major part of its duties.

Eng. Narciso Zacarias, Specialist in environmental management in the Environment
Department briefed the participants on the latest timetable for the phasing out
of ozone-depleting substances and actions taken by the Environment Department
against improper disposal of empty containers and leakage control methods of
refrigeration equipments during maintenance operations and the mechanism of
reduction of these irregularities.

He also shed light on the Montreal Protocol for the application of operations to
accelerate the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances and appropriate ways
to control them, in addition to the continued commitment by the country, which
sought to limit and control this issue through multiple mechanisms.

During the presentation Zacarias, who emphasized the vital role played by the
Environment Department in reducing the increase of ozone-depleting gases in the
emirate, explained that there is a great responsibility placed on the Municipality for
monitoring and controlling the improper leakage in the cooling devices, as well as
to prevent the entry of refrigerants or solvents that are prohibited through various
ports of Dubai.

It was also noted that traders and technicians working in this area must have the
ability to detect ozone-depleting substances and have full awareness of trade names
and chemical composition of the hazardous gases, so that the unsafe leakage in the
refrigeration equipment is controlled and the entry of these materials to the country
is prevented.

He thanked all the participants and the tireless efforts of the Environment
Department in clarifying all the circumstances about this vital issue, and the full
readiness to adhere to the schedule for phasing out the ozone-depleting gases,
according to the decisions of the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations to
protect the environment.

EnviroCities 2010 conference concludes with a call to create greener cities

The two-day EnviroCities 2010 conference concluded on Monday at Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City with a call to spread the culture and awareness in the community on basic green building standards, and continue to develop green building laws in line with the continuing evolution of technology.

The conference organized by the Environmental Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT) in cooperation with Dubai Municipality, under the title, "Green Cities," saw the presentation of 15 work papers on different aspects of green cities by various experts in the field.

The conference also called for paying attention to effectively managing all aspects of life in the city and directing them towards sustainability, in addition to caring to transport the energy in the city buildings to the neighbourhood and at the same time, measure its impact on the city and make the environment green as part of the priorities and concerns of daily life. It also appealed to work on the development of systems used in transport to achieve the greatest possible degree of rationalization of energy consumption.  

Other recommendations include formulation of new laws with dimensions of contemporary reality, concerted efforts of various parties to promote mass transit as one of the items with the greatest impact on the urban environment, search for alternatives means of transport using environment-friendly energy sources, provide appropriate infrastructure to encourage walking or cycling, and establish a sustainable scientific research complex including scientists and researchers in the country aimed at achieving the construction of the green city. 

EnviroCities conference urges to work for zero carbon cities

The second day of EnviroCities 2010 conference saw the presentation of eight working papers on various topics related to green cities by regional and international experts in the field.

The first lecture on the second day was delivered by Matthew Plumbridge, consultant environmental and sustainability planning, Department of Municipal Affairs, Abu Dhabi. He talked about the Abu Dhabi experience in transforming towards Green City.

He said the integrated regulatory framework of Abu Dhabi Municipality include green building codes, which focuses on durability, ventilation, safety and quality. The frame work also includes energy code and fire code.

The second paper of the day called, “Sustainable Cities: Strategy, Elements and Indicators to Counterbalance Climate Change,” was presented by Prof. Mohsen Aboulnaga, Government Strategy & Policy Advisor and main founder of Emirates Green Building Council.

“The impact of Climate Change on our cities has been recently severely manifested in the floods in Pakistan, Philippines and Italy causing major landslides and destruction to nature and manmade environment, the blistering heat waves in Europe this summer, the major droughts, heat in Russia causing forest fire, and the Tsunami,” said Aboulnaga. 

However, he said, these natural disasters have triggered the alarm to think sustainability and the need to build eco-friendly cities.  

“Creating and designing cities is one of the most complex and sophisticated processes as they ultimately consume most natural resources, an awful amount of energy, and use huge quantities of water as well as produce air pollution and generate waste. These pose a huge risk to our health and environment, and ultimately contribute to climate change; a phenomenon that is of prime global concern,” Aboulnaga pointed out.

“Another crucial dimension impacting climate change is the gigantic rise in world population particularly, in urban areas and beyond,” he pointed out.

According to the United Nations 2009 report on water shortage, and keeping in mind the world’s high energy consumption rates, it is becoming assertive that strategy and policy, and its assessment tools in sustainable national planning should be firmly developed and exploited to put forward appropriate key performance indicators to encounter such great challenges and ensure our cities are sustainable,” said Aboulnaga.

“To curb green house gases emissions and reduce its impact on climate change, it is vital to efficiently plan our cities to be sustainable yet, to diligently develop strategy and policies that promote sustainability to the extent these cities are eco-friendly and maintained,” he said.

Narciso Zacarias, expert from Dubai Municipality presented his paper on cool green cities in which he talked about Dubai Aerial Thermal Survey.

He said that due to construction boom in the city of Dubai it is becoming densely populated and this led to temperature rise due to influence of hot and humid climate that experiences a pronounced Urban Heat Island (UHI).

The burden of the UHI can have significant impact on human health and thermal comfort consequences needing more energy consumption for cooling thus effecting urban air pollution, Zacarias pointed out.

“With Dubai Municipality's commitment to promote sustainable development, the Environment Department in association with Geographical Information System (GIS) launched the Dubai Aerial Thermal Survey study with a contract from COWI Gulf A/S in October 2009 to map thermal data of the city to understand the prevalence of UHI and to identify the objects being heated and emitting heat to the surroundings,” he said.

“The aerial collection of thermal data was made in the 1^st week December 2009 over the 600 sq. km area of urban environment. In relation to the aerial thermal mapping survey, COWI Gulf A/S measured the surface heat island by remote thermal sensors mounted to an aircraft with over 31,000 thermographs were captured during the flyover,” said Zacarias.

“Based on the thermal mapping data, the report provides an overview of the UHI phenomenon in Dubai. The report seeks to provide additional information pertaining to mitigation options and suggests overall interventions to be taken by Dubai Municipality and its city stakeholders,” he said.

“The report refers to best practices and additional thermal reading findings which can aid Dubai Municipality in its decision making and future plans on how to address the UHI phenomenon. Socio-economic and demographic data at the next stages of planning level will be used to quantify exposure to urban heat island magnitude among residents. It was inferred that future research should be focused on design and planning parameters for reducing the effects of urban heat island and ultimately living in a better environment,” said Zacarias.

Prof. Nabyl Chenaf, Associate Professor and Chair of the Departments of Architecture and Interior Design at the American University of Dubai presented his paper on “Green design at the inception stages-case of Ste. Maxime, France.”

He tried to show how “green” design at the urban scale can start very early at the inceptive stages and gave ideas on how resources can be used to their optimum and energy can be produced and used rationally, especially within the greater  matrix of design involving other considerations such as aesthetics, identity and social space.

Chenaf said green design is not a choice anymore as more and more people are aware of the danger of pollution and the waste of resources as well as the benefit from the respect of nature and use of renewable energy.

The presentation by Sougata Nandi of TECOM, titled “Lean to Green Lifestyles” explored the key elements of the low carbon lifestyle, its links to well-being, employee satisfaction and community cohesion, as well as strategies for planning, design, communication and enterprise development.  

Environment Minister announces Green Building rule implementation at federal level from next year

EnviroCities 2010 conference kicks off in Dubai

Dr. Rashid Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water said the Green Building rule will be implemented at the federal level from the beginning of next year in government projects in the first phase as the council of ministers had taken a decision in this regard in July.

He was speaking during the inauguration of the second international conference, EnviroCities 2010, under the title, "Green Cities," at Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City on Sunday in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Municipality. The two-day conference is organised by the Environmental Centre for Arab Towns (ECAT) in cooperation with Dubai Municipality.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Denis Hayes, Earth Day Founder, Philip Jordan, Mayor of Phoenix, Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, and a number of dignitaries and experts from various parts of the world in the field of environment.

Fahad also called for meeting the challenges of facing the negative impact of the fast paced urbanization in the world.

“We have always been keen to incorporate the environmental dimension in the developmental plans. Realizing the pressures of urban development boom, the UAE has given much importance to apply sustainable solutions including transforming the city areas into green, which in turn will reduce the impact of carbon emission and protect the environment,” he said.

Lootah, who delivered the speech on behalf of the patron of the event, Sheikh Hamdan, stressed the academic importance of the conference and the urgent need for the convening of such conferences, which examine the issue of green cities, which is one of the important topics because of its obvious implications for the system of ecological balance.

He spoke about the importance of the environment, the sustainable use of natural resources, and planning through the adoption of environmentally friendly solutions that are sustainable.

“The adoption of the Green Cities project will bring ecological balance in our cities of today,” Lootah said, emphasizing the concern for good government.

“Through the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai we started the application of green building specifications on all buildings and facilities in the emirate according to the best global environment-friendly standards,” he said.

Lootah said the work on the manual on the terms and conditions of green buildings has been completed and efforts are underway to formulate the work mechanisms and its implementation.

He stressed that the EnviroCities conference is one of the important events in the Arab region, where scientists, experts and researchers in this area meet to discuss the latest achievements in this field.

Lootah hoped the conference will seek to create a network of cooperation among the global players in the field of environment and work to activate the role of local government councils in Arab cities to adopt modern concepts of environmental management to be friendly to the environment.

He told that the city looks through this conference to spread the benefits thanks to the experience and expertise that will be presented through the working papers and recommendations on the Arab cities for the same purpose.

Denis Hayes challenged the participants to design and construct a 10-story office building in each of their cities that produces as much energy from the sunshine that falls on it as it uses.

“Oil is a declining resource and sunlight will endure forever. Every country represented here has a hugely valuable solar resource that, with intelligent land use planning, you can employ in a distributed way inside your existing cities,” he said. 

Hayes also called for the creation of truly sustainable cities that will safeguard the human population while also serving to protect the natural world.

He said truly sustainable cities will promote education, creativity, community, productivity, and the frugal use of scarce resources.

He said the conference covers a wide spectrum of topics such as "Green City Goals, Policies, Indicators, Green City Branding," "Green Management of Land, Energy, Water and Wastes," "Green Future Cities/Zero Carbon Cities," "Green Building Codes," "Cool Green Cities - Urban Heat Islands, impacts and solutions," "Success Stories from Built Environment," "Green Transport," "Green Hotels," "Green Lifestyles" and "Green Economy."

The first session of the conference was addressed by Prof.  Spiro N. Pollalis of Harvard University, who talked about the "challenges in transitions to green cities,” followed by a presentation by Eng. Essa Al Maidour, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Engineering and Planning Sector, who gave details about "Green Building Codes in Dubai.

Maidour said the green building rule will be made mandatory for all buildings in Dubai after three years as it is a transitional stage.

But, he said, during the initial stages, the green building rule will be implemented on government buildings.

The other speakers of the day included," Andreas Georgoulias, also of Harvard University, who gave a lecture on "Clean Green Cities."

In session two of the inaugural day, Dr. Nawal Hosany from Masdar, talked on the subject, "Towards Zero Carbon Cities,” Naser Bu Shehab and Mohammed El Hashmi of RTA jointly presented a paper on "Green Mass Transport, Fuels, Metro/Hybrid," and Dr. Adam Cade of Sustainability Education Consultancy, Frankfurt, gave tips on the quality of life in Green cities during his lecture titled, "Lean to Green lifestyles."

LIGHT FOCUS CONFERENCE TO TURN SPOTLIGHT ON HOT SUSTAINABILITY TOPICS

Leading specialists to speak about latest innovations and developments as well as throw light on iconic regional projects such as The Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Burj Khalifa and the Atlantis Hotel

Top experts from the field of lighting design and innovation will share their ideas and insights on the latest developments in the worldwide lighting industry at the upcoming Light Focus conference which will run alongside Light Middle East 2010.

The Light Focus Conference themed, “Innovation and Sustainability in Design”, will feature industry-leading experts  with the support of the Professional Lighting Designers Association (PLDA), who will speak about the latest lighting innovations and challenges inherent in sustainable lighting applications. Topics will include the use of alternative lighting technologies, green lighting standards and increasing concerns about sustainability in today’s industry.

The three-day exhibition, which is billed as a must-attend event for architects, lighting consultants, designers, manufacturers, suppliers, engineers and developers will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 31 to November 2, with the Light Focus Conference taking place on Day Two, November 1st.

“The Light Focus Conference will be of significant importance to anyone involved in the lighting solutions business,” said Mr. Ahmed Pauwels, Chief Executive Officer of Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH. “With the increasing emphasis worldwide on outfitting new projects as well as refitting existing projects with eco-friendly lighting solutions that align with Green Building Standards, this is an opportunity for regional professionals to keep informed on the direction the industry is moving towards and the technologies that are driving this change.”

Ms Jessica Minton, Senior Show Manager, Light Middle East commented: “Awareness on the importance of adopting green building standards is already growing in the region, with the UAE leading this drive with 695 LEED-certified professionals practising in the country.  The UAE is leading the region in the number of LEED-certified (639) and LEED-registered (15) projects.”

Of particular interest to industry professionals will be the examination of the lighting techniques used on some of the most iconic projects in the region. Case studies on the lighting for The Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Dubai’s towering Burj Khalifa and the Atlantis Hotel will be presented by well renowned lighting architects during the conference.

Jonathan Speirs, Speirs & Major Associates, will explain in detail the development and implementation of the lighting for the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi as well as the celebratory lighting which marked the opening of the Burj Khalifa, earlier this year. Speirs will explain the philosophy and design of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque project which was completed in mid-2009.

Paul Gregory, from Focus Lighting, New York, USA will be presenting a case study that tells the stories behind the remarkable Atlantis Hotel Resort. His presentation will demonstrate the importance of having lighting designers as an integral part of the core team in any large-scale project, from formulating initial design concepts through final execution.

Furthermore, other lectures will include an exploration of the benefits of low carbon lighting, the impact of the economic crisis on the future of lighting design as well as the 2008 EU mandate for the phase-out of incandescent light bulbs.

In addition to the Light Focus Conference, Day One of Light Middle East will feature a conference entitled ‘Green Middle East: What Makes You Green’ co-organised by Sesam Building Consultants and covering energy efficient topics.  Finally, Day Three will feature a Philips LED Forum on innovation and sustainability in design.  To register for the conference please visit www.lightme.net.

Light Middle East, is the premier trade event for the region’s lighting industry. Over the years it has  become a networking venue of choice for industry professionals to keep abreast of the latest trends, developments and technologies in use across the world.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS CAN SAVE AED 557.31 BILLION IN GLOBAL ENERGY BILLS

Light Middle East to showcase latest developments in LED and other environmentally friendly lighting technology

With the increasing worldwide focus on efficient energy use and reducing carbon emissions, environmentally-conscious consumers are driving the demand for energy-efficient lighting systems in both the workplace and at home.

This trend is reflected in the increased focus on LED and other reduced emission lighting systems at Light Middle East 2010, the region’s foremost trade event and conference for urban, architectural, theatrical and retail lighting solutions organised by Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH.

Light Middle East 2010, which will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 31 to November 2, will feature a range of the latest in green lighting solutions and design by the world’s leading manufacturers including Phillips, OSRAM, Thorn, Ruud Lighting Arabia and iGuzzini.

“According to industry research and International Energy Agency figures, a global switch to energy-efficient lighting systems could potentially save a whopping AED 557.31 billion ($151.75 billion) in energy bills, which represents an overall 40% reduction in energy use,“ said Mr Wilbert Heijmans, Group Exhibitons Director at Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH.

He added: “Lighting costs account for 16-25% of the total energy consumption worldwide. Increased awareness of the importance of implementing green lighting solutions has led to lighting manufacturers rolling out a raft of innovative solutions that are both energy-efficient and reduce carbon emissions significantly.”

Increased use of more energy-efficient fluorescent lighting, LED fittings and luminaires combined with better use of natural light are being increasingly implemented across the Middle East region. The wide range of new construction projects have meant that the market for contemporary lighting solutions has remained buoyant.

In addition to the latest developments and innovations in energy-efficient lighting systems, Light Middle East will also feature a three-day conference that will feature a range of world leading speakers and focus on efficient lighting solutions such as LED technology and the latest on LEED certification . The conference with a different main theme each day is set to be a must-attend event for professionals work-ing in the lighting and architectural industries.

GE EXTENDS ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP BY ACHIEVING FIRST ECOMAGINATION COMMITMENT

Dubai, UAE; May 28, 2009: GE today announced that it has surpassed its first ecomagination goal to reduce its own greenhouse gas intensity, and is making progress against its other goals for revenue growth, water and technology innovation.

In 2005 GE made a series of ecomagination commitments to be achieved sequentially in the years 2008, 2010 and 2012. The first commitment was to reduce its operational greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity 30% in 2008. The Company surpassed this goal by reducing GHG intensity 41%. Greenhouse gas intensity is the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions to Company revenue. GE also has reduced its absolute GHG emissions 13% and improved its energy efficiency 37% since 2005, keeping on track to meet its 2012 operational commitments in these areas.

With the release of the 2008 ecomagination annual report, GE also announced that it increased its portfolio of ecomagination products and services by one-third, to 80; grew revenues of ecomagination offerings 21%, to $17 billion; and increased its investment in the research and development of clean tech solutions 27%, to $1.4 billion.

"Leading by example is the essence of ecomagination," said Steve Fludder, vice president and leader of ecomagination at GE. “When we made a series of bold commitments at the outset, we felt a commitment to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions was the best way to demonstrate that leadership. If we are proposing that customers around the world use GE solutions to reduce their emissions, then we should do the same. We set our first ecomagination goal to achieve at least a 30% reduction in our own GHG intensity for 2008 in order to show our progress, before our 2010 target on revenues from ecomagination sales to our customers.”

GE surpassed its first ecomagination commitment by transforming its own operations while using its own products, and saving money at the same time. GE is seeing strong interest and similar impact with its customers across all industries to deploy ecomagination products and services.

GE was able to achieve its first GHG-related commitment by migrating to less GHG-intensive fuels, utilization of GE’s own ecomagination technology such as solar panels, advanced lighting products and Jenbacher engines, improving the energy efficiency of its production operations, and integrating GHG as a facility management objective.

“We said we would reduce our own greenhouse gas footprint, and we did,” said Fludder. “Ecomagination is all about leadership and innovation. These ecomagination solutions work for us, and they work for our customers. We use our own innovative technology and our lean six sigma process excellence to improve our energy efficiency, reduce waste and save money at the same time. This is leadership, when we ourselves embrace the same GE solutions, which we propose our customers employ to reduce their environmental footprint and operating cost. It’s a win-win.“




Progress on GE ecomagination Commitments
GE made the following progress on each of its ecomagination commitments in 2008:

1. Double investment in clean research and development – GE invested $1.4 billion in cleaner technology research and development in 2008, up from $750 million in 2005, and is quickly approaching its $1.5 billion annual ecomagination R&D target by 2010.

2. Increase revenues from ecomagination products – GE reported $17 billion in revenues from ecomagination products and services in 2008, an increase of 21% over the prior year. Despite the tough economic environment, GE is striving toward a stretch target of $25 billion in annual sales by 2010. GE also increased the number of ecomagination products in its portfolio from 17 products in 2005 to more than 80 products today.

3. Reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve the energy efficiency of its operations – GE met its first ecomagination goal by reducing GHG intensity 41% compared to 2004, surpassing the goal of 30% in 2008. In 2008, GE’s GHG emissions from operations were 13% lower than the 2004 baseline -- ahead of GE’s commitment to reduce its GHG emissions 1% by 2012. And GE has reduced its energy intensity 37% compared to 2004, on track to exceed its goal to improve energy efficiency 30% by the end of 2012.

4. Reduce water use and improve water reuse - In May of 2008, GE announced its commitment to reduce water consumption 20% by 2012. GE’s water use was flat in 2008. The company developed a detailed plan to execute our water reduction projects.

5. Keep the public informed – GE continues to inform the public of the Company’s progress via a refreshed ecomagination web site at www.ecomagination.com, advertising, dozens of global conferences, stakeholder events, work with its ecomagination Advisory Board, and new public-policy engagements, including the historic “Blueprint for Climate Action” delivered by U.S. Climate Action Partnership.

DM sends 200 refurbished PCs for Gaza children

Dubai Municipality has handed over 200 used computers after refurbishing them to the Red Crescent in order to distribute them among the children of Gaza. The move is part of the "Gaza Children…Our Children" campaign taken up by the civic body.
The PCs were handed over at a ceremony, held at the DM PC Refurbishment Centre in the Muhaisina area, which was attended by Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, Mohammed Abdullah Al Haj Al Zarouni, Director General of Red Crescent, Dubai Chapter, Mohammed AbdulKareem Julfar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Corporate Support Services Sector, Eng. Hamdan Al Shaer, Director of Environment Department and a number of officials from the Municipality.
Stressing on the importance of the PC Refurbishment project, Lootah said it helps realize the vision of the higher leadership to spread the e-culture in the society and create a technically capable society that can keep pace with the changes of the external environment.
"This project works by receiving contributions of old and used PCs and their attachments from individuals, establishments, government departments and private sector establishments. These PCs are repaired and refurbished and later distributed to different categories of people who are in need of them. It is aimed at developing their technical skills and helping them achieve their tasks in a more effective way by using computers," he said.
"The project also aims at protecting the environment from negative impacts that occur when people dispose off these equipments in an improper way. It will also support the efforts of the government bodies in treating the negative results of the disposal of these equipments," said Lootah.
"We are happy to have any active participation from different bodies, whether they are individuals or establishments, government or private, as these participations will become a good build up for charity work," he said.
Lootah said the support to Gaza children comes as part of the care taken by the Municipality within the framework of its social responsibility towards the needy categories, whether it is inside the country or abroad.
He said that this initiative will contribute in drawing smiles on the faces of Palestinian children in their schools.
Mohammed Abdullah Al Haj Al Zarouni said the humanitarian initiative of Dubai Municipality is highly significant. "This move goes along with the constant relief work to the Gaza sector. The efforts of the Municipality to re-qualify the educational sector will get the cooperation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the UNICEF.
Al Zarouni expressed his happiness over the cooperation of Dubai Municipality in supporting the humanitarian cause. He hoped that the children of Gaza will benefit from this benevolence.
Al Zarouni also handed over the Red Crescent memento to Lootah as an appreciation of the Municipality's support.
The DM PC Refurbishment Centre has so far refurbished 5,000 PCs that were handed over to a number of establishments and organizations inside the country and abroad such as the National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia); National Youth Federation, Sudan; Al Aweer Health Centre, Dubai; Centre for Special Needs People, Ras Al Khaimah; Al Sahabah Centre for Quran Memorisation, Dubai; Abu Baker Siddique Centre, Dubai; Summer Camp, Dubai Police; Al Ihsan Charity Centre, Ajman; Al Qadharif Digital City Organisation for Special Needs People, Sudan and Zayed Orphanage, Afghanistan.
The DM PC Refurbishment Centre has a website called www.pcrecycle.ae, which provides all information and data regarding the project. It also has a call centre to receive enquiries about contributions from individuals and organisations. The call centre can be accessed through the toll-free number 800900. In order to hand over the used computers individuals and organisations can also go directly to the PC Refurbishment Centre, which is situated in Muhaisina, near Tasjeel. PCs can also be handed over to the Municipality branch centres at Karama, Umm Suqeim, Al Twar and Hatta.
The PC Refurbishment Centre also attracts a lot of students from schools, colleges, universities and other institutions, who are interested in the PC refurbishment operations. These students are given training under the Municipality's summer training programme.
The Centre also coordinates with international centres for PC refurbishment and maintains partnership relationships with them by applying best practices and making the Centre one of the international centres for PC refurbishment. The Centre also coordinates with the Ministry of Government Sector Development to contribute in the efforts of the country in participating the projects and programmes of the UN for humanitarian services.

Emirates Expands Its A380 Global Network

DUBAI, U.A.E., 2nd February 2009 –Award-winning Emirates Airline notched up yet another first today as it operated the world’s first A380 commercial service from Dubai to Australia and New Zealand. Sydney and Auckland became the third and fourth destinations to join Emirates’ rapidly-expanding A380 network.

Taking off from its new home - Emirates Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport – EK 412 operated by Emirates revolutionary A380 aircraft arrived in Sydney and flew onwards to Auckland, carrying onboard 400-plus passengers from UK, Germany, Malta, the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran, amongst other nationalities. Emirates will operate its A380, dubbed ‘a premium hotel in the sky’, from Dubai to Sydney and across the Tasman to Auckland every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The service will progress to a daily, effective 1st May 2009.

Advancing Emirates’ environmental programme, today's A380 service also heralds a new era for flights Down Under, a green best-practice demonstration flight, and the use of the world's most eco-efficient commercial airliner on the Indian Ocean for the first time.

All three measures are being deployed to cut fuel burn and emissions on flights to/ from Australia and New Zealand as well as reduce journey time for passengers. The per seat fuel burn on the Emirates’ inaugural A380 flight is expected to be 20 percent less vis-à-vis the normal flights.

EK412, the first commercial flight of an A380 over the Indian Ocean, is also the test flight for a longer-term green flight initiative involving the Air Navigation Service Providers of Australia, the UAE, Oman, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives working with Emirates and other airlines to pioneer best environmental practice over the world's third-largest oceanic region. The programme will officially commence in the first half of 2009.

Richard Vaughan, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, East Asia and Australasia noted: “The start of A380 services on this route represents yet another initiative in Emirates’ partnership with Australia and New Zealand. Emirates is not only committing to offer a revolutionary in-flight experience to travellers from these countries but is also enhancing capacity on the route – a welcome news to tourism authorities of both countries as they seek to attract increasing number of visitors from the Middle East.”

Despite a challenging global economic environment, visitors from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) visiting Australia are expected to grow by 8% this year and by 15 % in 2010, according to a forecast by the Tourism Australia Aviation and Economics Team.

In its last annual study, Tourism New South Wales recorded close to 30,000 overnight visitors from the region, representing 43.3% of its total visitors and a 32.9% increase from the previous year’s study. Already, Emirates is carrying over 50% of all Gulf tourists visiting Australia. The airline’s robust network in the Middle East and North Africa comprises 194 flights per week to 16 key gateways.

“The growth in Emirates’ seat capacity by over 40 % is expected to encourage above-average growth of visitor arrivals and support both countries’ marketing efforts in the region,” added Mr Vaughan.

In a move aimed at facilitating travel, New Zealand signed a visa-waiver agreement with the six member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Trade benefits will also accrue as the Middle East is a valuable market for New Zealand products including wool, dairy products, meat, manufactured goods and services. At the same time the region is an important source for New Zealand’s crude oil, polymers and fertilisers.

The new service will also benefit Australians and New Zealanders travelling to their preferred cities in Europe and the Middle East, and will facilitate a seamless A380 experience from Auckland/Sydney to Dubai and onwards to London Heathrow – an important route for travellers from both countries.

The Emirates’ A380 sets a new milestone in environmental conservation, offering better fuel economy per passenger mile than most hybrid passenger cars. The aircraft’s environment credentials were further strengthened with today’s green flight that effectively employed new technology and multi-government co-operation to create ultra-efficient flexible routings and minimise fuel burn.

To maximise its environmental efficiency, EK 412 adopted the following measures:Priority departure from Dubai and an unrestricted climb from UAE Air Traffic Control to ensure optimal fuel burn.
Flexible, ultra-efficient routings over countries and their air space such as Oman, the Maldives and India.
Dynamic re-routing to allow for weather changes, particularly high-altitude winds, to save journey time and emissions.
Arranged with AirServices Australia to allow a continuous descent arrival to ensure fuel is saved and noise is minimised.
Arranged with Airways Corporation of New Zealand for the continuation of the green initiatives on EK412 between Sydney and Auckland.
Emirates and Airways New Zealand used the concept of User Preferred Routes to further reduce fuel and emissions over the Tasman.

Post arrival in Sydney and Auckland, Emirates kicked off a series of familiarisation tours aboard its superjumbo. Emirates’ A380 has received glowing reviews from passengers and the travel trade with its onboard Shower Spas, yet another industry first, that offer a whole new dimension of luxury air travel.

Emirates onboard lounge for First and Business Class passengers is an exclusive space to stretch your legs, relax, socialise or simply catch up with business. Designed to make you feel like you are in your very own executive club, its bar is stocked with a varied and enticing selection of beverages and canapés.

Set in a three-class configuration (14 First, 76 Business and 399 Economy Class seats) the Emirates A380 offers a level of comfort and space never seen before on a commercial airliner. Spread over two levels, the whole of the upper deck is dedicated to Premium Class passengers. Towards the front, First Class passengers can relax in flat-bed, massage-equipped Private Suites. Business Class passengers can enjoy a new generation of intelligent seating designed to ensure all 76 flat-bed seats have aisle access.

Passengers in Economy will appreciate the straight walls throughout the cabin that lend to a more spacious ambience, enhanced further by generous seats and wider aisles.

Emirates bespoke and award-winning inflight system ‘ice’ (information, communication and entertainment) offers over 1000 channels of on-demand entertainment - the largest selection of programming in the skies.

DM honours cleanest shops in Naif area

Dubai Municipality honoured the winning shops in the Cleanest Shops contest organized as part of its "Say YES to a Clean Naif" campaign held during October-November last year. More than 200 shops in Naif area had participated in the Western Union Clean Store Contest.
Eng. Hassan Makki, Director of Waste Management Department presented the prizes, certificates and mementoes to the winning shops in the presence of Prasad Katta, Marketing Manager of Western Union, main sponsor of the campaign and Eng. Yaqoub Mohammed Al Ali, Head of Deira Operations Unit in the Waste Management Department.
The shop Anjerdan was the winner in the contest while Haji Bin Mohammed Ali Store became first runner–up and Golden Tiger Store second runner–up.
During the contest, people were asked to maintain a clean environment in the store, avoid eating, drinking and smoking in the stores, not carrying too many bags inside the stores, not leaving goods outside the stores and not dropping litter on the pavement.
Makki said the campaign was held as per the strategy of the department in conformity with the strategy of the Municipality. "This commercial area in the emirate was given focus in the campaign aimed at enhancing the area's hygiene and environment standards. We tried to create awareness among the residents about general cleanliness by asking them not to throw dirt, cigarette butts and other wastes on the roads and stop spitting in public places, in addition to discouraging the practice of hanging clothes on the balconies deforming the good image of the city," he said.
Makki said that through the campaign the society in the area was warned and created awareness among them on the healthy practices and the hazards of wastes. "People were also informed about the penalties for these as per the local orders pertaining to public cleanliness rules," he said.
Makki said the clean store contest among the commercial shops consisted of a field survey throughout the campaign days to know whether the shops in the area were following safe and healthy practices in disposing off different kinds of wastes as well as maintaining general cleanliness inside and outside the shop.
He said the campaign was also aimed at activating the positive role of the society in ensuring a system in the area that serves the different commercial activities.
Makki added that the Municipality has been keen on launching the campaign in the Naif area as a first phase because it is considered to be the heart of the commercial nerve of the emirate.
"The campaign will be taken to other areas of the city such as Al Ghubaibah, Sabkha, Al Fahidi, Al Karama, Al Qusais, Al Quoz and other areas very soon," he said.
The activities of the campaign included road shows, long duration social activities by a team of 12 professional artists, stilt walkers and stage shows. In addition to publishing advertisements in the print and electronic media the awareness creating activities of the campaign also included distributing brochures and placing advertisements on buildings and main streets in the Naif area.