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Sobha Facades’ Sustainable Development Goals Rethink | |
| Staff Writer |
In a T2NZ exclusive, Rajaikepin Rajamoni explains how the region’s leading facades company is helping to create a diverse, sustainable, low carbon, and inclusive Middle East.
Rajamoni joined Sobha Facades in 2018 as its business head, currently handles several leading projects, with 18 years’ experience in Asian and MEA markets, Rajamoni, has contributed greatly to the modernisation at Sobha facades and the continuous improving sustainability practices within their operations.
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Q: Every company has a personalized approach to its energy strategy. What is the strategy that you follow for the Sobha Façade?
A: We have dedicated our resources towards a few key areas in order to leapfrog if not pole vault immediately:
We believe in purpose beyond profits. Both tangible and intangible results will follow now or later if the processes are right.
We realise that sustainability is the need of the hour and have incorporated several changes. We are also working towards educating everyone to remain responsible.
Very recently, Sobha Facades is accredited with ISO 18404 certificate for optimizing all operations using Lean & Six Sigma methodologies, which is a part of sustainability. We are the first private company in the entire GCC and the first company in the world from façade industry to accomplish this rare feat.
Q: Based on COP26 and the recent heightened awareness about sustainability in construction, where do you see yourselves in the next 2 decades when considering all that you have seen, learned around the subject?
A: We are adhering to the global priorities set by COP26 and trying to follow NDCs to achieve our long-term goals.
Currently, we are buckling down on the below action items at our facility:
But we have also identified certain critical areas to meet our short-term sustainable development goals which will help us to shift from carbon neutrality to almost net zero over the next two decades.
We want to drift from smart facades to entire smart ecosystem.
All the above are the short-term goals for the next 5 years, but we realize that sustainability is the cardinal thing in this already disruptive industry. Sustainability will definitely be the cornerstone in this industry by the next decade and we shall run towards it.
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Q: Where would you say, Sobha Façade has seen its biggest success in terms of ‘sustainability’ and ‘energy efficiency in its projects? And how do you see the rest of the Middle East region collaborating & supporting sustainability?
A: It is in our DNA to enhance efficiency without exploiting the resources. Below are a few things that we are following now:
Sustainability is as much about the environment as it is about social inclusion. Our workforce is diversified, enjoys equality at work, and is regularly trained to stay up to date with best practices.
Furthermore, we have a 2-week induction program for all new joiners who learn exclusively to optimize processes and cut wastages.
Talking about our projects, we are happy to be a prime part of building a community called Sobha Hartland sprawling 8 million sq.ft with the integration of wellness and sustainability in living spaces as a part of a human-centric design strategy. This project includes lush green spaces, connecting communities, and a healthy atmosphere.
30% of the entire area in the community is dedicated for green spaces and around 8000 trees are planted. Hence the flavour of sustainability is ubiquitous in our company and projects.
The region, especially UAE is very determined to embrace global sustainability agenda. Recently as you know the special award ceremony, Zayed sustainability prize at the expo and Abu Dhabi Sustainability week is very welcoming which rewards and motivates others to head in this direction.
We also appreciate the Dubai 2040 urban master plan for sustainable urban development and the decision of the Dubai govt in switching to a paperless strategy this year.
So, there’s good traction in the region towards this and we try to use every opportunity to be the change and bring this change adhering with governance policies.
Q: Please tell us what you feel would be the one positive change that could be implemented in the region that could help raise the global standard of energy efficiency and sustainability in the construction industry?
A: According to a study, 25% of global GHGs are from construction and 38% of the world energy-related carbon emissions are from this industry. The GCC region accounts for a proportion of these ratios due to the presence of a large number of construction players within the region.
We believe that an integrated approach towards carbon neutrality will go a long way in reducing the impact of the construction industry on carbon emissions. High quantum of waste, increased water consumption and particulate matter (air) are predominant in construction, optimizing heat-trapping within buildings, reducing the use of air conditioning and CFC gases with region-specific performance glass, good insulation, and promoting smart& sustainable facades are some of the best practices that will help the global industry. The government could also offer some incentives to encourage implementation.
Collaboration with all sectors is the most important positive change right now to fight together for a better tomorrow.
Q: According to you what are the biggest challenges in sustainable and energy-efficient construction in the region, and what are the hard decisions we need to make to overcome those challenges or roadblocks?
A: The construction industry itself is highly capital intensive. There’s a myth that transitioning to sustainable practices might add additional financial burdens to this fledgling industry. However, there are many ways in which we can bring positive environmental and social changes without much expenditure.
By and large, many real estate developers look for immediate profits. The focus is not on longevity. But I believe it is very important to convince all stakeholders to invest in sustainability thereby ensuring better quality and plentiful yields
More importantly, I personally believe that change should come from within and cannot be enforced, hence more awareness should be created among everyone on the benefits of this practice and we all should help each other in attaining this
We also must make a note that consumer focus and their willingness to pay a higher price for sustainable goods is increasing. So, we need to take the hard and happy decision of giant leaping towards sustainability and understand the long-term benefits of making this approach.