LEED is the abbreviation that is on many construction managers' and contractors’ minds and similarly, everyone is also thinking of getting the Leed Green Associate Credential. Short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED is a green building certification program that gauges building design and construction in terms of water usage, energy efficiency, selection of building materials, air quality, as well as environmental factors like access to public transportation and responsible land use. The LEED certification program is funded by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The building projects that participate in this program can be awarded LEED certification on any of the four levels, based on the total number of points earned:

·         LEED Certified buildings: 40–49 points

·         LEED Silver buildings: 50–59 points

·         LEED Gold buildings: 60–79 points

·         LEED Platinum buildings: 80 or more points

LEED also provides professional certification such as leed green associate. LEED is the leading global program for sustainable building design (green building) and construction. Achieving LEED certification for a project demonstrates environmentally responsible building practices, and this usually acts as an incentive, which gives a big boost for the image of both a for a contractor who designs and/or constructs LEED-certified buildings and the building's owner. This can only be possible with involvement of professionals qualified as leed green associate. A past record of LEED-certified projects can benefit a builder by being recognized as a leader in the construction industry.

Apart from creating healthy public relations, LEED certification can carry other significant incentives. For example, the USGBC states, " LEED buildings have faster lease-up rates and may qualify for a host of incentives like tax rebates and zoning allowances which LEED Green Associate professionals can help in providing. Not to mention they face greater property values". For residential construction companies, this certification can help homes and other residential projects sell faster and for a higher price.

Home builders, who go for LEED certified homes can often receive tax credits in some countries. In addition to this, construction companies can advertise that their home values may increase over time compared to similar, non-LEED homes in the same area. Therefore the demand for leed green associate professionals is increasing.

The principles and practices behind this certification not only save buyers and stakeholders money, increase buildings resource efficiency, and add credibility for construction companies, they also signify an ethical system for sustainability. By reducing energy use and water waste, and by improving indoor air quality and livability for the occupants, LEED strives to make the world a healthier, more sustainable place.

GE3S is among the top LEED consultants available in UAE with a team of LEED Green Associates and LEED Accredited Professionals. We are also known for providing leed green associate training. We have sufficient experience and technical knowledge with handling and working on LEED projects. Our firm provides a wide variety of services for providing LEED certification including- consulting, energy star certification, energy audits, indoor air quality plans, building energy simulations etc. We as LEED consultants have experience on wide variety of projects, including LEED New Construction, ID+C, Existing Buildings, and others. GE3S has worked on a broad typology of projects for LEED certification, which has helped us gain unmatched experience in this field. We can help provide assistance, guidance, and also offer our technical and managerial services as LEED consultants for LEED certification process from the start of the project till the end of it.

Fossil fuels generate about three-quarters of greenhouse gas emission that are attributed to humans. when we operate vehicles, heat our homes, and even use electricity, we burn the fossil fuels that release GHG emissions and adds to carbon footprint.

The diet we are taking has a major impact on a person’s carbon footprint. Protein from the red meat especially beef, rice which is normally grown in paddy fields with high levels of water and methane release. Cross country food supplies as they travel long distances some times refrigerated all lead to high emission. Also the packaged and processed food also include lots of energy consumption and GHG emissions. Locally grown fresh food can avoid all these emissions.

Another option for reducing the carbon footprint is to use less air conditioning and heating in the home. This can be achieved by adding insulation to the walls and attic of your home. Further installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows one can lower their heating costs by more than twenty-five percent. Similarly, one can very inexpensively upgrade the "insulation" or the clothing worn by residents of the home. Even one can set the temperature around 25-degree Celsius where cooling is required, even one degree can help you save energy and GHG emissions.

There are many ways to reduce the carbon footprint. Reduce reuse and recycle the products, minimize the usage of electricity by using efficient appliances. Promote public transportation and utilize bs metro rail when and where possible, prefer smaller cars over SUVs and other big cars. In addition to these, there are many organizations that are working on to reduce carbon footprint. In fact, this practice is popular in some commercial companies.

Individuals and companies can also buy the carbon credits through environmental agencies, who help them to carbon-offsetting their emissions and negate their carbon footprint. Many companies are there in the market who sell carbon credits online, but it is important to ensure you buy credits from reputable companies in order to ensure that you are reducing your carbon footprint. Offsetting is usually considered a last resort. Before offsetting, people must try to reduce their emissions in any way they can. The Paris agreement has set goals to reduce emissions and limit global warming to less than one point five degrees Celsius, this can only be achieved if the individuals, corporates and governments all take action at their own level.

GE3S is an environmental consultancy firm, working in the Middle East and India, which is holding a reputation of a leader of sustainable development, with high hardworking attitudes and specialized knowledge. GE3S is among the best environmental consultancy working in the field of environmental consultancy service, with accreditation from Dubai Municipality, Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and other regulatory authorities. GE3S environmental consultants with their mastery in the field of environment give superiority to GE3S among the others in the field of Environmental Consulting. GE3S provide Services in the following sectors of environmental consulting. Preliminary Environmental Review (PER), Construction Environment Management Plan (CEMP), Environmental Impact Assessment.

(EIA), Operation Environment Management Plan (OEMP), CEMP / Environmental Audit Report, Preliminary Cultural Review (PCR), Environmental System Modeling, Environmental Risk Management, Wastewater Treatment Services. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the main and fundamental of any project work and GE3S environmental consultants hold a very high knowledge and dignity in the field of environmental consulting. EIA determines the feasibility of the project towards the environment and its impacts (positive or negative) towards the environment and socio-economics of the nearby receptors of the project. We also provide LEED green associate Training and LEED AP training. LEED GA and LEED AP are professional credentials provided by USGBC. The EIA is directly related to the Environmental impacts which are air, water, soil and noise any construction, demolition, industrial or etc will have direct or indirect impact on the environment, the determination, and mitigation of these impacts come under EIA. Environmental Auditing is the way to determine the performance of the prepared project-specific conditions of EIA or CEMP, GE3S environmental consultants visits to the project site on regular basis for monthly or quarterly environmental audit, and to check the deviation of the project activities from the previously CEMP and OEMP any deviation observed is reported, and is asked to be mitigated as soon as possible as described in CEMP and OEMP.

Environmental pollutants Modeling is another and very important scenario of environmental transport of pollutants, environmental modelling helps In the prediction of long range and short range transportation of the pollutants in air, water, groundwater, soil etc. this sector is majorly limited to the industrial emissions and in future predictions of the pollutants that will be generated by the industry, the modeling helps in the development of the strategies to restrict the emission of the industry and to take necessary steps to preserve the environment from the upcoming threats on the environment. It helps in the development of the mitigation strategies for the upcoming time, and also help in the selection of correct emission control strategies and instruments. GE3S with high understanding of environmental modeling helps projects to predict their upcoming emissions in air and water, with the help of dispersion modeling, noise modeling are able to forecast the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere and water, which helps in the better understanding of the project and to develop the better mitigation strategies. Environmental modeling is also part of the LEED Green Associate Exam preparation training. 

GE3S with the help of its, experienced and highly knowledgeable environmental consultants are technically capable to successfully conduct any above discussed, and every sector of environmental consulting work, the high standards of work ethics of the environmental consulting professionals help GE3S to deliver a good quality of work in the market, the technical superiority helps in complying every requirement by local and international regulating authorities. Our environmental consultants have conducted environmental assessment of construction projects as well. We have LEED Green Associate or LEED GA and LEED AP qualified professionals. To become a qualified professional our consultants have passed the strenuous LEED green associate exam.  

The deep dedication of GE3S team of environmental consultants towards environmental protection helps many clients in obtaining the desirable environmental clearance for the regulatory authorities in the Middle East and India. Our next Leed green associate exam preparation training and LEED AP training is scheduled for the month of May 2019.

Through adopting several sustainable technologies, policies, and strategies. The UAE unfolded opportunities to become a model of global sustainability leadership. In order to make the world a sustainable place, UAE is constantly working on collaboration and corporation with other countries to address the challenge of increasing population, urbanization, industrialization, demand of fuel, water, loss of biodiversity etc. As a sustainability reporting consultant we have been assisting several companies in the UAE to achieve their sustainability targets.

These sustainability movements by UAE encourage several companies, industries, government and not to profit sector to analyze their environmental performance. Sustainability consultancy like us play a central role in helping businesses operate sustainably. They help clients in developing sustainable and environmentally sound approach to doing businesses. Sustainable consultancy gives expert guidance on how to reduce carbon footprint, develop environmentally-friendly products, and comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards. As a sustainability reporting consultant we also help clients in disclosing their sustainability performance to stakeholders. 

Moreover, Sustainability consultant help businesses and their clients improve their organization’s environmental performance through sustainability reporting. Companies prepare sustainability report for various reasons such as to know their impact on the earth, to save cost, requests by customers or investors, to fulfill social responsibility. GE3S is a sustainability reporting consultant operating in the MEA region for years.

Sometimes businesses hire sustainability consultant to implement strategies, share knowledge, and enrich their knowledge about several policies, UAE legislations also to know several UAE’s global platform such as the World Government Summit, Asian Business Leadership Forum, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, and World Green Economy Summit.

On the policy front, sustainability consultant guides businesses, industries or government organizations about the national development strategies such as UAE Vision 2021, the UAE National Climate Change Plan 2050 and the UAE Energy Plan 2050. These strategies guide the transition into a climate-resilient green economy, while increasing climate change adaptation capabilities through strong engagement of the private sector and other key stakeholders.

GE3S a Sustainability Consultancy helps business clients improve their organization’s environmental performance. GE3S gives expert guidance on how to lower their carbon footprint, develop environmentally-friendly products, and comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards. Sustainability consultant plays a central role in helping their clients meet their business objectives using an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable approach.

This sustainability movement by UAE, encourages several companies, industries, and government sectors to analyze their environmental performance through sustainable reporting. Over the years many companies in UAE are reporting or planning to report on their sustainability performance. They do this for varied reasons, such as requests by customers or investors, to give shape to Corporate Social Responsibility or to realize cost savings. This means there exist several phases in sustainability reporting. Varying from shaping a basic ambition towards full integration in daily business. For any sustainability reporting consultant needs feel free to reach out to us.

In order to prepare the carbon footprint of a company most of the consultants are using greenhouse gas protocol. GHG protocol is not for profit organization that sets the greenhouse gas emission standards. it was recently found that more than 90% of the fortune 500 companies that are sending reports to CDP utilize GHG protocol for their carbon footprint estimation. The GHG protocol provides globally most widely used and accepted greenhouse gas accounting and managing standard.

The GHG protocol also provides several tools that enables organization to develop their carbon footprint. The GHG protocol has also started offering different training services. There are multiple online learning courses on different aspects of GHG protocol and carbon footprint.

GHG protocol standards are designed to provide a methodology for organization, governments, individuals and other entities to calculate their carbon footprint through measurement and reporting. In the year 2016 more than 90% of the fortune 500 companies responded to the CDP using the greenhouse gas protocol either directly or indirectly. The GHG protocol has been providing a platform for almost all the greenhouse gas reporting programs currently existing globally. The GHG protocol standard have become so popular because of its high reach two stakeholders and consultation that happens while developing these guidelines. It is also supported by institutes such as WRI and WBCSD. The greenhouse gas protocol has published several standards. These standards are:

1. Corporate Standard: The greenhouse gas protocols corporate accounting and reporting standards provide the details and the requirement along with guidelines for organizations and corporates such as NGOs, government agencies, universities, banks etc who are willing to prepare greenhouse gas inventory or the carbon footprint of their operations. Then there is another guideline provide by GHG protocol.

2. GHG protocol for cities: This is also called as global protocol for community-scale greenhouse gas emission inventory. This guideline provides a methodology for monitoring accounting and reporting the emissions or the carbon footprint from a community and a city.  The another standard is provided below.

3. Mitigation gold standard: the greenhouse gas protocol mitigation goal standard issues guidance on designing national and state level mitigation goals. It also provides standard approach for evaluating the progress and also on reporting the progress towards achieving the goals on carbon reduction.  The next standard that has been developed by GHG protocol is provided below.

4. Corporate Value Chain Standard: This corporate value chain standards are mostly for scope 3 emission. And it allows organizations to evaluate the entire supply chain emission impact. And it also helps them to identify the area where they should focus on activities that will result in reducing greenhouse gas emissions or the carbon footprint .

5. Policy and action standard: The greenhouse gas protocol policy and action standard issue a methodology and approach for estimating the carbon footprint and effect because of the policy and action that has been taken by mostly the government bodies.

6. Product Standard: The product standard has been used widely to understand the lifecycle of greenhouse gas emission of the product. It also helps one to understand where is the GHG hotspot so that we can focus our effort in reducing GHG intensity of the product. This is one of the ways how people can start manufacturing sustainable products.

7. Project protocol: The greenhouse gas protocol has developed this project protocol that is very comprehensive. This project protocol helps in estimating the carbon footprint or the greenhouse gas benefits of the project that result in reduction of greenhouse gas emission.