Carbon neutral aim for Sabban Towers

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Clarke: The priority is to reduce any environmental damage caused during construction.

Sabban Property Investments (SPI) is aiming to achieve carbon neutral status on its Sabban Towers development on The Pearl Qatar.

The firm is preparing the project, with the aim of being the Middle East's first carbon neutral development on its completion in Q1 of 2008.The QR1 billion (AED1 billion) real estate project comprises three 20-storey residential towers located on The Pearl's Porto Arabia harbour.

The firm is working with UK-based The CarbonNeutral Company (TCNC) to ensure that all carbon dioxide (CO2) created during the construction and operation of the buildings is minimised and unavoidable emissions are offset.

"As a developer we inherently have a huge potential to damage the environment, but we also have a huge potential to reduce that impact. [SPI] thinks it is its responsibility to balance out any damage [caused by its projects]," explained SPI environmental advisor Nicola Clarke.

A greenhouse gas emissions assessment undertaken by TCNC at the outset of the project determined that the carbon footprint of constructing the project would be 75,900 tonnes of CO2.

Achieving carbon neutral status is a four-step process involving measurement, reduction, offsetting and communication explained Clarke. "Before you can deal with your carbon emissions you have to measure it scientifically. We did this for both the construction emissions and the ongoing life cycle energy emissions," she added. "Our priority is to offset any damage that we have done in the construction process, then reduce the ongoing energy emissions as much as possible."

The construction-related emissions were reduced by 14.4% through value engineering. SPI has taken the first step in mitigating the remaining emissions from the project with the investment of QR0.8 million in three carbon offsetting projects in Uganda, New Zealand and Jamaica. The combination of a Ugandan reforestation project, New Zealand renewable energy plant and a project to promote and distribute energy efficient lamps in Jamaica will account for 25% of the emissions. Further investments in offsetting schemes are expected to be made over the next few months.

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