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Sabban Property Investments (SPI) says that it has achieved 100 per cent carbon neutral status for its Qatari riyal 1.2 billion Sabban Towers at The Pearl Qatar, making the project officially the first carbon neutral development in the Middle East.
The announcement follows the completion of the final phase of SPI's QR3.5 million global carbon neutral initiative, which involved wind and solar power projects in India.
The developer has cited its close collaboration with local governments and a global organisation focusing on carbon neutralisation as major factors in achieving its goal.
SPI commissioned The Carbon Neutral Company in early 2006 to manage this pioneering carbon neutralisation task, as part of the developer's corporate social responsibility initiative, which emphasises integrating environmental awareness into everyday business activities.
A thorough assessment of the construction processes for the three towers revealed that the project will emit approximately 88,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) upon its completion, without intervention. SPI were able to reduce a massive 12,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide (14.4 per cent) through value engineering, while the remaining, unavoidable emissions were counterbalanced by supporting global projects designed to absorb or prevent the creation of green house gases.
"We are delighted to be the first developer to achieve full carbon neutral status for our project, which is also a proud first for Qatar," said John Browne, managing director, Sabban Property Investments. "The climate crisis is an increasingly urgent issue and we felt it was our responsibility as a conscientious developer to take a radical approach and to show what can be done."
In September 2007, SPI launched the first phase of offset projects, which included projects in Uganda, New Zealand and Jamaica.
The second phase of carbon offset initiatives, which was launched in December 2007, involved investing in the construction of a waste heat recovery plant and wind farm facilities in China.
