Dubai’s $1bn ICD Brookfield Place pledges to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030

The office and retail complex at the Dubai International Financial Centre opened in 2020

ICD Brookfield Place is home to multinational companies such as Ernst & Young, Julius Baer, Latham & Watkins and UBS. Photo: Brookfield Property Partners

The $1 billion Dubai office tower ICD Brookfield Place has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

The 53-storey building, which opened in September 2020 at the Dubai International Financial Centre, will achieve the target through carbon quantification using greenhouse gas protocols and emission target setting using scientific methods, ICD Brookfield Place said on Thursday.

The building will also identify and put in place emission reduction measures while making the transition to net zero by offsetting residual emissions.

It will “collaborate with tenants and suppliers to tackle emissions together and implement an innovative tenant engagement programme to raise awareness, provide thought leadership and optimise their operational performance”, it said.

“Reaching net zero carbon emissions is an ambitious target, which requires dedication from not only our team but also our stakeholders across the value chain,” said Rob Devereux, chief executive of ICD Brookfield.

“A net zero carbon building is a smart choice for both landlords and occupiers. Alongside minimising energy costs as a low carbon workplace, the building will go a long way in helping corporates to achieve their own goals in reducing their carbon footprint.”

ICD Brookfield Place, a 1.1 million square feet office and retail complex, is a joint venture between Investment Corporation of Dubai, the principal investment arm of the Dubai government, and Brookfield Asset Management.

Construction on the 282-metre tower began in 2015.

The building is home to large multinational corporations including Ernst & Young, Julius Baer, Latham & Watkins and UBS.

In 2020, it became the largest office building in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) Platinum status and its design provides an “excellent baseline” for monitoring, controlling and reducing carbon emissions, the building said.

Leed Platinum status is the highest award handed out by the US Green Building Council for green building design, construction operations and performance.

ICD Brookfield Place said its sustainability goals are in line with the Paris Agreement of keeping global warming to 2°C, but preferably to 1.5°C, below pre-industrial levels.

It is also in line with the UAE's ambitions to reach net zero emissions by 2050 through a wide-ranging green strategy focused on a shift to renewable energy and new technology.

“We all need to be transitioning to net zero and one of the crucial ways a business can reduce its footprint is in its real estate,” Mr Devereux said.

ICD Brookfield Place is working alongside Dubai-based energy consultancy AESG to achieve net zero.

It will also employ advanced sustainable practices such as reducing energy demand and introducing additional energy efficiency measures.

“We hope the example being set by ICD Brookfield Place inspires many others across regions and sectors to boldly take up meaningful action in decarbonising the built environment,” said Saeed Al Abbar, chief executive of AESG.