The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), a non-profit organisation aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, has announced the programme for its milestone 15th Annual Congress, scheduled to take place on October 27–28 at the Dusit Thani Dubai.
Marking two decades since the Council’s establishment, this year’s Congress convenes under the decisive theme: ‘Beyond the Sandbox: From Benchmark to Breakthrough.’ The event is held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and supported by its governmental partner, the Department of Energy and Transport – Abu Dhabi.
The 2026 edition arrives at a critical juncture for the region’s built environment. As the nation accelerates toward net-zero targets under the UAE’s Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0)—which mandates an ambitious 79% reduction in building-sector emissions by 2035—the Congress pivots the industry narrative away from isolated pilot projects, sandboxes, and voluntary pledges toward rigorous accountability, mainstream adoption, and portfolio-wide transformation.
Over two intensive days, the Congress will gather high-level policymakers, institutional financiers, master developers, contractors, engineering leaders, and academic researchers to confront foundational questions: What is the sector actively delivering today? How is operational performance verified? And how can market participants align capital and delivery models to meet national decarbonisation mandates?
The Congress will open with keynote addresses from H.E. Eng. Mohamed Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and Khalid Bushnaq, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, followed by an opening plenary on translating benchmarks into breakthroughs led by Sanjeev Coelho, EmiratesGBC Board Member and Senior Associate at HOK Architects, and a high-level fireside reflection on the state of the UAE built environment with EmiratesGBC Co-Founder, Vice Chair, and Treasurer, Dr. Habiba Al Maarashi.