Majid Al Futtaim Properties, a leading real estate developer in the region, has said that two of its properties - the Kempinski Mall of the Emirates and Fujairah City Centre - are now officially recognised as high-performing green buildings.

The buildings have been accredited with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), EB:O&M (Existing Business: Operations & Maintenance) and LEED Gold accreditation respectively, by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), said a statement.

George Kostas, chief executive officer, said: "Sustainability in all its forms across environmental, economic and social is a business imperative. We act today as responsible developers, landlords, employers and members of our community in order for our business to thrive in the long term.”

Between 2010 and 2012, Kempinski Mall of the Emirates consumed over 12 per cent less energy and 10 per cent less water, said the statement.

Overall, MAF Properties’ hotel portfolio has successfully achieved 15 per cent in energy savings, 14 per cent in water conservation and a 10 per cent rise in its recycling rate in the period between 2009 and 2012, it said.

The developer’s Beirut City Centre in Lebanon has also achieved LEED Silver accreditation, setting a benchmark for environmental sustainability for all future shopping malls in Lebanon, it added.

The company is working with the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (DCCE) to become the region’s first retail company to register in the United Nation’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the United Nations’ Kyoto Protocol, said the statement. - TradeArabia News Service