Speaking on the first day of the first Saudi Green Building Forum 2010 on Sunday, they also emphasized the need to raise public awareness to ensure that industrial and public consumption decreases.
Delivering the opening speech on promoting an environmentally sustainable global society, Dr. Saleh Alawaji, deputy minister for electrical affairs at the Ministry of Water and Electricity, highlighted government policy and gave an overview of the master plan for energy conservation in the Kingdom.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Khalifa, assistant undersecretary at the ministry, spoke on ways to rationalize consumption.
In his speech, Dr. Yousef M. Alyousef, executive director of the National Energy Efficiency Program (NEEP), addressed the challenges facing energy conservation plans, including technical issues, cost and the cultural obstacles. Dr. Yousef Al-Horr, chairman and managing director of the Barwa & Qatari Diar Research Institute, talked about Qatar developing a sustainability rating system that can also be applied to the GCC region.
The second session examined regulatory codes in Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Faisal Al-Shareef, board member of the Saudi Council of Engineers, gave an analysis of the opportunities and challenges facing green development and building construction in Makkah, and the importance of promoting the concept of green buildings in the Kingdom.
