This year, The Sustainability Summit also marked the 10th Anniversary milestone of Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) developed by Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD) since in 2007, commenced the R&D process for the system.

In this decade-long journey, GSAS has built a profile as one of the most comprehensive green building certification programmes having more than 1,500,000,000 square feet. GSAS registered master plans for cities and more than 100,000,000 square feet. GSAS registered building typologies. It is the first performance based system in the MENA region for the built environment addressing the specific needs of the region.

Capacity building has been a priority of GORD as it is very crucial for success implementation of a system. Since 2009, GORD Academy has trained more than 5,000 professionals in GSAS workshops with more than 2,000 GSAS certified practitioners.

In his welcome note, Dr. Yousef Alhorr (Founding Chairman GORD) commented,

I’m pleased to share this momentous occasion of GSAS 10th Anniversary with you all today as this has been an unforgettable journey for GORD. In line with the Qatar vision 2030, which was launched by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, GORD is working in close cooperation with the relevant ministries and a large number of strategic partners from within and outside the State of Qatar. After ten years of hard work, GSAS is in its present form, the most comprehensive assessment system for sustainability of built environment, covering from the level of urban planning and infrastructure through design and construction to the operation and management, and in fact, is in line with the four pillars of (the QV20130): sustainable development, environmental, economic, human and social.

Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) in 2007, was achieved through extensive studies of leading global systems for green building certification, to derive best practices and standards that are appropriate for our environmental conditions and climate.

In recognition of its responsibility for sustainable development, the country’s largest institutions have rapidly adopted sustainability practices in accordance with the GSAS standards, which require a minimum level equivalent to or more than 30% of energy and water saving for any new building at the design stage compared to conventional buildings, which in turn will reduce carbon emissions by ancillary proportions.

Following are some figures depicting the volume of the projects registered for GSAS certification:

• – At the level of cities and urban plans, the total area of projects exceeds one and a half billion square feet.
• – As for buildings, the total area is estimated at more than 100 million square feet

And as for the estimated value of the investments in the green projects mentioned above for the GSAS certification, it will increase to half a trillion Qatari Riyals, including the following:

• – All 2022 World Cup stadiums
• – All Qatar Railways stations
• – All Ashghal public works projects such as schools, health centers, mosques and administrative establishments
• – All the facilities of Hamad International Port
• – The city of Lusail and the economic zones and their facilities of all kinds

These entities work with their various components with great diligence and professionalism to create an unrivaled harmony between the requirements of urban development and the requirements of environmental sustainability. As for the capacity building, so far GORD Academy has achieved the following:

• – More than 5,000 people from around the world have been trained
• – Some 2,000 certified professionals have been licensed as GSAS Practitioners.

To recognize the best performances of these professionals and companies, GORD awarded certificates of sustainability excellence to a number of GSAS-CGPs and GSAS Service Providers.