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Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia today recognised its tenants’ environmental efforts and commitment to sustainability with its prestigious Green Star Awards. The Green Star Awards ceremony, which was held at City Centre Deira’s vibrant ‘INDOORS’ pop up space, was conceived to encourage all mall tenants to follow Green Star sustainability rating standards. 

The programme is part of Majid Al Futtaim’s Net Positive commitment, which aims to significantly reduce the company’s water consumption and carbon emissions, resulting in a positive corporate footprint by 2040. A total of 638 stores, belonging to 254 parent companies, have been rated 3-star or above. Tenants from Mall of the Emirates, City Centres in the UAE and Matajer malls in Sharjah received trophies and certificates of recognition.

Majid Al Futtaim’s Green Star Rating system is a pioneering initiative which assesses tenants’ sustainability policies and certain environmental and social aspects relevant to their fit-outs and operation. The initial assessment addresses stores’ volatile organic compound (VOC) emission levels of fit-out material, the efficiency of lighting and water features. Tenants then receive a score depending on their answers and are allocated a green star rating from 1 to 5. 

“Our goal is to make a lasting positive impact on society and lead by example in sustainable business practices. The Green Star Rating system provides an incentive to our partners to adopt environment-friendly processes that ensure the continued use of natural and non-renewal resources judiciously and encourages them to innovate and apply renewable sources of energy to their operations,” said Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi, Chief Sustainability Officer at 
Majid Al Futtaim-Holding. 

“The Green Star programme is testament to the strong partnership we have with our tenants. Our partners play an indispensable role in helping us achieve our Net Positive ambitious goal and set an example as pioneers in sustainable business practice” said Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Managing Director for Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Shopping Malls (UAE, Bahrain & Oman).

Green Star is modelled on the United States’ ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ standards (LEED), the points-based rating standard that concerns the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes and neighbourhoods. 

The categories in the Green Star Sustainability Rating System are as follows:

Sustainable Sites
This rewards decisions that lead to reductions in transport-related carbon emissions. These include car-free policies, car-pooling and the use of public transportation.

Water Efficiency
This addresses indoor water use and is based on an “efficiency first” approach to conservation of water and the reduction of water-related carbon emissions. It also examines tenants’ water efficiency policies and staff training measures.

Energy and Atmosphere
This category approaches energy from a holistic, “efficiency first” perspective. The objective of this category is the conservation of energy and the reduction of energy-related carbon emissions achieved through energy-efficient policies, design strategies, and reductions in energy use. 

Materials and Resources
This category focuses on minimising the negative impacts associated with the extraction, processing, transport, maintenance, and disposal of building materials. The objective of this category is to promote the use of recycled or salvaged materials and to source materials from responsible, environmentally friendly suppliers. 

Indoor Environmental Quality
This rewards tenants’ actions and policies intended to maintain indoor air quality and hygiene. The objective is to promote a healthy indoor environment.

Waste Management
This category examines tenants’ plans for construction, and operational waste management, recycling and re-use. The objective of this category is to minimise the negative effects of waste generation and disposal.

Community Investment
This category encourages tenants to support NGOs, charities and community groups and to promote community wellbeing.

Innovation and Design Process
To encourage tenants to overachieve and to go beyond what is required, points are awarded to tenants that demonstrate exemplary performance in any of the above categories and innovate in the implementation of sustainability strategies not included in the Green Star Rating System.