In the latest IBBC YEN speaker series we were joined by Basima Abdulrahman who talked about her journey from completing her engineering degree in Iraq and her Masters degree in the US to founding KESK, the first green building consultancy implementing international standards such as LEED and BREEAM in Iraq.

She described taking a risk and starting a company that she believed in order to support the long-term sustainable reconstruction efforts in Iraq after decades of war and destruction.

Her company has now supported many clients in implementing green building solutions and improving energy efficiency within existing housing and buildings. She is also passionate about educating people about the importance of green building standards and the benefits that this can bring to alleviating poverty and the climate change challenges that the country faces.

She noted that there are many opportunities to improve energy performance within the built environment by up to 80% through simple measures such as better insulation.

When asked what the key barriers were to adopting green building standards in Iraq she stated that a lack of general understanding as well as national regulations were the key obstacles to overcome.

Basima also spoke about her involvement with the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Shapers Community and her position on the WEF Foundation Board, where she has been a passionate advocate for garnering international support for the sustainable reconstruction of Iraq.

Finally, Basima shared her insights and experiences about being a young woman in a male dominated industry and how she has never allowed this to be an obstacle for her.

To watch the full webinar, Click here