The European International Contractors (EIC) Spring Conference 2025, held in Bordeaux on 24–25 April, gathered key players from across the global construction industry to address one of the sector’s most urgent challenges: decarbonisation. Among the experts invited to speak was Balsam Nehmeh, Director of Sustainability at Dar, who shared insights on advancing sustainable practices in Europe and globally.

Hosted in collaboration with SEFI-FNTP (Syndicat des Entrepreneurs Français Internationaux – Fédération Nationale des Travaux Publics), the conference focused on the theme "Decarbonisation of Infrastructure Construction – From Concept to Reality". It explored both policy frameworks and industry innovations that are shaping the future of sustainable construction, with contributions from regulators, financiers, contracting authorities, contractors, and suppliers.

EIC, representing the international interests of the European construction industry, continues to drive initiatives aimed at strengthening European competitiveness in a changing global landscape. Discussions at the conference highlighted new approaches to procurement that prioritise lifecycle and maintenance costs, industrial technologies centred on material reuse and recycling, and construction methods designed to minimise environmental impacts while enhancing efficiency.

During her presentation on April 25^th, Balsam highlighted Dar and Sidara’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions across their operations by 2030 as well as Dar’s extensive expertise in delivering sustainability projects.

Her talk highlighted critical strategies in sustainability, including emissions reduction, water resource management, and the integration of waste management, sustainable materials, construction innovations, and end-of-life planning into project delivery. Leveraging Dar and Sidara’s extensive global experience – with involvement in the planning, design, or construction of 300 airports across six continents and advisory roles in 23 of the world’s top 30 airports – Balsam demonstrated how Dar places sustainability at the core of its services.

In response to today’s urgent challenges, the European Union’s climate neutrality agenda for 2050 underscores the need to decouple growth from resource consumption, with the construction industry playing a pivotal role in this transition. At Dar, our longstanding commitment to sustainability is evident in every aspect of our work. As a signatory of the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, we leverage in-house expertise, specialised capabilities, and a team of accredited professionals to deliver projects that meet the highest standards of sustainability and climate resilience – not only achieving net zero targets but also advancing progress beyond them.

Dar’s engagement in forums such as the EIC Spring Conference reflects our enduring commitment to sustainable development and leadership in the transition to a decarbonised built environment.