About Qatar

Qatar is committed to sustainable development and finding innovative solutions to allow modern cities to grow in an environmentally friendly way. The country is taking a lead role on this issue both within an international framework and in a domestic capacity.

Qatar is taking a lead role in developing green building standards and practices. [Photo/cop18.qa]

Just this year, Qatar joined 16 other industrialised, emerging economies and developing countries in signing the Agreement on the Establishment of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The GGGI was founded on the belief that economic growth and environmental sustainability are not merely compatible objectives; their integration is essential for the future of humankind. GGGI is dedicated to pioneering and diffusing a new model of economic growth, known as 'green growth', that simultaneously targets key aspects of economic performance, such as poverty reduction, job creation and social inclusion, and those of environmental sustainability, such as mitigation of climate change, biodiversity loss and security of access to clean energy and water.

'Qatar is proud to join the GGGI and add our voice and vision to the development of this important work,' Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the incoming President of COP18/CMP8, said at the time. 'As a nation we believe it is our responsibility to invest today in the technologies and practices required to build a healthy and prosperous future for the next generation.'

Another international initiative where Qatar has taken the lead is the Global Dry Land Alliance (GDLA). Dry lands around the world face similar challenges: food security, creating sustainable livelihoods, hunger and poverty. While there are many international organisations that address these issues, until recently there has been no long-term, coordinated response by dry lands to collectively develop prevention mechanisms. It is with this in mind that Qatar has taken the lead in forming the GDLA, which will focus on developing research and technological innovation targeting the specific needs of the most-affected countries.

These international initiatives reflect much of the same vision that Qatar has for its own growth and development. Qatar invests heavily in research, and, through the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, is working to develop the technology that will allow more sustainable growth. This includes research into more efficient solar technology, the effects of climate change on biodiversity, as well as better ways to use water and treat soil.

As Qatar continues to grow rapidly, it also has resources at its disposal to ensure green growth and green development. The Qatar Green Building Council is working to increase awareness and knowledge of green building practices through ongoing professional development and research. The efforts of Qatar Green Building Council to build and engage an active membership body and network of stakeholders to champion the green building movement also extends to support the adoption, legislation and implementation of green building practice and standards.