Qatar committed to goal of sustainable development

By Dr Saleh al-Nabit/Secretary General, General Secretariat for Development Planning

At the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012, the State of Qatar renewed its commitment to sustainable development and to “ensuring the promotion of an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for our planet and future generations”. Participants at the Rio+20 Conference, a 20-year follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit which had led to Agenda 21 and the landmark conventions on climate change and biodiversity, committed to further mainstream sustainable development at all levels, integrating their economic, social and environmental aspects. There was general recognition that future patterns of production and consumption need to be more sustainable.

Qatar National Vision 2030

At Rio+20, world leaders signed on to a document The Future We Want which in many ways reaffirmed at the global level what is foreseen for the State of Qatar in the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV) and what we are now implementing in Qatar National Development Strategy 2011-2016 (NDS). QNV/NDS  are rooted in the principles of sustainable development, and our people are at the centre of national efforts to advance sustainable development. The QNV/NDS recognise that Qatar has been developing at an unprecedented speed. Its very rapid economic growth, spatial development, natural resource use and exceptionally high population growth have resulted in environmental stresses. They recognise too that overly aggressive economic development could lead to economic overstress and risk tipping the environmental scales. So we set out a path for development that balances the needs for economic growth and social development with environment protection.Qatar’s future development path will be compatible with the requirements of sustainable development. We are ensuring, inter alia, effective environmental policies and regulations, the application of best available technology, the development of strong environmental institutions, and advocacy campaigns for behavioural change. The NDS, which is being co-ordinated by the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP), outlines the programmes and projects being implemented by ministries and agencies across government, with measurable outcomes and targets, that will help Qatar achieve our Vision of sustainable development. 

Reducing Emissions from Gas Flaring

Qatar is hosting the eighteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 18) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be held in Doha between 26 November to 7 December 2012. The Convention provides that parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities. That Qatar is hosting COP 18 is a clear indication of the national commitment to sustainable development in general, and to a reduction in greenhouse gases in  particular.Climate change has been identified as the most pressing global environmental problem with potentially catastrophic consequences for human development, human health, coastal zones and marine biodiversity. Qatar is committed to eliminating inefficiencies that raise CO2 emissions, and to working with multiple partners to address global climate change challenges. Qatar, like its Gulf neighbours, is highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts that would result from rising temperatures.CO2 emissions, mostly from energy production, add to greenhouse gases and contribute to global climate change.  Qatar is developing a national policy to manage greenhouse gas emissions and the broader challenges of climate change. All sectors of society, especially the private sector, are playing a role.While Qatar’s CO2 emissions continued to rise over the decade 2000 to 2010, the rate of increase slowed markedly between 2007 and 2010.  Almost two thirds of CO2 emissions stem from the hydrocarbon  industry. The slower increase in CO2 emissions stems from marked reductions in gas flaring and venting.  Qatar’s flaring volume declined by half between 2008 and 2010, meeting the NDS target set for 2016, as the impact of new technologies to reduce emissions started to take effect (Figure 1).

Frontier Technology Research

As foreshadowed in the QNV/NDS, there are further ongoing initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, especially from gas flaring and venting, including through new legislation to limit emissions, investment in cleaner technologies, and improvements in industrial standards and processes. For example, as part of a National Flaring and Venting Reduction Project, formal reporting requirements and voluntary reduction targets for industries are being introduced. The flaring reductions stem from reduced routing flaring and best-practice non-routing flaring among existing facilities, as well as clear standards for new facilities to minimise flaring.  The project is initially targeting the largest companies responsible for the bulk of flaring-related emissions. Qatar, in multiple partnerships, is at the forefront of developing environmentally sound, cleaner and energy-efficient technology (Figure 2). Innovative research is underway on new carbon capture and sequestration technology, including at the Imperial College London’s Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage, which is working  in partnership with the Qatar Science and Technology Park.

A Better Future

Qatar’s long-term development outcomes of our Vision emphasise the need to strike a careful balance between the interests of the current generation and the interests of future generations. The country’s substantial economic gains provide a solid foundation for this, and through the NDS, returns from the current use of non-renewable resources will be further channelled into both physical and human capital formation. Given the wisdom and foresight of Qatar’s leaders and people, there will be increasing harmony between economic growth, social development and environmental management.