Held under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani, the fifth edition of the annual Sustainability Summit organised by the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord) got underway at Ritz-Carlton Doha on Tuesday.
The delegates at the two-day summit discussed the best sustainability practices and deliberated on the different environmental challenges as well as proposed effective solutions and ideas to address these challenges.
At the opening session of the summit, HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi reiterated the commitment of Qatar to ensure best sustainable practices in the country and highlighted some of the major achievements.
Gord founding chairman Dr Yousef Alhorr noted the major challenges that the whole region faces in meeting the sustainability commitments.
Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company CEO Sheikh Khalid bin Kalifa al-Thani, Othman Zarzour (the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy), Dirk Forrister from the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), and UN Environment's acting deputy regional director Abdul Majeid Haddad also spoke at the opening session.
A large number of industry professionals, experts, regulators and researchers are attending the event to discuss and exchange ideas about sustainability and climate change.
HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, Gord founding chairman Dr Yousef Alhorr, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company CEO Sheikh Khalid bin Kalifa al-Thani and other dignitaries at the opening ceremony. PICTURES: Shemeer Rasheed
"The World, and Middle East especially, has daunting tasks to overcome the challenges of consumerism and the exploitation of the natural resources, as such challenges pose severe climate change and sustainability threats.
"Gord is committed to raising societal awareness and building the capacity of our region on the key issues around this topic", noted Dr Alhorr.
This year’s summit has attracted participation from leading local, regional and international sustainability organisations such as the United Nations Environment, IETA, and the European Union.
In addition, several renowned regional sustainability experts from Kuwait and Oman are also participating in the summit.
The sessions of the Sustainability Summit 2018 focus on the importance of innovation in the field of sustainability, and celebrate the outstanding sustainability initiatives around the world.
The 2018 summit also offers international and regional perspectives on climate change challenges and solutions for a low-carbon and climate-resilient future.
It aims to drive innovation in the design of built environment, as well as promoting education and collaboration in the field, bringing to the fore the latest research and developments in sustainable building design.
This year’s summit highlighted the importance of investing in sustainability strategies, programmes, research and laws, and the identified the different roles that governments and policymakers can play in promoting sustainability and supporting sustainability initiatives.
There is an accompanying exhibition of green building products which was visited by the guests after the opening session.
