* Industry explore challenges and best practice in three-day virtual session

In the lead up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), recently hosted the first in a series of workshops on Green Hotels for Qatar - Challenges and Pathways, in partnership with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and supported by Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC).

The three-part workshop series aims to support the hospitality industry to achieve lasting and tangible green transformation. The first workshop, Environmental Management and Policies, F&B, saw industry professionals, including hotel general managers, directors of engineering, housekeeping, and F&B staff, come together to identify current operational challenges during the three-day virtual session.

Attendees explored ways in which current challenges can be resolved with the support of national stakeholders while also highlighting the best practices from certified green hotels in Qatar and how best to make these scalable.

Commenting on the workshop series, Engineer Meshal Al Shamari, Director, QGBC, said: “QGBC is delighted with the overwhelming success of the first part of the workshop series designed to support and further drive sustainability within Qatar’s hospitality sector.

“We are honored to join hands with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and Qatar National Tourism Council to provide this invaluable platform for fruitful discussion that will contribute to sustainable transformation within the hotel sector.”

The virtual workshop included presentations from various hotel industry professionals, including Sara Stocker, Sustainability Manager, FIFA; Sven Wiltink, Director of Responsible Business, Radisson Hotel Group; Kamaran Abdollahi, Business Development Manager, MEA, Winno; and Richard Ekkebus, Culinary Director of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

Bodour Al Meer, Sustainability Director, SC, said: "We are less than two years away from hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, and have been on an extraordinary journey over the last decade with our various stakeholders to ensure a sustainable delivery of the event that will leave a lasting legacy.

“Whilst we have achieved great progress in this regard, maintaining this green momentum is of crucial importance as we transition into refining the operational planning leading to and during the tournament – including that associated with hospitality. We are pleased to be partnering with the Qatar Green Building Council in delivering these workshops, which we are certain will be invaluable in tackling the challenges facing the sector and lead to increased green and sustainable practices.”

The second and third workshops will be held in March and May respectively. Outcomes from the workshop series will be documented and published in a joint report in November 2021.

The workshop presentations are available on the QGBC (a member of Qatar Foundation) YouTube channel.
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