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The Earthna Centre for Sustainable Future (Earthna), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has come out with a publication aiming to restore respect for nature and ethical values. Semiotics of Nature: Recharging Nature with Meaning for Environmental Ethics and Action by Dr Recep Senturk, the dean of the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)’s College of Islamic Studies, was launched during a ceremony Monday at the ThinkBay auditorium of the QF’s Education City. “What we are trying to do is to reintroduce an approach to sustainability based on ethics, values and religion,” said Earthna executive director Dr Gonzalo Castro de la Mata. “Most modern attempts to support sustainability are based on cost-benefit analysis and views based on pure economics.” The book launch was attended by officials from Earthna, the HBKU and other organisations. “We believe that it is important to restore the respect for nature, which is again based on values, ethics and religion,” said Dr de la Mata. “That is why we are launching this book.” “We have been working on this book for almost two years,” he continued. “We actually had a workshop with Islamic scholars from all over the world who were able to provide some inputs to the book.” According to Dr Senturk, there are many people who talk about sustainability and environmental ethics but are not very effective in the true spirit. “To make environmentalism and environmental ethics more effective, we need to mobilise religion and traditional values to motivate people to respect nature,” he said. “So this inner transformation requires mobilising religion, spirituality and values.” Dr Senturk pointed out that the world existed for millions of years and there was no environmental problem until the 20th century. “The environmental issues started because of the rise of materialist ideology or the capitalist ideology, which sees nature only as a source of raw materials and tries to exploit it without any limits, without any constraints or without any moral values,” he stated. The official said that the world has to go back to the primordial, original values of all traditions, religions and philosophies and implement them. “I believe that the ethical, religious and spiritual approach to environment and nature will be far more effective compared to materialist approaches,” he said. Dr Senturk was quick to note that the semiotics of nature is based on a multiplex, multi-layered perspective. “I am not rejecting the scientific or technological approach, but I want scientific study, technological production, and consumption to be guided by ethical values,” he clarified. “So, there should be a hierarchy,” Dr Senturk emphasised. “Ethical values should be at the top, not economic interest and maximisation of profit.” A panel discussion was also staged to highlight the ethical practices and considerations needed in the current era. Aside from Dr Senturk, the other panelists were the HBKU Research Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics’s associate professor of Methodology and Ethics Dr Mutaz al-Khatib, and Dr Osman Umarji, the director of Global Data Studies at the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and senior consultant to the QF. 

The Indian Business and Professionals Council (IBPC) has announced its partnership with the Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future for ‘Qatar Sustainability Week’ (QSW) 2025, taking place from November 1-8. Now in its 10th year, QSW is led by Earthna, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Qatar Foundation. The event will see the participation of Qatar’s community, NGOs, and the private sector in advancing sustainability-focused initiatives and practices. As part of QSW 2025, the IBPC Qatar Sustainability Forum will organise a series of activities designed to promote awareness, collaboration, and innovation in sustainable development across the business and education sectors. IBPC president Thaha Muhammed stated: “As the Indian community, we reaffirm our commitment to adopting sustainable practices within the corporate and business sectors while inspiring the wider community, including school students, to take meaningful action.”

Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW) 2025, the country’s largest community-focused initiative, will return for the 10th time, led by Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future, a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.Scheduled to take place from Nov 1-8, QSW 2025 aims to encourage Qatar’s community, government, NGOs, and private sector entities to take part in various sustainability-focused activities, events, and projects.Executive Director of Earthna, Dr Gonzalo Castro de la Mata expressed the significance of QSW 2025, stating: “Over the past decade, Qatar Sustainability Week has grown from an awareness campaign into a nationwide movement driving measurable change. The movement has engaged more than 750,000 people across schools, businesses, cultural institutions, and civil society, strengthening QSW’s role as a keystone of the nation’s sustainability journey. We sincerely thank our long-term partners for their support, in particular the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.”For his part, Assistant Undersecretary for Climate Change Affairs, Engineer Ahmed Mohammed al-Sada, reaffirmed the ministry’s strong support for the initiative, which aligns with its strategic mission to foster collaboration between institutions and communities while raising public environmental awareness.These efforts, he said, are vital for protecting Qatar’s environment and achieving long-term sustainability.Al-Sada underscored the ministry’s commitment to promoting national initiatives that support Qatar’s journey towards environmental sustainability.QSW 2025 will bring together several strategic partners this year including the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa)’s Tarsheed programme, Qatar Museums, Qatar University, Mathaf, and the Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development along with others. (QNA)