Qatar is planning to convert 25 percent of its public transportation to electric by 2022 and 100 percent by 2030, as part of the country’s efforts to promote sustainable development, the US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) stated in a report.
The ‘Qatar Sustainability Report: A Leader in Green Initiatives’, released by the USQBC, clearly explains how the country is driving sustainability through its policies, global leadership, and how its key projects adhere to the global standards.
“Over the past decade, Qatar has managed to reduce the electricity and water consumption by about 20 percent. Qatar has been heavily investing in replacing its older power plants with new ones with better efficiency, state-art-technologies, and low emissions,” the report stated, citing data from the Qatar Sustainability Fact Sheet by the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington DC.
In recent years, Qatar has become a desalination pioneer to ensure sustainable access to freshwater for its residents as the country’s growing household water consumption adds stress to the economy, infrastructure, and the environment.
“New measures were proposed to curb the demand through increasing water tariffs and recycling domestic wastewater for semi-productive use. Currently, seawater desalination constitutes more than 60 percent of total water consumption in Qatar,” the report added.
Conservation has been one of the key priorities in Qatar National Vision 2030. Out of the country’s total land and sea area, 30 percent has been designated as protected areas.
Sustainability initiatives
The report also highlights the government’s key sustainability initiatives, such as those for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, solar power, Qatar Petroleum’s (QP) sustainability drive, partnership with NASA, and Qatar Sustainability Week.
Sustainability is at the forefront of preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the report said the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is on track to achieve its commitment to deliver the first-ever carbon neutral World Cup.
The SC’s efforts in achieving carbon neutrality have resulted in two FIFA World Cup stadiums receiving top sustainability ratings this year. The Education City Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium achieved the five-star Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) rating.
The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) is currently developing multiple projects including a large-scale 800MW solar energy plant. After the tournament, the plant will continue to produce clean renewable energy for decades, leaving a significant legacy in carbon reduction.
QP has launched its new ‘Sustainability Strategy’ this year, which establishes several targets in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This strategy sets a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It also mandates the deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) facilities.
Qatar Foundation has partnered with NASA to find buried water in the earth’s deserts. Last year, Qatar Green Building Council hosted the fifth annual edition of Qatar Sustainability Week, which exhibited innovative and practical solutions of various stakeholders to overcome environmental challenges.
