QSW 2024 events reach 1mn community members

The Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW) 2024 has ended after reaching over 1mn community members through over 500 events and activities, a statement said.The ninth edition of the QSW, which ran from September 25 to October 5, witnessed the participation of the public, businesses, community groups, organisations and academic and government institutions.Organised by the Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future (Earthna), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), this year’s event saw more than 150,000 people take part in the activities, the highest participation rate in QSW’s history.Earthna and several other organisations undertook media and social media campaigns to promote the QSW and its objectives this year.Combined with the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs’ initiative to raise awareness of sustainability in the Friday sermon on October 4, more than 1mn people had the opportunity to hear or read about important environmental ideas during the QSW 2024.Earthna executive director Dr Gonzalo Castro de la Mata emphasised the importance of the annual event."By bringing together government, schools and universities, the private sector, non-government organisations and the community, we aim to foster a unified commitment across Qatar to address sustainability challenges, and promote a healthier world for generations to come,” he said."We were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm shown towards this years’ edition and the support from our partners and contributors to whom we are incredibly grateful,” the official said. "We are very much looking forward to building on this years’ success in 2025 for QSW’s tenth anniversary.”Earthna facilitated a series of impactful sessions during the QSW 2024, addressing critical topics that will help shape sustainability thinking and action in Qatar.These included "The Circular Economy in Qatar: Towards Circular PET Plastics” with KEO, "Recharging Nature with Meaning: Reviving Islamic Environmental Values” with the QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Islamic Studies and "Creating a Sustainable Future for Water in Qatar” with GHD.For the first time, Earthna and the MoECC held the Qatar National Dialogue on Climate Change 2024 as part of the QSW, which took place on October 1-2.