Earthna Summit 2025 ‘reflects commitment to sustainability efforts’

Director of Content Development at Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future (Earthna) Sebastien Turbot revealed the centre’s priorities for the upcoming year includes continuing its role as a driver of sustainability efforts by hosting the second edition of the Earthna Summit 2025, scheduled for April 22-23, 2025.

The summit will bring together a number of local, regional and international partners to discuss the most prominent environmental challenges facing the world.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Turbot explained that the summit will witness the announcement of the winners of the first Earthna Prize, which honours and supports projects that preserve traditional knowledge and cultural heritage and draw inspiration from them to address environmental challenges. The award focuses on the themes of water resource management, food security, sustainable urbanism, and land stewardship, with four winners sharing the cash prize of $1mn.

Earthna 2025’s main objective is to bring together an elite group of experts, government representatives, policymakers, decision-makers, businessmen, in addition to multilateral organisations and members of civil society to work together.

He added that the summit highlights Qatar’s commitment to promoting sustainability in hot and arid environments, by drawing its rich cultural heritage, unique ecosystems and innovation. The summit will be a platform to explore how to combine traditional and modern approaches to shape a more resilient and inclusive sustainable future.

The most prominent components for the Earthna Summit is the Earthna Village, which will include a display of products and speakers on some innovative solutions inspired by traditional knowledge, in addition to providing interactive spaces that enhance cooperation and creativity.

Turbot noted that the first edition of the Earthna Summit in 2023 saw 1,500 participants from over 100 countries coming together to address key issues such as biodiversity, water and food security, and overall sustainability. For the 2025 edition, Earthna intends to continue these dialogues and bring together climate action leaders on key policy and climate change issues, he added.

He explained that the outcomes of the last summit enhanced the deep understanding of traditional practices and their role in managing ecosystems and adapting to climate, and the upcoming summit will build on that to explore how to drive practical progress.

The Director of Content Development stressed that Earthna aspires to co-operate with a variety of countries and organisations that align with its goals and vision, including countries that are leaders in sustainability innovations, regions facing similar environmental challenges, and organisations specialising in climate action, policy development, and enhancing community resilience.

He pointed out that Earthna also seeks to co-operate with international research institutions, non-governmental organisations, private sector leaders, and academic institutions to enhance the exchange of ideas and practices.

The Earthna Summit embodies Qatar’s commitment to promoting sustainability at the international level by creating a platform whose impact extends beyond the summit itself.

Turbot explained that the summit promotes effective dialogues between policy makers, thought leaders and industry pioneers to address global environmental challenges in a collaborative manner.

The summit aims to stimulate climate action at the international level by forming lasting partnerships, influencing policy frameworks and encouraging the adoption of sustainable practices across international sectors, while the research findings and solutions presented during the sessions are documented and disseminated globally to be used as valuable resources for governments, organisations and communities seeking to achieve sustainability.

He touched on Earthna’s participation at COP16 in Riyadh, where it showcased its leadership experiences by participating in interactive sessions. He also highlighted that Chairman of the Board of Directors at Earthna Justin Munday moderated a high-level panel discussion on innovative market mechanisms, such as bonds, credits, insurance, index-linked debt and microfinance, as essential tools for sustainable land management.

On Tuesday, Earthna hosted a dialogue seminar on sustainability and traditional urban planning, which discussed ways to integrate sustainability practices with traditional urban planning principles.

Turbot also noted that Programme Manager at Earthna Talha Mirza will present a session on the vital role of traditional knowledge in sustainable development and adaptation to climate change, while reviewing case studies on traditional water management systems, such as agricultural canals and irrigation channels.

Turbot said that Earthna is a non-profit centre specialised in policy research on sustainability and supporting related issues. Earthna was established by Qatar Foundation and aims to provide a comprehensive vision that contributes to achieving environmentally, economically and socially sustainable development.