Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD) to take significant steps in the areas of environmental issues and green buildings.
The MoU was co-signed by KNPC chief executive officer Mohamed Ghazi al-Mutairi and GORD founding chairman Dr Yousef Alhorr in the presence of the Qatar’s ambassador to Kuwait, Hamad bin Ali Henzab, and deputy CEOs and managers from both the sides.
During the event, al-Mutairi said the National Petroleum gives “high importance” to environmental projects, and the company’s objective is to replace 15% of the company’s electricity usage in warehouses and current stations with solar energy by 2020.
This strategy is in line with the directives of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, and KNPC said it had already taken steps in this regard by installing solar panels in its three refineries.
The Qatari ambassador stressed on the importance of such collaborations and exchange of expertise between major Gulf organisations in order to strengthen the alliance and achieving common goals.
Alhorr said his organisation “is pleased” to partner with KNPC towards implementing sustainability best practices and that GORD’s objective is to achieve a balance between the growing requirements of development and the preservation of the environment via the Global Sustainability Assessment System, which has been designed to comply with the specific needs of the Gulf region. The MoU aims at enhancing co-operation between the two parties in the field of research and development in environmental issues, particularly related to the field of oil and gas.
It also supports the concept of green buildings by implementing GSAS standards at KNPC’s current and future projects, as well as training and developing human resources in green building standards and best practices.
KNPC and GORD officials during the signing of the memorandum of understanding.
