The goal and mission of SustainableQATAR, one of Qatar’s active volunteer organisations, offers concrete and realistic steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the grassroot level.
SustainableQATAR held an event at Qatar-Finland International School yesterday to release its logo and launch its new brand – SustainableQATAR Young Ambassadors. The climate action organisation made efforts to draw the attention of students to every individual’s responsibility towards climate action.
Talking to Community, Katrin Scholz-Barth, President of SustainbleQATAR, said: “The rebranding event started with an inspirational talk for the students of grade VII, VIII and IX by me. The students were inspired how they can follow the examples of certain individuals working successfully for the cause of climate action and how their actions can inspire others. I gave them examples of different individuals who are planting trees regularly, bringing waste production at home to zero and making a device to clean seas from plastic etc. The students will be certified as young ambassadors and they will go on to work with students from other schools for climate change.”
She added: “SustainableQATAR is an independent action-based think and do tank founded in 2008. It provides actionable knowledge to create extraordinarily powerful personal stories of individuals taking actions that credibly reduce carbon emissions in daily lives and contribute to a regenerative future where environmental sustainability becomes the motor for a healthy economy? one person at a time.”
The enthusiastic Katrin further said: “Our flagship project – ‘The 52-Weekly Challenges’ – offers all Qatar residents mind-changing solutions for climate action through concrete weekly challenges that champion environmental sustainability and carbon emission reduction. Everyone who is excited about and takes pride in contributing to a regenerative development of the country, is invited to participate in tweaking daily habits to assist in favourably positioning Qatar to host the first-ever carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup in 2022.”
About their fresh initiative, the climate action volunteer said: “Right on the heels of the 2019 United Nations Global Climate Summit in New York, we have launched SustainableQATAR Young Ambassadors programme. The newly launched programme involves students ageing 8 to 15 years and raises the bar on youth climate action. In the one day academy students learn from certified SustainableQATAR young ambassadors on how to reduce carbon emissions, make a personal pledge and thereby create a sustainable future for all.”
Speaking about their logo, Katrin said: “The SustainableQATAR logo symbolises ‘Qatar to the Power of Sustainability.’ The mosaic celebrates Qatar’s local heritage by utilising one of the important geometric patterns of Islamic art, because it is an art to recognise, celebrate, and realise the significant power and potential of sustainable human, social, economic, and environmental-sustainable development, as outlined in the Qatar National Vision 2030.
“The use of the ‘repeat units’ of the geometric mosaic pattern borrows from Islamic art, which expresses nature and objects by its spiritual qualities; and not its physical and material qualities. Despite the simple basic shape of the individual four-sided polygons, a more complicated structure emerges in the mosaic as Qatar aspires to a sustainable future in a fragile desert environment.
“The individual four-sided polygons represent the ‘Power of One,’ of every individual living in Qatar to help push the boundaries on environmental sustainability, to turn awareness into a new level of consciousness because strength is in the numbers and because personal actions are infinitely scalable when everyone participates.”
She added: “The more complicated structure of the whole mosaic represents the over 80 different nationalities that come together in Qatar, a country of merely 2.75 million people and 350, 000 nationals, to ultimately unite in the closed circle inscribed in the ‘Q’.
“The confident and happy colour combination of greens and blues in the logo celebrates Qatar’s distinctive and powerful position. Geographically located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, the country is surrounded by blue waters and skies as well as thriving green mangroves that give life to a unique marine and terrestrial ecosystem and biodiversity. The colours further symbolise clarity, strength, determination, and independent new beginnings for building resilience in a fragile desert environment, not because of natural resources limitations, but in spite of it.”
Art Director Gabriele Bickl at DesignGarden in Hamburg, Germany conceptualised and designed the logo for SustainableQATAR.
Community / Environment
Inspiring young climate action ambassadors SustainableQATAR launches new brand campaign
VOLUNTEERS: SustainableQATAR executive committee ready for action. From left u2013 Hala Ahmed, MaryBeth Stuenkel, Erica Ramorino, Katrin Scholz-Barth and Shiban Khan.
