Qatar Sustainability Week to return in October

Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) is continuing its national campaign to build sustainable, healthy, and resilient communities with the sixth edition of Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW).

The event will run from October 23-30, and both corporate organisations and individuals are invited to participate.The QSW is a unique platform for promoting the nation’s sustainability vision and engaging relevant stakeholders under an overarching umbrella to achieve Qatar’s sustainable development goals.The week plays a major role in raising awareness about the importance of preserving the environment and implementing business practices that can be maintained in the long term.Since its inception in 2016, the QSW has witnessed the participation of more than 160,000 people in 920 activities through the support of 600 partners, and reached more than 3mn users on traditional and social media.To build on this collaborative success, the QGBC (a member of Qatar Foundation) is encouraging all public and private sector organisations, including schools, universities, and community groups to take part and register their sustainability-oriented activities, initiatives, and events for the 2021 edition.Similar to last year, there is an opportunity for corporates and individuals to make a special pledge to support their own community in its drive to promote sustainable living.The pledge is an encompassing commitment to protect the environment and combat the real and present danger of climate change by taking bold actions, such as banning single-use plastics, minimising waste by consuming responsibly, reusing and recycling products, promoting healthy spaces, conserving water and energy, choosing a greener method to travel, and living a healthy lifestyle.The pledge also encourages organisations to join the UN Global Compact, certify their assets, issue sustainability reports, and promote carbon-neutral operations.It also challenges individuals to attempt to reduce their own carbon footprint.QGBC director Meshal al-Shamari said: “We are very much looking forward to holding the QSW once again.”“The event is going from strength to strength, and with climate change, very much in the news headlines across the globe it’s the perfect opportunity for corporates and individuals to come together to be a part of the movement here in Qatar,” he said. “We encourage local organisations to participate in any environmental and sustainable activities and events that they have planned for this week.”“We all know about the importance of sustainability, and in a lot of ways, it dovetails beautifully with the slogan for this year’s Qatar National Day – *Ancestral Meadows: A Matter of Trust,” al-Shamari added. “The message that the slogan is conveying is a call to all of us to consider our environment as a core issue because environmental development is one of the four pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030.”Environmental issues will remain firmly in focus just two days after the QSW concludes, when the Scottish city of Glasgow plays host to the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference – COP26 – from November 1-12.For information on the QSW 2021 and registration of activities and pledges, visit www.qatarsustainabilityweek.com.