*Reduction of GHG emissions by 25% by 2030 among goals
* QNE has three national objectives: enhancing vitality of environment, strengthening resilience of economy and improving well-being of population
* To achieve this, QNE has identified five key environmental priority areas: GHG emissions and air quality, biodiversity, water, circular economy and waste management, and land use
* New cross-ministerial taskforce will be set up to lead and review QNE's implementation
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani launched the country's National Environment and Climate Change Strategy on Thursday, QNA reported.
The Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy (QNE) was developed with the vision to protect and enhance Qatar's environment to safeguard the well-being of Qatar's population and ensure the long-term resilience of the economy.
The official launch of the QNE was attended by a number of ministers, ambassadors and business leaders from various governmental and private sector stakeholders in Qatar.
Qatar recently submitted its second report on nationally determined contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in which it pledged to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030, compared to business-as-usual rates.
The National Action Plan for Climate Change 2030 identifies the programmes developed by each sector and the actions expected to be implemented to achieve the desired goals, as the oil and gas sector is the largest contributor to efforts to reduce emissions. However, all other sectors and relevant stakeholders have identified their ambitious contributions to achieve this target.
Qatar recently submitted its second report on nationally determined contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in which it pledged to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030, compared to business-as-usual rates.
The National Action Plan for Climate Change 2030 identifies the programmes developed by each sector and the actions expected to be implemented to achieve the desired goals, as the oil and gas sector is the largest contributor to efforts to reduce emissions. However, all other sectors and relevant stakeholders have identified their ambitious contributions to achieve this target.
Qatar is currently implementing a new monitoring, reporting and verification system that provides decision makers with the right information at the right time, enabling informed decisions on a range of issues related to climate and the environment.
The official launch of the QNE was attended by a number of ministers, ambassadors and business leaders from various governmental and private sector stakeholders in Qatar. During the opening ceremony, a short video was presented, highlighting the threat posed by climate change, as well as a comprehensive summary of the Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2030 and the progress made so far as well as future plans in the field of the environment and climate change.
HE the Prime Minister continued with a dialogue with a number of children on the importance of the environment and its preservation, and assured them that Qatar will take all necessary measures to preserve the environment and combat climate change, as this is a duty upon us.
QNE is an effort that builds upon Qatar National Vision 2030, which features four key pillars to create "harmony between economic growth, social development and environmental protection". Qatar has built further on this strong foundation by establishing a new environmental taskforce under the sponsorship of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to develop QNE.
In his speech, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed al-Thani said: "Today, we celebrate the launch of Qatar's National Environment and Climate Change Strategy, days after the issuance of Amiri Decision No. 57 of 2021 appointing the duties of ministries, which includes Article 8 on the duty of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of reducing emissions causing climate change."
He added, "The launch of the Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy marks a new phase of Qatar's efforts to address the phenomenon of climate change, as this strategy is one of the key pillars for achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and Qatar's ambition to achieve a leadership position in the region."
A representative from QatarEnergy, Ahmad Saeed al-Amoodi, shared an overview of the QNE strategy. Specifically, he elaborated on QNE's three national objectives, which are enhancing the vitality of the environment, strengthening resilience of the economy and improving the well-being of the population. To achieve this, the QNE has identified five key environmental priority areas with ambitious targets developed for each priority.
1. GHG emissions and air quality: Reduce GHG emissions to limit global warming and improve ambient and indoor air quality to better protect public health and the wider environment. To do so, Qatar seeks to reduce GHG emissions by 25% versus a business-as-usual scenario by 2030, enhance ambient air quality standards and update limit values by 2024, among other targets.
2. Biodiversity: Enhance efforts to conserve, restore and protect biodiversity for healthy and resilient natural ecosystems. To achieve this, Qatar will conserve and effectively manage more than 25% of its total land area by 2030 and put in place restoration and protection plans for key species, among other targets.
3. Water: Ensure the sustainable and integrated management of all water resources. For example, Qatar will reduce groundwater extraction by 60%, reduce daily household water consumption by a third and double desalination via reverse osmosis or more sustainable technologies, among other targets.
4. Circular economy and waste management: Enhance critical infrastructure for sustainable waste management and drive more circular use of materials. To do so, Qatar seeks to close and rehabilitate 100% of unsanitary landfills and achieve a 15% material recycling rate of municipal wastes, among other targets.
5. Land use: Enhance the long-term potential of all land resources. Qatar will prioritise high-yield and sustainable agriculture production by driving a more than 50% improvement in farm land productivity, as well as launch sustainable urban planning initiatives such as mandating green building requirements amongst other targets.
With QNE charting the next chapter in the nation's environmental journey, the strategy will also provide a framework to realise Qatar's 2030 ambitions while paving the way for long-term environmental management. A new cross-ministerial taskforce, helmed by the guidance and direction of Qatar's leaders, will be set up to lead and review QNE's implementation. This will be done together with the amendment of critical policies and regulations to support these changes. Lastly, a dedicated budget will be set aside to drive implementation efforts, alongside investment into innovative technology, and capability and awareness building efforts.
The launch of QNE is a landmark step to champion environmental growth and prosperity in Qatar. QNE will drive a new trajectory that not only accelerates tangible impact across specific environmental domains, but also instals a robust policy framework, strong governance, and solid capability infrastructure to safeguard Qatar's environment for future generations.
Following the launch of QNE, Qatar is currently preparing to participate in the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), this November in Glasgow. As part of its commitments, Qatar recently submitted its second report on the National Determined Contribution to the United Nation, in which it pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.
HE the Prime Minister continued with a dialogue with a number of children on the importance of the environment and its preservation, and assured them that Qatar will take all necessary measures to preserve the environment and combat climate change, as this is a duty upon us.
QNE is an effort that builds upon Qatar National Vision 2030, which features four key pillars to create "harmony between economic growth, social development and environmental protection". Qatar has built further on this strong foundation by establishing a new environmental taskforce under the sponsorship of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to develop QNE.
In his speech, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed al-Thani said: "Today, we celebrate the launch of Qatar's National Environment and Climate Change Strategy, days after the issuance of Amiri Decision No. 57 of 2021 appointing the duties of ministries, which includes Article 8 on the duty of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of reducing emissions causing climate change."
He added, "The launch of the Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy marks a new phase of Qatar's efforts to address the phenomenon of climate change, as this strategy is one of the key pillars for achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and Qatar's ambition to achieve a leadership position in the region."
A representative from QatarEnergy, Ahmad Saeed al-Amoodi, shared an overview of the QNE strategy. Specifically, he elaborated on QNE's three national objectives, which are enhancing the vitality of the environment, strengthening resilience of the economy and improving the well-being of the population. To achieve this, the QNE has identified five key environmental priority areas with ambitious targets developed for each priority.
1. GHG emissions and air quality: Reduce GHG emissions to limit global warming and improve ambient and indoor air quality to better protect public health and the wider environment. To do so, Qatar seeks to reduce GHG emissions by 25% versus a business-as-usual scenario by 2030, enhance ambient air quality standards and update limit values by 2024, among other targets.
2. Biodiversity: Enhance efforts to conserve, restore and protect biodiversity for healthy and resilient natural ecosystems. To achieve this, Qatar will conserve and effectively manage more than 25% of its total land area by 2030 and put in place restoration and protection plans for key species, among other targets.
3. Water: Ensure the sustainable and integrated management of all water resources. For example, Qatar will reduce groundwater extraction by 60%, reduce daily household water consumption by a third and double desalination via reverse osmosis or more sustainable technologies, among other targets.
4. Circular economy and waste management: Enhance critical infrastructure for sustainable waste management and drive more circular use of materials. To do so, Qatar seeks to close and rehabilitate 100% of unsanitary landfills and achieve a 15% material recycling rate of municipal wastes, among other targets.
5. Land use: Enhance the long-term potential of all land resources. Qatar will prioritise high-yield and sustainable agriculture production by driving a more than 50% improvement in farm land productivity, as well as launch sustainable urban planning initiatives such as mandating green building requirements amongst other targets.
With QNE charting the next chapter in the nation's environmental journey, the strategy will also provide a framework to realise Qatar's 2030 ambitions while paving the way for long-term environmental management. A new cross-ministerial taskforce, helmed by the guidance and direction of Qatar's leaders, will be set up to lead and review QNE's implementation. This will be done together with the amendment of critical policies and regulations to support these changes. Lastly, a dedicated budget will be set aside to drive implementation efforts, alongside investment into innovative technology, and capability and awareness building efforts.
The launch of QNE is a landmark step to champion environmental growth and prosperity in Qatar. QNE will drive a new trajectory that not only accelerates tangible impact across specific environmental domains, but also instals a robust policy framework, strong governance, and solid capability infrastructure to safeguard Qatar's environment for future generations.
Following the launch of QNE, Qatar is currently preparing to participate in the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), this November in Glasgow. As part of its commitments, Qatar recently submitted its second report on the National Determined Contribution to the United Nation, in which it pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.
