Climate Change Actions Put Qatar At Forefront Of Sustainability Initiatives, Says Invest Qatar Report

The ‘Road to ESG Investing: Financing Sustainable Growth in Qatar’, the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (IPA Qatar) stated that the country has achieved major milestones in urban planning, among other areas which included the first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup, development of Lusail and Msheireb townships, adoption of Global Sustainability Assessment System standards in buildings, waste recycling, emission monitoring, tree plantation, and reclamation projects.

In energy, some of the milestones include Qatar Petroleum’s transition to QatarEnergy, the establishment of the 800MW capacity Siraj solar power plant, the Tarsheed programme of Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa), and the technological innovations by Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) and Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP).

Lusail and Education City trams offer eco- and user-friendly commuting options, electric tractors with zero-carbon emissions for Hamad Port, Hamad International Airport’s efforts towards achieving 30% carbon efficiency, and Qatar Airways’ achievements in waste reduction, biodiversity, and energy consumption.

In ESG reporting, the report mentioned the release of ESG guidance by Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), the launch of Qatar Sustainability Platform to monitor publicly listed companies, and the MSCI QSE 20 ESG Index, as well as plans for mandatory ESG disclosures for public companies.

“The driving forces of Qatar’s national development – National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2018-2022 – rest on fundamental pillars of environmental and social development.

“Qatar has also been a signatory to all major international agreements and conventions related to sustainable development.