Qatar’s sustainability progress highlighted at world Green Building Congress

Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), recently attended the World Green Building Congress in Hong Kong.

Held from the 27 – 30 October under the theme of ‘Thinking Beyond: Pathway to Future Sustainable City Development’, the annual conference gave over 400 top leaders from Green Building Councils from around the world the opportunity to discuss the latest developments in the field of sustainability research and policy.

The QGBC team attending the congress highlighted a number of initiatives and efforts undertaken by both the Government of Qatar and private sector companies towards promoting sustainability and green buildings in the country.

QCBC’s participation in the conference supports QF’s mission to foster a progressive society, and seeks to support the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030) in creating a vibrant sustainability culture with a special focus on Qatar’s booming construction industry.  

An informative presentation delivered by Engineer Meshal Al Shamari, QGBC Director, provided participants with a thorough overview of the various sustainability efforts that the Government of Qatar has pursued over the last decade.

Engineer Al Shamari said: “During the last decade the Government of Qatar has considerably increased its efforts aimed at protecting the environment and fostering a culture of sustainability. Continuing to play a significant role in the green sector, the government has established multiple campaigns focused on raising awareness about energy and water consumption. The same efforts have been extended toward the construction and waste management sectors.”

In recent years, in collaboration with other industry partners, QGBC has established a number of initiatives and programmes aimed at fostering sustainability research and awareness in Qatar and the wider region.

Examples of these initiatives include: Qatar’s first Passivhaus villa, the introduction of a prestigious sustainability education programme, eight different industry interest groups, Qatar’s first green directory, and numerous awareness efforts including the annual No Paper Day and green summer campaigns.

For more information about QGBC, log onto: www.qatargbc.org.