The eighth edition of Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW) came to a close following a wide range of activities aimed at promoting, encouraging and raising awareness of sustainable living among members of the community.
Organised by Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future (Earthna), a member of Qatar Foundation, and in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, QSW 2023 saw the highest participation in the history of the campaign, with over 470 events and initiatives being delivered by members of the public, government and non-government organisations, and businesses.
The Ministry of Sports and Youth, which actively participated in the week-long campaign, organised over 60 events for this year’s edition, including public seminars on youth environmental awareness, tree planting activities, cycling tours, and arts and crafts workshops. According to Minister of Sports and Youth HE Salah bin Ghanim Al Ali, cross-community collaboration is critical to the success of national campaigns.
Through these events, His Excellency said they help people gain a better understanding of how to live more sustainable lifestyles and of the positive impact this can have on their well-being.
Reflecting on this year’s QSW, Earthna Executive Director Dr Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, said that supporting sustainable development is at the forefront of Qatar’s priorities, and the country has demonstrated that it is fully committed to taking action to grow in a way the protects society and enhances the environment. However, he said that securing real change is a collective responsibility.
This year’s Qatar Sustainability Week has demonstrated that people across the country are equally committed, with record numbers of participants getting involved in more activities than we have seen before.
QSW, according to him, has been a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of sustainable living amongst the local community and drive action at a grass-roots level.
Series of workshops and more
During this year’s campaign Earthna, in collaboration with partners including Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, delivered a series of workshops on water security, electric vehicles and lowering carbon emissions.
The outcomes from these sessions will enable Earthna and others to formulate policies that will help Qatar build a sustainable, knowledge-based economy.
During QSW, Earthna also held the Eco-Schools Congress, a programme that helps young people advocate for sustainability education and encourage greater environmental awareness in their schools.
Other Qatar Sustainability Week 2023 activities included beach and desert clean-ups, tree and mangrove planting, recycling, upcycling, and reusing initiatives, and a variety of seminars and lectures about sustainability-related topics.
Building on the importance of collective action, Dr Castro de la Mata thanked all partners, contributors and community members for their role in helping to make the latest edition of Qatar Sustainability Week a ground-breaking success.
This year’s events have promoted a spirit of collaboration and solidarity between the private and government sectors and the public, to encourage all members of society to participate towards building an understanding of sustainability challenges, solutions and inspiring action.
Marhaba Information Guide was among this year’s partners of Qatar Sustainability Week.
For more information about the week-long campaign, visit qatarsustainabilityweek.com.
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