Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) this week hosted the first Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW) Focus Day to guide and encourage sustainable operation practices in FIFA World Cup 2022™-related accommodation and hospitality sectors.
The first Focus Day titled, Green Hospitality for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ highlighted the ongoing efforts among local stakeholders in promoting a greener hospitality sector in Qatar and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ as a legacy driver for the sector. QGBC also provided a comprehensive set of guidelines for obtaining a Green Key certification and to also meet the requirements of Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC).
The conference was held in collaboration with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC.
In his welcome note, QGBC Chairman Engineer Issa Al Mohannadi again reiterated that Qatar has committed to hosting a carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. The momentous undertaking, he said, presents an excellent opportunity to accelerate and effectively drive the implementation of sustainable practices in Qatar and produce a tangible and lasting impact on several business sectors, particularly the hospitality sector.
It pleases me that we can present this conference despite social distancing protocols to help members of the hospitality industry contribute to delivering the carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar LLC CEO Nasser Al Khater said that sustainability was central to Qatar’s successful bid in 2010 and has remained at the heart of planning and preparations over the last ten years.
Delivering sustainable hospitality solutions to the 1.5 million travelling fans will be one of their major focuses over the next two years, as the country’s attention shifts from infrastructure delivery to operations and fan experience.
This year’s event focus with QGBC is more important than ever as we aim to collectively deliver on our promise of hosting a sustainable FIFA World Cup.
The opening executive panel included officials from SC, Qatar National Tourism Council, Katara Hospitality and QGBC. The panel discussed the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ in the context of being the first carbon-neutral tournament.
Engineer Bodour Al Meer from SC, said that the carbon emissions resulting from fans, officials and teams staying in their accommodation, is one of the biggest contributors to the FIFA World Cup carbon footprint. Through this partnership with QGBC, he said that they aim to reduce these emissions. Hotels will also continue to welcome guests long after the tournament’s final whistle, and they see this as an opportunity to contribute to a green legacy of the tournament.
In May 2017, QGBC was accredited by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) to oversee the national management of the ‘Green Key’ programme in Qatar. Green Key is an international standard of excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. The Green Key eco-label for tourism facilities has been in existence for over 20 years and has certified more than 2,900 hotels and hospitality establishments in 57 countries.
The certification criteria encompass staff and environmental management, energy efficiency, water conservation, green activities, indoor environment, green areas, and corporate social responsibility. The process of obtaining Green Key certification enables companies in the sector to realise their sustainability goals and meet QNTC’s new classification system requirements.
QGBC Director Engineer Meshal Al Shamari said that so many developments have started with the concept of green buildings, but the Green Key have benefits that goes beyond building and saving energy.
QGBC will host one more Focus Day during QSW 2020 – World Green Building Council Health and Well-being Framework, MENA Launch this Thursday, 5 November.
For more information about the different activities taking place during QSW 2020, visit qatarsustainabilityweek.org.
