QGBC concludes 6th Qatar Sustainability Week

Qatar Green Building Council, a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has concluded the 6th edition of Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW), which took place from October 23 to 30, through a range of events held at various locations across Qatar. With the goal of driving the adoption of more sustainable lifestyles, QSW provides individuals and community groups with innovative and practical solutions to the environmental challenges facing Qatar and the region. QSW's week-long campaign, which took place just before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), where world leaders will discuss and announce the latest actions and commitments to tackle climate change, saw 335 corporate events, activities, initiatives, and pledges take place, with the participation of 250 supporting partners and more than 150,000 attendees. Highlights included Msheireb's QSW Exhibition and Talk Green event, and QF's electronic waste recycling and Car Free Day for employees. Education Above All, and partners Carrefour and Lulu, hosted booths promoting plastic-free and other sustainability initiatives, whilst Qatar Academy Doha ran a campaign called Activists in Action', calling for the ban of plastic bags in the country. Events also included the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy's session on its plastic free strategy in preparation for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, QF and regional GBC's "Envisioning a Regenerative Future for the MENA Region" panel discussion, as well as QGBC Focus Days on the challenges and pathways for green hotels and eco-events and Adaptive Strategies to cope with climate change in coastal cities. QGBC's national campaign and ongoing collaboration with its range of partners reflects Qatar's commitment to sustainable development and aligns with Qatar's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include initiatives such as Qatar's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change recent National Strategy for Climate Change. Eng. Meshal Al Shammari, Director of QGBC, commented: "Once again, we've been astounded by the level of engagement that we've seen at this year's QSW. The sheer volume of collaboration between Qatar's public and private sector, individuals and the wider community is a sign of the commitment our country is making to sustainability-based initiatives. We are proud to see the progress that has been made in the last year and thank all of our partners for all of their support, as well as the public for their continued participation in events which are so crucial to the future of our society and planet."