The Shura Council State of Qatar

Her Excellency Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al-Sulaiti, Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council, participated, through visual communication technology today, in the first International Conference on the Safe Environment and Sustainable Development, held in the Jordanian capital, Amman, during the period from February 21-23.

In her intervention during the conference, Her Excellency reviewed the legislative frameworks of the State of Qatar in the sectors of energy, water, electricity, and the sustainable environment and the investment opportunities available as one of the leading countries in those fields, as Qatar meets the needs of many countries for natural gas, as one of the most prominent countries exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world, a clean energy source.

Her Excellency noted that the state has issued a number of laws and regulatory decisions in the field of electricity and water with the aim of achieving sustainability, supporting transformation and securing future needs for electricity using clean energy, in addition to issuing several other legislation in the field of environmental protection, including but not limited to Law No. (30) of 2002, issuing the Environmental Protection Law and ministerial decisions regulating grazing, marine and land fishing operations, trade in endangered species and their products, protecting wildlife and their natural habitats, preventing harm to plant life and its components, and exploiting natural wealth and its resources, in addition to Qatar’s accession to international environmental agreements. Multilateral issues on hazardous chemicals and waste, plastic pollution, chemical handling, control of transport of hazardous waste, the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol.

Her Excellency enumerated some projects that took into account the environment and sustainable development as a result of the legislation issued in the country, as she pointed out that Qatar “had announced in 2020 the opening of the Al-Kharsaa station project as the first major station for the production of solar energy, and in 2022 it organized the first edition of the carbon neutral World Cup.

In order to advance economic diversification and digital transformation, Doha is currently hosting the Expo 2023 Horticulture Exhibition, which deals with agricultural techniques, sustainability and environmental preservation, and has so far received more than 3 million visitors. Her Excellency also added: “To encourage green technology, the Qatar Science and Technology Park was established as a center.” A pioneer of applied sciences and technological innovations, it embraces projects and entrepreneurship, and among its projects is developing cleaner and more efficient fuels. The Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute was also established to conduct long-term research in various disciplines that meet pressing national priorities regarding water security, energy and the environment.

The country has also established two smart cities, Lusail and Musheireb, which are designed to combine environmentally friendly technology with improved urban planning and the use of solar energy.

It is noteworthy that the Safe Environment and Sustainable Development Conference, which opened today in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Faisal Al-Fayez, Speaker of the Senate, with the participation of experts, specialists and parliamentarians, aims to enhance regional cooperation in the field of environmental protection and achieving sustainable development, and to discuss the challenges facing this sector. At the regional and international levels, exchanging expertise and successful experiences and enhancing awareness of the importance of environmental protection and sustainable development.