People are key to making green cities work: QGBC
The message that sustainability is for everyone has been emphasised to the community of Qatar at the opening of Qatar Sustainability Week 2021 in Msheireb Downtown Doha which hosts 300 events.
Qatar Sustainability Week, an initiative of Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) – a member of Qatar Foundation (QF) – is now in its sixth year. The event, which opened on Saturday, aims to encourage people to live more sustainable lives and create a movement of change by raising awareness of the impact of climate change, the effects of which are being seen all over the world.
Speaking at the opening, Meshal al-Shamari, director, QGBC, said that with more than 7bn people on this planet – a figure which is expected to top 9bn in 30 years, when around 75% of the world’s population will be living in cities – our behaviour matters.
“They will consume energy, they will consume water, they will produce waste, and they will have a direct impact on the environment,” he said. “If you have a very sustainable building or a very sustainable city, without having the right behaviours from the users and consumers, you will achieve nothing.”
Throughout the year, QGBC’s awareness programmes – which include conferences and technical initiatives, for academia and the hospitality and well-being industries – also focus on raising awareness within the community.
“All these programmes support very important segments of the industry,” al-Shamari said. “But the most important part is awareness – our knowledge of tools and techniques, and our contribution towards the environment.”
Jason Twill, director of the World Cup Master Programme at QF, delivered a talk titled,
Moving beyond Sustainability, highlighting how people should be shifting past the concept of sustainability, and moving towards restorative and regenerative approaches.
Speaking about the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, he said: “We have the world’s largest event coming here next year, and we’ve had an incredible 11 years of transformation happening to get ready for this event. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy has embraced sustainability at the core of this tournament, and it will be the most sustainable World Cup in history.“Sport is a powerful mechanism – Qatar is hosting the entire world here next year, and showcasing its values to the world: its heritage, its culture, the progressive vision for the country. It’s an incredible platform for change, not just an event to watch football matches.”