Qatar made a major push toward making the country more environment-friendly when recently the Minister of Transport and Communications
H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti announced that between 20 and 25 percent of Qatar’s transport system will be environment-friendly before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Environment has always been a priority for Qatar. The State has been very keen in cutting down its carbon footprint by turning its industries into eco-friendly ones and launching projects for reducing pollution caused by vehicle emission. Last year, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) in collaboration with Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa), Mowasalat and China Harbor Engineering Company, started the pilot testing of electric buses. This was part of the MOTC’s endeavours to provide eco-friendly and sustainable transport modes that help reduce carbon emission by public transit. The project was part of the Green Vehicle Initiative which was launched jointly by the Ministry of Energy and Industry, MOTC and Kahramaa’s wider National Programme for conservation and Energy Efficiency (Tarsheed).
The project promoted the use of more eco-friendly materials, something that helps strike the aspired-after economic and environmental balance in all transport infrastructure projects. It also works on developing transport modes in accordance with the world’s best environment-friendly systems, in addition to using alternative and clean energy in the field for lesser carbon emissions. The MOTC has placed environment issues and energy efficiency at the top of its priorities and in all transport projects. It not only supports cooperation between government and non-government entities to reach a clean environment and boost the culture of sustainable transportation, but also creates its own best models for a safe and eco-friendly transport system.
Qatar has been a vociferous advocate for the protection of the fragile environment, raising such issues at every possible opportunities across the world and hosting environment-related conferences.
The Doha Climate Change Conference held from November 26 to December 8, 2012, at the Qatar National Convention Center resulted in a major breakthrough in the protection of the environment in a global level, drawing praise from world’s leading countries, environment activists and organisations.
The State of Qatar is fast becoming a leader to be reckoned with in the world stage, creating the best models in almost every sector whether it is in education, social security, diplomacy or protection of the environment. With its role as the leading clean energy (natural gas) supplier, the country is pushing the use of eco-friendly fuel and thus contributing to keeping the world a better place for the posterity.
