Key MoUs signed between GORD and Supreme Committee, UNESCO, Doha Bank and Terre Policy Centre at Qatar Sustainability Summit that opened in the presence of the Minister of Municipality and Environment.

Under the patronage of HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Qatar Sustainability Summit (QSS) has kickstarted in the presence of HE Eng. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Subaie, Minister of Municipality and Environment. Launched to drive climate actions and catalyze green initiatives, the two-day event will conclude tonight at St. Regis Doha, Qatar.

As a co-organizer of QSS, the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD) is hosting its unique sessions with discussions and presentations focused on Qatar’s efforts in sustainability & climate mitigation, decarbonization opportunities, sustainable built environment, the region’s energy challenges in achieving low-carbon development, climate change mitigation in the context of global policy dimensions and advanced eco-solutions among other areas of focus.

QSS opening day witnessed a number of MoUs signed between GORD and leading organizations, namely the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), UNESCO and Doha Bank.

SC signed an agreement with GORD to work towards neutrality of the host country carbon emissions towards 2022 World Cup. GORD will provide services to SC in three main areas, namely standards development, carbon projects document development and facilitation for carbon credits issued by the Global Carbon Trust (GCT) – the MENA region’s first voluntary carbon offsetting platform.

UNESCO and GORD have also signed a letter of intent to work towards specific SDGs set forth by the United Nations. To this end, the two entities will introduce joint initiatives enhancing knowledge on climate change, impact of pollution and unsustainable consumption practices. Similarly, the organizations will team up to raise awareness and foster the role of educational institutions in responding to climate change challenges.

Doha Bank has signed to partner with GORD to explore areas of mutual collaboration in sustainability and carbon neutrality.

Speaking about the agreement with GORD, Anna Paolini, Director of UNESCO office in Doha and Representative to the countries of the Gulf and Yemen,

We are delighted to sign this agreement with GORD at such an important event. The objective of our partnership is to further leverage the role of educational institutions and the civil society in contributing to the implementation of the 2030 agenda and specifically the Sustainable Development Goal 13 for Climate Action. We are really looking forward to the prospects of long-term partnership and successful joint initiatives with GORD.

The second day of QSS was marked by signing of a memorandum of understanding between GORD and Terre Policy Centre. The MOU between Terre Policy Center and GORD will open the avenues for collaboration on facilitation of higher education institutions for the implementation of concrete actions that focus on achieving sustainability and carbon neutrality. Speaking about the agreement, Rajendra Shende, Chairman, TERRE Policy Centre, said,

TERRE Policy Centre and GORD have common goals in skill-building of the youths in education Institutes and empowering them to contribute to SDGs and climate change through practical activities in campus. Climate neutrality, carbon trading, climate resilience and climate mitigation would need the handholding, mentoring, verification and certification. Leveraging competitive advantages of GORD and TERRE to address these challenges will be the focus of our partnership.

Commenting on the sidelines of the opening day, Founding Chairman of GORD, Dr. Yousef Alhorr said,

Combating climate change is a global concern, but nowhere is it more crucial than countries like Qatar where hydrocarbons form the backbone of economic development. For more than a decade, GORD has shared centerstage in steering the nation towards a sustainable future with initiatives like Qatar Sustainability Summit. Our partnerships with top organizations will bring to the fore a rich mix of thought leadership, technological innovation and technical expertise in various sectors in order to pursue our mutual quest of achieving low-carbon economy. MoUs are strategically signed by GORD with these highly esteemed organizations to stimulate and drive the carbon neutrality, green finance and capacity building activities in various sectors, especially those that have significant impact on future generation of the nation i.e. sports and education institutions.