Doha: A keynote panel discussion within the Doha Legal Forum's deliberations, organized by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, debated the future of energy sources in light of global trends, with a particular emphasis on legal, investment, and regulatory challenges.
According to Qatar News Agency, a contingent of experts weighed in during the panel and laid out an overall vision regarding the legal and regulatory challenges of future energy sources, along with the significance of legislations in supporting innovation, investment, and environmental protection. They asserted that this matter has become pivotal on the regional and global stages.
Head of Atkin Chambers and former Chairman of the Bar of England and Wales, Chantal-Aimee Doerries, affirmed that the global pivot toward renewable energy is witnessing unprecedented dynamics, noting that innovation in sustainable technology broadens wide apertures but could ignite legal disputes about the non-accomplishment of project objectives.
This transition to renewable energy is coupled with regulatory challenges that are directly related to transparency and social responsibility of firms, especially with the enforcement of sustainable governance guides and measures to counter exaggerated environmental promotion, Doerries pointed out. She clarified that recent years have been marked by an upsurge in renewable energy production that surpassed coal for the first time in history, alongside record investments in the solar and wind energy sectors.
The rapid transition to clean energy constitutes both a challenge and an opportunity, while also requiring the development of robust legal frameworks to manage future disputes, Doerries suggested. For his part, Prof. Khawar Qureshi, a lawyer at McNair International's offices, said Qatar has achieved a dynamic shift in legislations related to energy since 2008, noting Qatar National Vision 2030 in fostering the gas industry as a prime source of clean energy and supporting the global transition from fossil fuels to the cleanest energy.
Qatar's enforced legislations are laser-focused on boosting public-private sector partnerships, ensuring fair competition, and encouraging investment with necessary observance of climate protection, Qureshi pointed out. Dr. Nihad Abdul Karim Al Husban, a judge at the Jordanian Court of Cassation, noted Jordan's transition from monopolizing energy to competitive partnership. She highlighted that modern legislations aim to strike a balance between public interest and encouraging competition among domestic and foreign investors, with particular adherence to environmental sustainability goals.
She further elucidated that Jordan strives to elevate the ratio of clean energy to 31% as part of the Jordan National Vision 2030 energy blend, underscoring the nation's pioneering role in the area of renewable energy.