Earthna Executive Director to QNA: Center’s Activities, Events Enhanced Community’s Positive View towards Environment, Sustainability Issues

Doha: Executive Director of Earthna Center, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata stressed that the center's activities and events have contributed to enhancing the community's positive view towards the environment and sustainability issues, which has helped bring about positive change and enhance the country's environmental ambitions. In his remarks to Qatar News Agency , Dr. de la Mata indicated that the center hosted the "Qatar National Dialogue on Climate Change" in 2023, in which more than 400 ministries, government and private entities, civil society institutions, academics, and specialists participated. It helped guide Qatari efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change. He added that at the community level, the 2023 Qatar Sustainability Week (the largest community campaign held annually in the State of Qatar to promote environmental sustainability) was the largest ever, as it included more than 470 events and attracted 200,0 00 participants. Dr. de la Mata said that Earthna Center expects these numbers to increase in the 9th of the session, which will be held from Sep. 28 to Oct. 5, after hundreds of activities have been prepared to be organized by various entities from the government and private sectors and civil society institutions across the country. He noted that the goal of the 2024 edition is to make a tangible positive difference and positive change that benefits society and future generations and enhances the community culture of the need to preserve the environment as a shared responsibility among all. The Executive Director of Earthna Center added that this year's edition is full of activities and workshops, as it will witness the launch of the fourth edition of the "Qatar National Dialogue on Climate Change", which will be held on Oct. 1-2, with the aim of enhancing collective climate action in the State of Qatar and formulating a common vision on how to address climate change. He pointed out that "Qatar Sustainabil ity Week" receives wide support from strategic partners every year, through their organization and sponsorship of hundreds of activities and events, believing in the importance of these events in achieving Qatar National Vision 2030. Regarding Earthna Prize for Environmental Challenges, Dr. de la Mata pointed out that it celebrates and supports active projects in the field of preserving traditional knowledge and cultural heritage and drawing inspiration from them in creating solutions to contemporary environmental challenges. He pointed out that its value reaches USD 1 million, to be received by 4 winners, and focuses in particular on projects in the fields of water resource management, food security, sustainable urbanism, and stewardship. He said that Earthna Center received nearly 400 applications for this year's edition from over 100 countries, reflecting the great global interest in this prize. Earthna is currently in the process of evaluating the applications based on the extent to which they enhance t he inclusiveness and application of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage in developing projects and policies; inspire sustainable practices; and meet the needs of communities in strengthening relations, facilitating communication, and enhancing cooperation. He noted that the winners will be revealed at the Earthna Summit in April 2025. With regards to the center's research output, Earthna Center Executive Director Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata told QNA that Earthna specializes in policy research related to sustainability, noting that it has published many important research papers that contribute to enhancing sustainability practices, the latest of which includes the reports: 'Qatar Foundation: Education City as an Innovation District'; 'Urban climate change governance and hot and arid zones: mutual learning and partnerships to build sustainable resilience solutions' as well as an issue paper titled 'The Circular Economy in Qatar 2' and the 2023 Qatar National Dialogue on Climate Change (QNDCC) White Papers. Dr. de la Mata added that Earthna Center's strong partnerships with various internal and external entities support the center's research efforts, working closely with the center's specialized research team, including individuals and institutions within the Qatar Foundation umbrella, such as the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute and Hamad Bin Khalifa University, whereas externally collaborating with a diverse group of experts and institutions focusing on sustainability and climate change, including relevant ministries, the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), Qatar University, other educational institutions, and the private sector. As for Earthna Center's work, the Executive Director said that its efforts focus on three main areas: providing policy analysis and consultation, applying and testing its analyses within the scope of the Education City, in addition to leading support and communication efforts at the national, regional, and international levels with rega rds to sustainability. He added that the majority of Earthna's initiatives cover these three areas, and include the 'Qatar Sustainability Week,' which is a national campaign to engage society in a variety of sustainability-related events and the 'Qatar National Dialogue on Climate Change', which is a forum where participants explore innovative and current trends to address climate challenges. Despite both events having a local focus, the 2023 Earthna Summit brought together policymakers, thinkers, business, industry leaders, and academics from the world-over to discuss the significant contributions a country like Qatar can make in the field of environmental sustainability, said the Earthna Center Executive Director. Dr. de la Mata noted that the center has published several reports related to environmental issues, which have sparked important discussions about the future of the planet and the roles of both the public and private sectors, contributing to guiding policies and enhancing sustainable practices. To give an example, the Executive Director pointed to Earthna's issue paper on the circular economy locally, which provided valuable data and recommendations to support sustainable development in the State of Qatar, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. He added that Earthna's reports focused on several sectors, such as tourism, hospitality, water, plastics, food, urban management, and energy transition, highlighting existing challenges and opportunities for action. Dr. de la Mata indicated that working on these reports involves bringing together internal and external expertise, with the center's team preparing a number of these documents internally, benefiting from the integrated system of Qatar Foundation and partner research institutions and academic bodies nationally and internationally. He added that this dynamic approach ensures that the reports are rooted in Earthna Center's vision and that they are consolidated by a variety of expertise, thus, affirming the reports' credibility and maximizing their impact and outreach. The Executive Director stressed Earthna's commitment to climate action, highlighting its participation in the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28), in collaboration with Qatar Foundation and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, as a testament of its global commitment to climate action, which it conducts through innovative research and solutions, in addition to the center's experts discussing topics such as urban management, sustainable water management, and the impact of climate change on health. Dr. de la Mata said that Earthna, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Qatar University, launched research initiatives aimed at environmental and marine life protection, by focusing on the restoration of mangrove ecosystems as part of its commitment to biodiversity and ecosystems. Concluding his statement to QNA, the Earthna Center Executive Director stressed the importance of collaborating with all relevant entities locally, re gionally, and internationally, as all of Earthna's work is based on supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030, adding that the center's partnerships with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Kahramaa, the Ministry of Municipality, and other key government partners have had a significant impact on Earthna achieving its mission, reiterating the center's committed to exploring new opportunities for cooperation, leveraging the strengths of each party and their diverse visions to achieve a greater impact. Source: Qatar News Agency