QF’s Earthna empowered over 200,000 community members to take action at over 470 events, creating a movement for positive change 

Doha, Qatar, 20 November 2023: The eighth edition of Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW) came to a close following a wide range of activities which aimed to promote, encourage and raise awareness of sustainable living among the community.  

Organized by Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future (Earthna), a member of Qatar Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, QSW 2023 saw the highest participation rates in the history of the campaign, with over 470 events and initiatives being delivered by members of the public, government and non-government organizations, and businesses. 

Commenting on the Ministry of Sports and Youth’s participation, which included organising over 60 events for this year’s edition of QSW, His Excellency Salah bin Ghanim Al Ali, the Minister of Sports and Youth, said: “Cross-community collaboration is critical to the success of national campaigns. The government, schools, businesses and local clubs all have a role to play in promoting sustainable actions that bring wide-ranging benefits to all. I am proud of the many activities the Ministry of Sports and Youth has organised for the QSW, which included public seminars on youth environmental awareness, tree planting activities, cycling tours and arts and crafts workshops. Through these events, we have helped people gain a better understanding of how they can live more sustainable lifestyles and of the positive impact this can have on their wellbeing.” 

Reflecting on this year’s QSW, Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Executive Director of Earthna said: “Supporting sustainable development is at the forefront of Qatar’s priorities, and the country has demonstrated time and time again that it is fully committed to taking action to grow in a way the protects society and enhances our environment. However, securing real change is a collective responsibility and this year’s Qatar Sustainability Week has demonstrated that people across the country are equally committed, with record numbers of participants getting involved in more activities than we have seen before. QSW has been a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of sustainable living amongst the local community and drive action at a grass-roots level.” 

During this year’s campaign Earthna, in collaboration with partners including Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, delivered a series of workshops on water security, electric vehicles and lowering carbon emissions. The outcomes from these sessions will enable Earthna and others to formulate policy which will help Qatar to build a sustainable, knowledge-based economy. During QSW Earthna also held the Eco-Schools Congress, a program that helps young people advocate for sustainability education and encourage greater environmental awareness in their schools. 

Other Qatar Sustainability Week 2023 activities included beach and desert clean-ups, tree and mangrove planting, recycling, upcycling and reusing initiatives, and a variety of seminars and lectures about sustainability-related topics.   

Building on the importance of collective action, Dr Castro de la Mata continued: “I would like to thank all partners, contributors and community members for their role in helping to make the latest edition of Qatar Sustainability Week a ground-breaking success. This year’s events have promoted a spirit of collaboration and solidarity between the private and government sectors and the public, to encourage all members of society to participate towards building an understanding of sustainability challenges, solutions, and inspiring action.” 

QSW 2023’s strategic partners included Ministry of Municipality/Al Wakra, the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Expo 2023 Doha, Qatar Museums, Gulf Warehousing Company, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Katara Hospitality, Qatar Rail, Kahramaa’s Tarsheed, Msheireb Properties, One Tide, United Development Company, Al Meera and the British Council. 

This year’s community partners included Deap Qatar Conservation, Enbat Holdings, LuLu Hypermarket, KidZania, Rayyan Water, Doha College, Masraf Alrayan, Sanad Members Club, CCI France Qatar, Qatar Post and #bigbmeetup. Additionally, gift and media partners, including Verdura, Marhaba Qatar, and I Love Qatar.