From right: Jawaher Al Mana, Head of Visitor Relations at Qatar Foundation; Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Executive Director of Earthna Center for Sustainable Future; Engineer Ahmed Mohammed Al Sada, Assistant Undersecretary for Climate Change Affairs at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change; and Zeynep Iqbal, country lead at INTBAU – Qatar at the press conference yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future (Earthna), a member of Qatar Foundation, is set to unveil a collection of new publications focused on sustainability in hard and arid environments at the upcoming Earthna Summit 2025.
The Summit will focus on “Building Our Legacy: Sustainability, Innovation, and Traditional Knowledge,” on April 22-23 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bin Jelmood Museum and Barahat Msheireb.
It will bring together global policymakers, thought leaders, academics, and businesses to tackle environmental challenges while showcasing Qatar’s commitment to sustainability in hot and arid environments, integrating cultural heritage and ecosystems into modern solutions. The Summit will also feature Earthna Village, along with multiple sessions and interactive workshops.
A key highlight of the Summit will be the announcement of the inaugural Earthna Prize winners.
Executive Director of Earthna, Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of a press conference on Monday emphasised the unique mission of the center in reshaping global perspectives on sustainability.
“When you talk about sustainability globally, people immediately think of forests and water and rivers and agricultural land — and we don't have that in this environment,” said Dr. Mata. “We don't have forests, we don't have water, so these countries need to develop ways to adapt to these very harsh environments, and we need to understand what sustainability means in that context.”
According to Dr. Castro de la Mata, Earthna is pioneering this new understanding at a global level.
Among the expected releases are around 12 comprehensive reports covering critical topics such as energy transition, biodiversity, the circular economy, and climate change. One notable highlight will be the launch of a book on Islamic sustainability, reflecting Earthna’s efforts to integrate cultural and ethical dimensions into environmental thought.
“We’ve engaged Islamic scholars from Qatar Foundation to look at what Islam teaches us about sustainability,” Dr. Mata said.
Earthna’s reports are built on a foundation of collaboration, drawing knowledge from Qatar Foundation’s broad ecosystem of academic and research institutions as well as international expertise. Also policymakers been consulted throughout the studies and are expected to take part in the summit discussions.
Earthna Summit 2025 will explore how traditional knowledge and innovation can shape a resilient, inclusive future. It will foster meaningful dialogue, share solutions, and influence global sustainability policies. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is the Strategic Partner of the Earthna Summit 2025.
Assistant Undersecretary for Climate Change Affairs for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Engineer Ahmad Mohammed Al Sada addressing the press conference said, “The Earthna Summit exemplifies Qatar's commitment to leading on sustainability locally and internationally. We are actively bridging our rich heritage with cutting-edge climate solutions. This summit is crucial for developing concrete, global responses to the urgent environmental challenges we face.”
Strategic Initiatives Advisor at Qatar Foundation, Ouassim M. Alami speaking to The Peninsula emphasised how the Earthna Summit aligns with QF’s broader sustainability mission.
“This summit is a valuable platform to bring everything together and show audiences that solutions to sustainability challenges have long existed—we just need to re-adopt and implement them. At Qatar Foundation, our role is not only to keep the conversation alive but also to highlight the innovations and research emerging from Education City,” Alami said.
He added that Education City benefits from a “vibrant ecosystem” where sustainability initiatives stem from various sources, including research entities, community members and students. “We have a range of research programs, and this summit allows us to unify these efforts. It shows that sustainability is the result of collaboration—when everyone’s work comes together. It’s what we do best.”
Alami said, “This summit gives us the chance to present all these ideas to the public and help them realize that sustainable solutions exist—from the past, in the future, and right here within our community.”
Earthna Summit is expected to bring together more than 1,000 participants from 100 countries; and feature speakers including Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor to the Government of Bangladesh, Ibrahim Thiaw (UNCCD), artist Thijs Biersteker, Gauri Singh (IRENA), and local experts such as Fahad Bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Dr. Tareq Al-Ansari, and Dr. Akel Ismail Kahera from Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of QF.
Earthna is hosting the INTBAU Qatar Conference at the Earthna Summit 2025 on Rethinking Urban Development through Traditional Architecture. The sessions will explore whether place-specific knowledge, human-scale design, and resource efficiency in urban models can provide viable solutions to contemporary challenges.
