Doha: The circular economy improves the economy, improves living standards, and creates jobs for Qatar, Neeshad Shafi, Executive Director of Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar, told The Peninsula.
A circular economy entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and designing waste out of the system. Characterised by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital based on re-engineering waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating biological systems.
“Upcycling and recycling and the whole conversation about the circular economy are very new to the country. There’s a lot of potential in a circular economy, but the economic model is a determining factor. There has to be more than a linear model, and the government has to encourage a take, use, and reuse or recycle approach. “The benefits are to conserve the resource that is directly impacting the environment and at the same time, economic growth and job creation. It will also help improve living standards via economic growth. It will raise and increase several dormant sectors of the economy in the GCC region,” Shafi said.
Qatar’s efforts to transition to a circular economy are evident across sectors, including its carbon capture and storage plant. The plant aims to sequester 5 million tonnes of carbon from liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities by 2025. Qatar’s new green buildings utilise forms of renewable energy, and Qatar’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2022 are designed to be a carbon-neutral event.
“Much of the time in the GCC and the Middle East, sustainability and circular economy model was not a priority, but now these countries are making it a priority on how to increase recycling waste and diversification from landfills,” he added.
AYCM – Qatar carries out several activities and awareness campaigns in partnership with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) through its Earth Talk series. Experts discuss sustainability and environmental conservation and the more localized ‘Eco Majlis’ which it holds across parks in Qatar. “The MME recently hosted the waste management event, which was revolutionary, especially in the region. This is the required growth. The government is passing policies, and we try to disseminate this to the locals. We launched the ‘Eco Majlis’ to spread information in the local language and expatriate languages for better understanding. Shafi also called on locals and residents to be responsible for conservation.
“People also have to be responsible for conservation. Sometimes people overuse the facilities that are available like water, electricity, etc. Wastefulness is not a part of the culture here. It is an imported trait, so residents have to be mindful that these resources impact the environment.”
