Middle East Council on Global Affairs
Date: April 23, 2025
Time: 9:00am-10:30am
Venue: bin Jelmood Museum - Msheireb Downtown Doha
Introduction
Qatar has placed sustainable economic development and environmental concerns at the heart of its National Vision and Development Strategy, setting an ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2030. Notable progress has already been achieved, especially when considering newly installed renewable energy capacity in Qatar and several initiatives aimed at increasing energy efficiency in built environments. Moreover, Qatar’s contribution to global decarbonization efforts through LNG exports puts it in a unique position in the global transition away from carbon-intensive fossil fuels. However, to continue making progress, new mitigation strategies and pathways should be adopted.
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs and Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future have partnered to launch a dossier that highlights these strategies and pathways, and how they can be adopted by Qatar to realize its ambitions for decarbonization. Consisting of ten chapters, the dossier explores the role of LNG, renewables, low-carbon technologies, carbon markets, and other approaches. These strategies offer pathways for emissions reduction and provide avenues for economic diversification and growth, thus ensuring Qatar’s sustainable development.
Panel Participants
Nader Kabbani, Director of Research, Middle East Council
Muez Ali, Research and Policy Lead, Earthna
Alexandra Soezer, Director, GORD Climate Action Center of Excellence
Marcello Contestabile, Chief Economist, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute
S. Duygu Sever, Post-Doctoral Associate and Instructor, Carnegie Mellon University Qatar
Session Breakdown
08:45 – 09:00 Guests arrive, access digital copies of dossier
09:00 – 09:10 Introduction by Nader Kabbani and Muez Ali
09:10 – 09:20 Discussing strategic pathways for decarbonization with Marcello Contestabile
09:20 – 09:30 Discussing carbon alternatives with S. Duygu Sever
09:30 – 09:40 Discussing carbon markets with Alexandra Soezer
09:40 – 09:55 Q&A session with the audience
09:55 – 10:00 Concluding thoughts by Nader and Muez
10:00 – 10:30 Networking session
To attend, please register for the Earthna Summit 2025