Doha, Qatar:  Members of the public, businesses, community groups, organizations, academic institutions and government engaged in a diverse array of activities focused on promoting, inspiring, and raising awareness on how to live and work in an eco-friendly way as part of Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW) 2024, which ran from 28 September to 5 October.

Organized by the Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future (Earthna)—a member of Qatar Foundation—in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), this year’s event saw over 150,000 people take part in around 500 activities, the highest participation rate in QSW’s nine-year history. Earthna and many other organizations undertook media and social media campaigns to promote QSW and its aims this year. Combined with the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs’ initiative to raise awareness of sustainability in the khutbah Al -jum’a on Friday 4 October, over 1 million people had the opportunity to hear or read about important environmental ideas during QSW 2024.

Dr. Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Executive Director of Earthna, emphasized the importance of the annual event, noting that: “By bringing together government, schools and universities, the private sector, non-government organizations and the community, we aim to foster a unified commitment across Qatar to address sustainability challenges, and promote a healthier world for generations to come. We were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm shown towards this years’ edition and the support from our partners and contributors to whom we are incredibly grateful. We are very much looking forward to building on this years’ success in 2025 for QSW’s tenth anniversary.”

Earthna facilitated a series of impactful sessions during QSW 2024, addressing critical topics that will help shape sustainability thinking and action in Qatar. These included ‘The Circular Economy in Qatar: Towards Circular PET Plastics’ with KEO, ‘Recharging Nature with Meaning: Reviving Islamic Environmental Values’ with QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s College of Islamic Studies and ‘Creating a Sustainable Future for Water in Qatar’ with GHD.

For the first time, Earthna and MoECC held Qatar National Dialogue on Climate Change (QNDCC) 2024 as part of QSW which took place on 1-2 October. QNDCC brought together local and international experts to examine the impacts of climate change, share ideas and best practice and develop strategies related to climate change adaptation, carbon management, the path from COP28 to COP29, and eco-tourism. The critical importance of international and cross-sector collaboration in addressing climate challenges was also highlighted at QNDCC through the partnership of German Embassy Doha, the German Industry & Commerce Office in Doha, the Al-Attiyah Foundation, QNB, and DHL Express Qatar.

This year’s QSW also featured a variety of activities run by over 300 organizations, including technical sessions, planting activations, beach clean-ups, film and art competitions, upcycling workshops, recycling and reuse initiatives, sports and healthy living events and awareness seminars.

The inaugural day of QSW 2024 was marked by the opening of Green Island, Qatar Foundation's community-focused recycling hub that offers educational exhibits, workshops, and interactive displays to provide visitors with hands-on learning experiences. It also features a self-service recycling station that accommodates seven key recycling streams, including paper, plastic, glass, metals, batteries, cables, and electronics.

QSW 2024 was made possible with the cooperation of this years’ strategic partners: the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the Ministry of Municipality, Kahramaa’s Tarsheed, Ashghal, Qatar Museums, Msheireb Properties, The British Council, Snoonu, Seashore, Doha Festival City, Al Meera, Lulu Hypermarket, Al-Awalia, Microsoft, and Agrico. This year’s community partners include: KEO International Consultants, DeapQatar Conservation, Enbat Holdings, Planeed, Short by Shorties and Sustainial LLC, Bigbmeetup, Zulal, EquiSustain, and Kingdom Konsult, alongside media partners Marhaba and I Love Qatar.

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About Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future  

Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future (Earthna) is a non-profit policy, research, and advocacy organization, established by Qatar Foundation (QF) to promote and enable a coordinated approach to environmental, social, and economic sustainability and prosperity.  

Earthna is a facilitator of sustainability efforts and action in Qatar and other hot and arid countries, focusing on sustainability frameworks, circular economies, energy transition, climate change, biodiversity and ecosystems, cities and the built environment, and education, ethics, and faith. By bringing together technical experts, researchers, government and non-government organizations, businesses, civil society, and policy and decision-makers, Earthna fosters collaboration, innovation, and positive change.  

Using their home—Education City—as a testbed, Earthna develops and trials sustainable solutions and evidence-based policies for Qatar and hot and arid regions. The organization is committed to combining modern thinking with traditional knowledge, contributing to the well-being of society by creating a legacy of sustainability within a thriving natural environment. 

For more information about Earthna please visit: earthna.qa  

To stay up to date on our social media activities, follow our accounts on: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X and LinkedIn. 

For media inquiries, please contact: rim.zrein@teneo.com 

About Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential 

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development.  

QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development. 

QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all. 

For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa  

To stay up to date on our social media activities, follow our accounts on: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

For any media inquiries, please contact: pressoffice@qf.org.qa