HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie underscored Qatar's commitment to reaching a collective agreement to counter the challenges posed by climate change; through engaging with the states and regional and international organizations.

HE the Minister was addressing the inaugural session of the workshop organized by the MoECC under the title of rise to the challenge of climate change, held in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), with the participation of a host of representatives of international commissions and organizations, along with academic researchers.

He highlighted the Qatar-led efforts to curb climate change, adding that these efforts have been ongoing for more than a quarter century and culminated in the endorsement of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1996, in addition to hosting the eighteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18), which drew a massive global participation.

Qatar's global efforts had major contributions in the success of the negotiations to endorse the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015, with Qatar being the first country that signed this agreement and hosted the Doha Carbon and Energy Forum which drew international experts to set the recommendations in the area of public policy on climate change, alternative energy, as well as carbon sequestration and storage, he outlined.

HE the Minister recalled the national efforts dedicated to mitigating the effects of climate change, primarily the launch of Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy and the National Action Plan for Climate Change 2030, along with the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change effects.

He pointed out that those plans and strategies set numerous critical steps to achieve the sustainable development and help strike the balance between the economic and social development and environment protection, stemming from the Qatar National Vision 2030.

HE Dr al-Subaie concluded his remarks by affirming that the workshop came to underscore the humanitarian and global responsibility of Qatar to make sure that the participants are aware of the global challenges posed by climate change. Also, the event represented an opportunity to discuss the significant issues that will be tackled by the upcoming negotiations on climate change as a perfect opportunity to share knowledge.

For his part, Assistant Undersecretary for Environmental Affairs at the MoECC, Eng Ahmed Mohamed al-Sada affirmed that the workshop was primarily intended to enhance the stakeholders' capabilities operating in multiple bodies to ensure that they are aware of the fundamental notions of the international climate system, along with the practices pursued by the member states in the UNFCCC.

The workshop tackled the Qatar-led efforts in building a sustainable future through the synergistic efforts of all national bodies, in addition to advancing a wide range of projects relevant to addressing climate change so as to have effective contribution on the international arena, Eng al-Sada pointed out.

He appreciated the efforts of all participants in the workshop, alongside those who dutifully supported its topics which obviously nurtured the event and resulted in informative recommendations that help crystallise the objectives of all parties to optimally handle climate change issues and reduce its impacts. Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa for the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Mahamadou Tounkara underscored the constructive collaboration between GGGI and Qatar, adding that Qatar is one of the members that established the institute. He pointed out that the institute strives to promote the regional and global standing of Qatar as one of the green growth champions.

Tounkara noted the critical role of this workshop in strengthening the capabilities of the general officials to figure out the fundamental notions of the global climate system, pointing out that the workshop is part and parcel of the capacity-building initiative launched by GGGI as part of the cooperation program with the MoECC on climate change and green growth.

The workshop featured a range of sessions that discussed the upcoming climate negotiations and the key points of COP29 which is slated to convene next November in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

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