QAPCO: 'Qatar is the Only Country in the World Where Sustainability Reporting is Mandatory'

Doha, April 17 (QNA) - Dr. Mohammed Al Mulla, Vice Chairman and CEO of Qatar Petrochemical Company, QAPCO, said Qatar, and especially the Energy and Industry sector, under the wise guidance of the Ministry of Energy and Industry, is taking sustainability very seriously. "Qatar is the only country in the world where sustainability reporting is now mandatory, for QP related companies. The companies have to report their impact, via a range of relevant standard indicators, on the environment and the society, and are accountable for their actions," he said. Speaking on the sidelines of QPs Environment Fair, Dr. Al Mulla said : "Sustainability reporting is regarded as a best practice, and is becoming a must on the international scene. Measuring the impact of a company on its stakeholders is a new way of reporting that is gaining enormous momentum because it encourages companies to always strive for more sustainable conducts, for the benefits of the generations to come. Growth and profit are not anymore the sole focus, we are now in a new era where sustainable green growth is the benchmark and goal to achieve," he explained. QAPCO has been established for forty years and we continuously invest to modernize and upgrade our facilities, adopting the latest and most sophisticated technologies and monitoring systems and follow comprehensive environmental programs in a drive to further contribute to the preservation of the environment, limit our emissions, protect the flora and fauna, and focus on sustainable development, he added. "For instance, via the replacement of our previous furnaces, we are now using the latest and greenest technology in combustion, waste control and on-line monitoring, allowing significant reduction in NOx air emissions, reuse of Coke inside the furnaces preventing air and soil contamination, increasing efficiencies in fuel consumption and improving yield to increase productivity and reduce waste," he said, adding that energy efficiencies are also an important part, hence "we focus on replacing or improving switchgear systems or reactors just to mention a few." New technologies and progress in environmental friendly techniques are able to comply with the strictest rules of local and international environmental regulations, he said, referring to the company's LDPE 3 plant, which was launched last summer, as the perfect example of technology advancement, with no run-off flows into the clear waters off the coast of Mesaieed. Additionally, the heat produced at the plant is recycled for heating and power. This reaffirms the full compliance of QAPCO with international safety and environment standards, Dr. Al Mulla said. "We have created, thanks to the efforts and strong will of Qatar University and Texas A&M in Qatar Polymer Chairs within those two institutions where some of the worlds best researchers work on the development and advancement of plastics, nano-technologies, eco-friendly technics for plastics amongst other research approaches," Dr. Mohammed Al Mulla said. "Our R&D division, a key pillar of QAPCO, for which we dedicate a significant part of our budget, has already made some breakthrough advancements and we hope to be able to implement some of our findings to our products in the near future, for the overall benefit of the society and environment," he went on saying. "Major scientific papers developed in Qatar have been published in international scientific journals, proving that once again, Qatar home grown research can have a global impact on the world, and assist the plastic industry in constantly limiting its impact on the eco-system. The world wouldnt be the same without plastics. Plastics are part of our every day life, in our cars, phones, wires, dvds, credit cards, furniture, clothes, food packaging, electronic appliances," he said. Dr. Al Mulla stated that sustainable behavior can start at a very early stage; therefore the Environment Fair is an excellent initiative to raise awareness amongst the younger generations about the importance of preserving the planet. Everyone can make a difference. The Environment Fair, via the different stands and activities offered stresses that even the easiest measures can have a measurable beneficial impact for the earths future. In 2012, in a drive to inform the younger generations about the role of the ecology and potential consequences of our actions, we organized the Plastic Awareness Forum with numerous roadshows in schools, around the general theme of reducing, reusing and recycling. The kids were extremely receptive. Their attitude and feedback comfort us in our educating role and highlights our responsibility towards the community. I believe that in the future ecology programs will be a must in schools. The future is in their hands. But we have to set examples for them and leave them the resources and the means to act in a sustainable way, for their future. This is our role at QAPCO concluded Dr. Al Mulla. Sustainable development is often defined as the actions, behavior and development that meet the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (QNA)