Qatar Stresses Importance of Climate Change Conference to Reach Aspired Goals

Doha, December 05 (QNA) - The State of Qatar has stressed the importance that the UN Climate Change Conference (COP18) would materalize the cherished outcomes and thus bring about the aspirations of the peoples of the world. The world anticipates the aforesaid conference would declare the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol and the successful closure of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on long-term Cooperative Action(LCA) under the Convention as well as the real launching of the Durban Action Plan to reach a legal agreement by 2015 and to be retroactively applicable from 2010, this came in Qatar's statement which HE Minister of Environment Abdullah Bin Mubarak Bin Aaboud Al-Mahdadi read before the high-level meetings of 18th session of the Conference held at Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) here earlier Wednesday. "We should seize the opportunity to reach an accord here in Doha on these points" said HE Aaboud Al-Mahdadi noting that Qatar has its own national strategy stemmed from its national vision 2030. Such a vision is set upon four strategic pillars foremost the pillar of environment which would place Qatar in the ideal direction to reach sustainable environmental development. In this concern, the State of Qatar has carried out several projects in energy and green sustainable building and is adopting the best clean production practices to supply the entire world with clean energy, said HE the Environment Minister. Elaborating the minister said Qatar is focusing efforts to reduce gas emissions at high rates locally and causing such a reduction at the world level through the assistance of the friendly countries to turn towards the use of clean energy. It is noted that in December 2011 it became mandatory for all government and large private sector projects in Qatar to adhere to mandatory sustainable building criteria (QSAS). The development of sustainable building regulations underlines Qatar s awareness and commitment to sustainable construction as the country prepares to invest over $70bn in essential infrastructure by 2022. Elaborating HE Minister of Environment Abdullah Bin Mubarak Bin Aaboud Al-Mahdadi emphasized that the State of Qatar is committed to preserving the environment to achieve sustainable development, which leads to the optimal use of natural resources. Qatar, the minister said, is seeking to improve the environmental performance at various levels, "adding," In this regard I wish to express how pleased we are to adopt carbon certificates by the Executive Office CDM of Shaheen project, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East and a clear evidence of the importance of the environment in the State of Qatar. " HE the minister further said that the convening of this conference comes at an important stage of negotiations on climate change in order to reach a solution with combined efforts in face of a phenomenon which does not recognize borders and territories. Qatar, HE Aaboud Al-Mahdadi noted is like all the participating states looks forward to positive outcomes from this conference at various levels ."The Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held under an umbrella through which we are trying to take action to avoid the negative consequences of climate change and to develop an integrated action capable of dealing with this phenomenon in a scientific manner and clear, “the minister said in his statement before the Climate Change Conference. The minister stressed that the successful closure of the working group negotiating for a long-term cooperative action (LCA) and to achieve the outcomes of the Bali Action Plan represents the common aspiration of both the developed and developing countries Concluding HE the Minister of Environment wished for the successful outcome of the conference and we wish every success to the friendly Republic of Poland in hosting the Conference XIX," and expressed Qatar's complete readiness to cooperate fully with the Republic of Poland in this regard. (QNA)