QU French Embassy to Qatar UNESCO hold post Cop21 seminar

Qatar University (QU) yesterday held a seminar on “Post COP21: Qatar and the Paris Agreement”, in collaboration with the Embassy of France to Qatar and UNESCO.

The events drew experts, students, and researchers together to discuss the issue of global warming in general and the Paris agreement and its implementation in particular. It included addresses by QU VP for Research and Graduate Studies Prof MariamAl-Maadeed, Ambassador of France to Qatar H.E. Eric Chevallier, assistant undersecretary for Environmental Affairs at Qatar Ministry of Municipality and Environment Mr Ahmed Al Sada, and UNESCO Doha Office director Ms Anna Paolini. Also attending were Ambassador of Morocco to Qatar H.E. M El MekkiGaouane, and QU faculty and students. Students from Lycée Voltaire also attended and actively participated in the Q&A sessions.

In her remarks, Prof Al-Maadeed highlighted the timeliness of this event to the world, noting that the State of Qatar is completely aware of the importance of environmental development, which is among the four pillars of its vision 2030. “Environmental development contributes to ensuring the coherence and consistency between economic and social development and the protection of the environment”, she said, adding, “As the largest university in Qatar, QU places the environment at the core of its academic programs, whether at the undergraduate and graduate levels, or in its research centers.”

H.E. Chevallier said: “The Paris agreement should now be turned into action for the benefit of future generations.” Mr Al Sada said: “The State of Qatar puts environmental issues at the top of its priorities, in line with its ongoing efforts towards sustainable development, and the promotion of global cooperation to achieve the international economic welfare. The Paris agreement contributes to set new goals and to implement them through the use of renewable energy. In this context, the Gulf countries made an important progress in this area through the diversification of energy sources and the investment in clean energy.”

Ms Paolini thanked QU and the French embassy for initiating this important meeting. She said: “For sustainability, we need greener economies, greener legislation, greener policies. We need also greener societies. However, to succeed, fundamentally, we need green citizens. This calls for new ways of seeing the world, new ways of thinking, new ways of behaving, and new ways of acting. Education is essential to shape the new values, skills and knowledge we need for the century ahead. Education is the red thread tying Agenda 2030 and the decisions of the COP21 Conference together.”

The program agenda included 3 sessions chaired by QU College of Law (LAWC) law professor and editor-in-chief of the “International Review of Law” Dr TalalAl-Emadi, QU College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Algal Technologies Program manager Dr HarebAljabri, QU policy analyst Dr Laurent Lambert, and French embassy’s Scientific and Higher Education Attaché Ms Genevieve Nguyen. In the 1^st session headlined “What is at stake: the issue of global warming”, presentations were delivered by QU Environmental Science Center director Dr Jeffrey Obbard and Qatar Climate Change Department director Mr Abdulhadi Nasser Al-Marri.

Themed “Paris agreement and its implementation”, the 2^nd session included two (2) parts. The Part I focused on “The Agreement” and featured presentations delivered by H.E. Chevallier, and UNESCO programme specialist education Dr Anwar Alsaid. In the Part II on “Implementing the Paris agreement stakeholders’ visions”, presentations were delivered by QULAWC assistant professor of law Dr Jon Truby, Total Research Qatar director Mr Pierre Montaud, QDVC sustainable development coordinator Mr Abdulla Ali Zainal, and Kahramaa president’s advisor EngYousufJanahi.

The 3^rd session “Their future, their voices” highlighted the vision of high-school students and NGOs. It included presentations by Lycée Voltaire Qatar representative MariamBadr, and Arab Youth Climate Movement representative Juhaina Al Lanjawi. They discussed the role of the future generation in implementing the recommendations of the Paris agreement to overcome the challenges of climate change. Final remarks were delivered by Friends of Environment Center chairman Dr Said Al-Hajari, H.E Chevallier, and H.E. Gaouane, as COP22 will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, in November 2016.