His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, chaired the ordinary meeting held by the council this afternoon at the Emiri Diwan. Following the meeting, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Municipality and Environment and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, provided the following statement:
At the beginning of the meeting, the council listened to a briefing presented by the Minister of Public Health regarding the latest updates and developments in curbing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The council emphasized the continuation of the measures and precautions already implemented to combat this pandemic.
Subsequently, the Cabinet addressed the items on the agenda as follows:
First - Approval of the National Climate Change Plan.
The strategic plan is a commitment from the State of Qatar to combat climate change through economic diversification, capacity building, optimal use of natural resources, and the enactment of necessary laws and regulations. In this context, a comprehensive National Action Plan on Climate Change has been developed in coordination with more than 50 entities within the country. This plan sets national goals to address climate change through over 35 mitigation initiatives and more than 300 adaptation initiatives.
This plan is an integral part of the state's strategic plans, as it forms one of the key pillars for achieving Qatar National Vision 2030. It aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and Qatar's ambition to achieve a leadership position in the region through emission reduction contributions.
In this context, there are existing national projects adopting concrete measures to reduce emissions, such as establishing the largest carbon capture and storage facility in the Middle East and North Africa, improving hydrocarbon processing efficiency, launching a program to reduce electricity and water consumption, and the establishment of a solar power plant with a capacity of 800 megawatts.
The State of Qatar plays a pivotal role in supporting developing countries in their efforts to combat the impacts of climate change. Notably, during his speech at the Climate Action Summit 2019, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani announced Qatar's contribution of 100 million USD to support small island developing states and least developed countries in addressing climate change, natural disaster risks, and ecological challenges, and building the capacity to withstand its devastating impacts.
Furthermore, the Qatar Investment Authority plays a key role in the climate change plan, being a founding member of the "One Planet" initiative to promote green investments.
Second - Approval of:
1. A partnership agreement project between the Government of the State of Qatar and the International Peace Institute.
2. A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in climate change adaptation and green growth between the Ministry of Municipality and Environment of the State of Qatar and the Global Green Growth Institute.
Third - The Cabinet reviewed the following two topics and made the appropriate decision regarding them:
1. The annual reports on the activities of the Qatar Financial Markets Authority and its financial center.
2. The results of the fifth meeting of the Ministerial Food Safety Committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
