Keywords

5.1 The Role of Non-State Actors in Promoting and Enhancing Sustainability

Non-state actors have long played a role in promoting sustainability globally. Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs), like the World Wildlife Fund set up in 1961, work around the world to conserve nature and protect biodiversity and have millions of supporters (World Wildlife Fund n.d.). Greenpeace is possibly one of the most recognized environmental entities working on promoting awareness and action to protect the planet from environmental injustice (Greenpeace n.d.).

The list of environmental and sustainability-focused NGOs and institutes is long, but the evidence of their increasing influence in promoting change has become more visible over the years. The recent May 2021 case, “Milieudefensie et al. v Royal Dutch Shell” where a court in the Netherlands ruled against Shell, ordering it to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% compared to 2019 levels by 2030, serves as an example of a landmark achievement for a civil society-led environmental group (BBC, 2021). Its applications and ramifications for the oil producer outside the Netherlands are yet to be seen, but the outcome is a testament to the power and change that can be brought up by NGOs.

Civil activism regarding climate change and environmental issues has been rising around the world, and the youth movement has become more vocal, having gained recognition among global leaders with the launch of the first youth-led conference held in Montreal ahead of the Conference of the Parties (COP) 11 in 2005. Since then, the Conference of Youth (COY) takes place yearly in advance of the annual COP meetings, allowing youth to participate in the discussions and voice their concerns to leaders around the world. Most recently, the COY 2021 and pre-COP26 meetings took place in Milan. Entitled “Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition”, the conference invited prominent youth activists from around the world to take part in and engage in climate change dialogues (UN, 2021).

How did these NGO and youth movements reach such prominence? How can we empower the generation of tomorrow to lead the discussions related to sustainability and ensure a prosperous future for themselves and for future generations? Education and educational systems are a key component in answering both of these questions. The United Nations has long advocated for education to provide knowledge, skills, values, and understanding required to ensure promoting sustainable behaviors through its Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework (UNESCO n.d.). The enablers for youth-driven transformation include formal education, but also informal, experiential, and extra-curricular learning, where independent organizations such as research institutes, policy centers, or think tanks, play a key role. These institutions have been critical in shifting thinking, promoting policies for behavioral change, advocating for greener living standards, incorporating sustainability considerations in national budgets, holding leaders accountable for protecting our natural environment, and more.

Addressing sustainability issues requires a complex multisectoral systems shift. However, it is rare to find areas of intersection between the different actors outlined above. Far too commonly, efforts are siloed and as a result miss out on potential synergies from collaboration. Nowhere in the world do research, education, and civil society come together as they do in Qatar Foundation (QF), which is what places it so well as a critical sustainability innovator. This chapter highlights this unique case study, one of the few places where preK-12 and tertiary education are found together, alongside NGOs, research institutes, think tanks, and cultural institutions.

5.2 Qatar Foundation: A Unique Ecosystem with Amplified Impact

QF and its flagship project, Education City, presents a one-of-a-kind ecosystem that brings together multiple stakeholders and segments of society. Within its over 1,270 hectares, it hosts several world-renowned universities and its homegrown research-based Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Education City hosts schools (including for specialized education), early education centers, the largest regional library, research and policy institutes, tech start-ups—as part of the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP)—and multiple cultural institutions. This unique ecosystem allows it to be an active non-state actor, promoting sustainability through research and academia, community and student activists, and its own sustainability best practices.

Sustainability has been at the core of QF’s mission for over 25 years. Recognizing its role as a contributor to the country’s ecological footprint, QF has been striving to enhance its sustainability practices, as detailed in this chapter.

5.2.1 Leading by Example

A key component of sustainability relates to the built environment, and in Qatar’s particular context this draws attention to the energy use and efficiency of the buildings. Several of Education City’s built infrastructure follow international sustainability ratings. The QF Student Housing complexes have dashboards that detail the buildings’ energy and water efficiency, and, in some cases, their air quality. Within Education City, many building structures are certified as green buildings under internationally recognized schemes. This includes the headquarters, an 11-floor structure built in 2015, with a total floor area spanning 27,366sqm that accommodates numerous QF departments and offices. The headquarters was designed with energy efficiency and sustainability in mind earning it a gold rating Operations and Maintenance Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) certification from the Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD) (Qatar Foundation, 2021c).

The Education City Stadium, one of the venues for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, is another example of sustainability for the world. The stadium was designed with eco-friendly, passive design features, that enable it to maintain an appropriate climate within the structure for players and fans. The stadium was built using 85% regionally sourced, sustainable materials, minimizing the carbon footprint during building, and over 20% of materials were generated from recycled content. Other features, including low-water fixtures, efficient irrigation systems, LED lighting, and the use of native flora in the landscaping, add to its sustainable function. Its features have earned it three GSAS certifications, including a five-star rating in design and build, construction management and energy efficiency (Qatar Foundation, 2020a). The stadium takes advantage of urban connectivity, with its own metro station on the Doha Green Line just 500 m from the stadium, enabling spectators and visitors to reduce their carbon footprint by commuting. It is also connected to Education City’s tram (FIFA World Cup Qatar, 2020) (see Chap. 4). Quite significantly, the legacy plans for the stadium post World Cup include using it as a hub for community engagement, while also housing two QF schools, making it a visual educational tool, showcasing how sustainable building practices can be applied to the community.

More broadly, QF has developed carbon reduction strategies to support national climate change mitigation actions. Following a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory baseline in 2019, QF initiated a series of carbon audits for different building structures within Education City. The audits led to actionable detailed strategies to reduce CO2 emissions for each of the buildings. Showcasing its commitment to sustainability, QF joined the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) initiative “climate neutral now” in 2020, which aims to promote voluntary action to achieve carbon neutrality. Through annual GHG reporting to the UNFCCC, QF has joined a handful of non-state actors in Qatar who are part of the portal for non-state actors on climate action (NAZCA) (UNFCCC n.d.; CDP n.d.). QF obtained a Climate Data Portal (CDP) score of B in 2020, making it the best performing among its peers nationally (CDP n.d.b).

5.2.2 Best Practices for Sustainable Behaviors: Operations and Waste Management

Beyond the physical and built environment, QF has taken many steps toward encouraging environmental stewardship and has implemented a set of policies to reduce waste and energy consumption and promote a culture of sustainability.

5.2.2.1 QF as Recycling Innovator

QF has a long history of encouraging innovative approaches to recycling in Qatar, such as introducing designated bins that segregate waste at the source (at a time when this was not common in municipal waste management, see Chap. 16).

Since the institutional system for waste management beyond Education City did not collect segregated waste, systems and partnerships had to be created, showcasing how private–public partnerships can be leveraged to promote practices that advance sustainability beyond Education City. QF currently recycles paper, glass, metals, and plastics.

5.2.2.2 QF Helping Qatar Win the Battle Against Plastic

QF has put in place measures to reduce its waste, starting with policies and regulations to limit single-use plastics due to their severe impact on the environment. QF banned single-use plastic bags and requires all vendors to adopt alternatives. Plastic bags were replaced with paper for all classroom-related deliveries and takeaways in QF cafeterias. The use and sale of plastic bottles was stopped in QF-catered events, and at all QF school cafeterias. Food service contracts for events and catering services prohibit the use of plastic and encourage the use of biodegradable and compostable food packaging. QF pantries were populated with biodegradable disposable items, replacing plastic plates, cups, and cutlery. Further, reusable containers were distributed for meals delivered to grooms in the AlShaqab (QF’s equine center committed to preserving Qatar’s heritage by promoting the Arabian horse and setting the highest standards in horse welfare, breeding, equine education, and research). More detailed information on QF’s journey on banning single-use plastics can be found in the case study published in 2020, which gathered the attention of national authorities and positioned QF as a key partner in the state’s ambition to deliver a plastic-neutral World Cup tournament (Qatar Foundation, 2020b).

Another initiative focused on reducing single-use plastics is “Precious Plastics”, a make-shift workspace, run and supported by QF students, where community members can drop their plastic waste. The workshop is itself a converted shipping container that was donated by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. It contains machines and tools which grind, melt, and inject recycled plastic, and can be used to create new products, like furniture, small functional objects, or colorful sheets/bricks that can be used to make other products. People can use their plastic waste to create new products, therefore demonstrating the “true” value of plastics. The aim of this project is to nudge behaviors and increase recycling of plastic waste. The workshop was launched during the FIFA Arab Cup, in November of 2021. The space will be fully activated for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and will have a permanent home as part of QF’s upcoming community recycling hub “Green Island” (explained later in this chapter).

5.2.2.3 Embedding Sustainability in Everything We Do

Sustainable and environment-friendly practices are consistently being improved and introduced across the spectrum of QF’s operations. Examples include the use of environmentally friendly cleaning chemicals, e-waste recycling, composting, linen-free cafeterias, events, and restaurants, among others.

In 2019, QF launched an e-waste campaign, as part of the Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW), bringing awareness to the threat to health of electronic waste. Electronic waste must not be disposed of in landfills, as they can filter toxins which lead to groundwater pollution resulting in contamination (Qatar Foundation, 2020c; Qatar Foundation, 2021b). Through the positioning of strategic bins in Education City, over 4.5 tons of recycled e-waste were collected in just seven days. The most recent e-waste drive took place from October 2020 to January 31, 2021. The QF operations team partnered with a facility in Singapore, as there was no facility in Qatar to recycle e-waste. Policies, like having employees use their own mobile phones, and contractual stipulations with vendors to ensure all redundant and old equipment are recycled, were also introduced to reduce the QF workforce e-waste footprint.

QF uses produce from its nursery for school meals, reducing the carbon footprint of the food produced. Menu engineering and food waste monitoring are in place to reduce wastage, and recent stipulations were introduced to mandate food service contracts to localize their supply chains, minimizing carbon miles of the food served within Education City. QF kitchens are gas free and use energy-efficient electrical machines. Closing the loop, beyond policies to encourage reduced food waste, QF mandates that all food waste is composted, and encourages landscape contractors to use the compost generated in their landscaping, which also includes the requirement of using existing plants and propagating trees and plants in the QF nursery. Maintaining native trees is key to reduce the need for water and additional soil. The use of organic fertilizers (including fertilizers created from garden waste) is prioritized in nurturing the plants around Education City (see Chap. 12 & 16).

With these actions, QF supports the national zero-waste initiative as it continues to innovate and pilot waste management and reduction programs and circular economy principles that can serve as examples for national-scale policies.

5.2.3 Advocating for Well-Being Through the Interface with Nature

QF has long advocated for the importance of well-being, which it considers a key component to sustainability. The Education City master plan was achieved by establishing knowledge centers and connecting them through open green spaces, which are recognized as having an important role in supporting and improving individuals’ health, well-being, and lifestyle.

Situated in a hot and dry climate, Education City includes several green spaces incorporating sport and recreation areas for basketball, volleyball, and football, a golf course, along with multiple areas for relaxation, fitness, and family enjoyment. Additionally, Education City is home to Oxygen Park, a 130,000 sqm green space, with running tracks extending over 800 m, wrapping around the three main “ground bowls”, two of which are used as sports pitches. Its dynamic rolling landscape with alternating sunken and elevated play areas enable a variety of activity spaces and integrated leisure facilities. The Park invites visitors to enjoy the outdoors and be immersed in the refreshing scents of nature while increasing their oxygen intake in the Sensory Gardens. Promoting social sustainability linked to local heritage, traditions, and values, the park has dedicated times every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, where several female-focused sports and community initiatives are run.

Exemplifying how Education City can serve as a testbed for innovation is the “Ability Friendly Program” which supports social well-being through inclusion. What started as the provision of recreational venues to families with children with special abilities, including those with autism, learning difficulties, and hearing, visual, and physical challenges, has now grown into a full-fledged sports program for children with special abilities. The positive impact the program has had on the lives of the children and their families has been widely documented and the program is now collaborating with the Supreme Committee to deliver wider impact by partnering with its Generation Amazing program. From a mobility perspective, QF’s Education City is connected to three metro stations, and has its own internal tram, a groundbreaking system that sets new standards for sustainable transport, with an electrically powered technology based on modular on-board energy storage units (Qatar Foundation, 2019b). With a total of 24 stations, the Education City tram enables park-and-ride, car-less connections between the different university campuses, schools, facilities, and open spaces. Showcasing the role of QF as a testbed for sustainable solutions and innovations that can be scaled nationally, the Ministry of Municipalities included several of the landscape practices along with lessons learned and specific recommendations related to accessibility and inclusion provided by the QF team into the national landscape guidelines.

More recently, QF introduced car-free days to encourage alternative mobility from and to, as well as within Education City. The initiative aims to promote more walking and use of public transport, therefore enhancing air quality and improving health through increased physical activity.

5.2.4 Promoting Sustainability Through Community Engagement, Education, Research, Policy Advocacy, and Global Dialogue

5.2.4.1 Engaging the Community in Promoting Sustainable Practices

QF believes in the power of local communities and the role they play in tackling global challenges, including climate change. QF launched a “park and plant” initiative aimed at providing shaded pathways around Education City, building on the action of local communities to develop Qatar’s first urban farm (Qatar Foundation n.d.). Starting with 2,500 trees planted around Education City, the park and plant initiative has grown with programs like “adopt a tree”, for which individuals can register online; “green lungs” that provides an avenue for corporations or NGOs to support mass planting; and the Education City communal gardens, which are being developed in partnership with Qatar Academy schools and designed by HBKU. Well-being gardens were recently launched within QF’s HQ building to promote employees’ interaction with nature, providing a therapeutic space within the workplace to grow vegetables and plants (Qatar Foundation n.d.; MENA FM, 2022).

The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) is another community initiative of QF, which exhibits and conserves the plants mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and the native flora in Qatar. It serves multiple goals, from the preservation of Qatar’s botanic diversity and research promotion to the revival of cultural traditions. Further, the QBG promotes education through sustainable interactions with the environment, building stewardship, encouraging respect for the environment we live in, and promoting the planting of trees through Islamic values.

To promote and enhance sustainable practices in urban development beyond Education City, QF launched the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC). Set up during the peak of Qatar’s construction boom and, through its affiliation with the World Green Building Councils, the QGBC started the green building movement and introduced and promoted certifications based on recognized global standards, which consider factors like energy efficiency, environment-friendly materials, and waste reduction (Earthna n.d.b). To achieve the promotion of standards and best practices, QGBC ran several professional training programs aimed at enhancing sustainability knowledge in Qatar, with over 35 training topics on more than 70 courses, reaching over 7, 000 trainees during a ten-year period. As the work of QGBC evolved, other aspects of sustainability were introduced, extending beyond the built environment, to focus on overall health and well-being (Earthna n.d.b).

Beyond the construction sector, tourism is important for the development of Qatar’s economy. Recognizing, this, QGBC introduced the Green Key Certification, a leading standard in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operations within the tourism industry. By early 2022, the Green Key Eco-Label had been awarded to seven 5-star hotels in Qatar, with another 15 hotels under review. The QGBC has engaged national authorities to promote and encourage this standard for all hotels in Qatar. Within tourism, a key sector relates to the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), where Qatar has become a strong hub. The high global carbon footprint of the MICE industry is well understood and to tackle this, the QGBC introduced the Eco-Event certification, to encourage more environmentally sustainable low-carbon events, including indoor and outdoor events. QF has ensured that recent World Cup related events are Eco-Event accredited and is looking for ways to institutionalize this across all its events.

Institutional and certification-based shifts are important, however a key component of the “green movement” must include community awareness and outreach. With the aim to further engage the community in a wide range of sustainability-oriented activities, QGBC launched and held several editions of the Qatar Sustainability Week. This initiative showcases the progress Qatar has made in the areas of sustainability and green buildings to the wider community and serves as a platform to promote the nation’s sustainability vision. In 2019, around 250 events and activities were conducted (including awareness activities, fairs and exhibitions, sports and fitness, nutrition and wellness sessions, school activities, seminars, and conferences).

To recognize the efforts, commitment, and contributions of individuals, institutions, and organizations furthering sustainable development and environmental protection in Qatar and beyond, Qatar Sustainability Awards are awarded annually. Award categories include green buildings, green hospitality, green service providers, building products and technologies, green research, and sustainability initiatives, with hundreds of submissions every year. The awards allow for the development of a repository of information related to national and international activities promoting powerful connections between industry in the private sector, civil society, research and education, and the public sector.

Supporting sustained behavioral change, QF runs a weekly market in partnership with Torba Farmer’s Market, a Qatar-based initiative that aims to promote organic and locally grown food and homemade products. The market is held every Saturday at Education City’s ceremonial court, with on-site waste segregation bins, composting facilities, reusables, and compostable food packaging, to further promote sustainable practices and bring awareness to their interlinkages with sustainable economic growth and sustainable societies.

5.2.5 Education for Sustainability

5.2.5.1 Pre-university Education

QF schools have long incorporated sustainability education within their curriculums at all levels of pre-university education (PreK-12) and focuses on solutions and the role students can play in solving local and global issues.

The curriculum provides a contextual understanding of climate change as well as environmental concerns. However, the curriculum alone is not enough to nurture environmentally cautious future generations. Sustainability is integrated into the school culture and extended to the larger community through action. QF schools have greenhouses and planting spaces to allow students to interact with nature and support sustainable food supply at schools. This has led to a school urban farming project, which will promote small-scale pilots for urban farming within Education City. Schools also participate actively in extracurricular activities like community clean-ups, recycling initiatives, and in promoting awareness and behavior change.

This promotion of active citizenship and sustainable behaviors led to a group of passionate students at a Qatar Foundation school. The “Activists in Action” a group of students from grades 4 and 5 launched a petition to ban single-use plastic bags in Qatar. By April 2022, the petition “Student activists at Qatar Academy Doha want to ban single-use plastic bags in Qatar!”, which is available on change.org, had received over 8,340 signatures, nearly reaching its target of 10,000. Since launching the petition, the students have been vocal about sustainability participating in several clean-up drives, taking part in Qatar Sustainability Week and other events, including appearing as guests in the PROGRESS | مُستدام podcast launched by HBKU.

Enforcing the role of action, the “Eco-Schools” program led by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is one of the largest global sustainability education programs for schools and another example of how sustainability education can be introduced beyond the curriculum (Eco-Schools n.d.). Eco-Schools start in the classroom and expand to the community by engaging the next generation in action-based learning. During a two-year application process, schools are required to complete seven steps that include forming and eco-committee, carrying out a sustainability audit, setting an action plan to address an identified gap or area of improvement, working on the curriculum, promoting awareness about the issue, and developing a sustainability code for the school. Efforts are carried out by students, teachers, staff, and parents, and once awarded, schools become part of the global Eco-Schools network. A “green flag” has been awarded to several schools in Qatar and three universities. At QF, the Qatar Leadership Academy and Qatar Academy Doha, were awarded Eco-School status in April 2021 (Qatar Foundation, 2021a). By early 2022, over 30 schools in Qatar had registered in the program.

Extracurricular programs like Doha Debates provide a portal for youth to debate and exchange ideas via live shows, podcasts, and events. Based in QF, along with Qatar Debate, the national debating organization and THIMUN Qatar (the Model UN program for high school students aged 15–18), these programs have long focused on critical global issues. Sustainability frequently takes center stage, with multiple youth activities focused on climate change. The groups participate in critical dialogues like UN General Assembly, COP meetings, and global youth forums, allowing students to access to participate and observe the real negotiations and multilateral discussions. THIMUN students were active participants during the pre-COP meeting that took place in Milan September 2021, which led to a student declaration that was submitted to the COP26 presidency.

Other innovative methods of integrating sustainability are constantly being explored by QF schools. The Qatar Academy of Science and Technology (QAST), has been piloting an online tool that is meant to connect students with peers from other schools around the world, promoting sustainable behaviors and allowing them to share their work and enabling the provision of credits and certifications to support university applications. This platform goes beyond the school to integrate the students’ extracurricular activities and promote a visual showcase of their contributions to global challenges. Through the QF network, students also have the opportunity to engage with research facilities, enabling them to experience real-life learning as well as providing them with a glimpse into the world of research and academia.

Continuously promoting progressive education, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) holds an international summit aimed at promoting forward-thinking policies and best practices from education systems to promote policy change in the education sector (WISE n.d.). The most recent WISE summit held in December 2021 included climate change education as one of its themes, with several sessions and discussions focused on the different issues related to sustainability and education.

5.2.5.2 Higher Education

QF hosts eight universities, including HBKU, which houses a College of Science and Engineering. Within the college, a division of Sustainable Development provides students with a comprehensive training fostering the search for balance between development needs, economic growth, environmental protection, human and social progress, and environmental preservation. Topics covered include, sustainable economy and financing, renewable energy technology and policies, water security, waste management, and food security. The college has had a significant contribution via research projects with national and global impact. Examples of these include research on sustainable cooling technologies for greenhouses and buildings; green and grid independent electric vehicle charging stations, including the design of a stand-alone hybrid and renewable energy-based (solar PV panels and wind turbines) station; ongoing research exploring hydrogen and freshwater production using solar energy; and waste management techniques, development of wastewater treatment systems, and identifying new ways to use waste like the use of polymers in 3D printing.

Beyond the academic and applied research, innovative solutions are being explored at HBKU that leverage technology in the form of mobile applications developed to promote behavioral change. The most recent example of this, QKONs is a digital waste exchange platform that links people to companies, providing an incentive recycle waste, building a circular economy by allowing users to earn economic benefits from their transactions (Al-Ansari et al., 2020). The application is a solution to issues in “sorting and collecting” waste, providing waste generators with the closest location for recycling bins and creates a value for waste through point rewards for their transactions (Qatar Foundation, 2019a).

Partner universities at Education City have also had tangible contributions to sustainability initiatives at Education City. Georgetown University’s Center for International Regional Studies (CIRS) department includes environmental studies that address questions related to climate change, the politics of natural resources, food security, water conflicts, and other issues of environmental concern. Within these thematic areas, CIRS compares the Middle East to other regions, investigates cross-national understandings of environmental issues, and aims to translate knowledge into practice. Georgetown University has hosted a sustainability club since 2014, which holds awareness events for students, and interacts with the university’s facilities management team to ensure sustainability considerations are top of mind.

“Sahtak Awalan”, Your Health First, launched in 2012 by Weil Cornel Medical College-Qatar (WCMCQ), is another example. This multi-year initiative was designed to curtail unhealthy habits and is intended to encourage people to lead healthy lives through educating about sustainability, exercise, and nutrition, to allow them to make informed choices about the foods they buy, and the way they live their lives. The initiative is inclusive aimed at everyone: young and old, nationals and expatriates. It is mostly focused on the nation’s youth, advocating preventative measures that will help the next generation stay healthy and rise to the challenges of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030). Sahtak Awalan initiative led to other programs like “Khayr Qatarna” which aims to supply fresh fruit and vegetables to local supermarkets and help to improve food security, increase sustainability, and encourage healthy eating. The Greenhouse initiative under Khayr Qatarna set up greenhouses at more than 130 schools, which are being used to grow fruits and vegetables, teaching children about healthy eating, and cultivating their own food.

With the rise of energy and water security needs, Qatar needs to equip industries with a strong scientific evidence-based background. Texas A&M University runs a sustainable water and energy initiative, which aims to enhance working relationships between energy and industrial sectors and the research and educational institutions. Texas A&M is equipped with state-of-the art water and environmental facilities needed to provide the necessary research for these sectors (Texas A&M University at Qatar n.d.).

The unique Education City multiversity construct allows for students to take classes from different universities as well as participate in internships with other Qatar Foundation institutions and centers. Research grants from the Qatar National Research Fund allow for the use of students as interns or fellows, which enable applied research experience for students. Students can also attend, and access workshops and trainings organized by different QF entities outside their own universities. Finally, student clubs provide an opportunity for students to engage and interact on sustainability consideration, providing a platform that can reinforce learning through real-life applications and exchange of ideas. A cross-university, Education City-wide student-led sustainability club is under consideration and would promote wider collaboration.

5.2.6 Applied Research for Sustainable Development

5.2.6.1 Qatar Energy and Environment Research Institute

HBKU hosts the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), launched in 2011, as a national research center focused on understanding the environmental needs of Qatar to support the environmental ambitions in Qatar’s National Vision 2030. Qatar’s arid environment poses unique challenges and concerns when it comes to climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental protection and restoration, and resource management. QEERI houses several centers with a specific focus to support Qatar in addressing its challenges related to energy, water, and environment (QEERI n.d.a).

The Environment and Sustainability Center at QEERI works on understanding the various factors that affect air quality and together with local authorities, established an air quality research program to “enable new discoveries, build capacity, and contribute to national policy directives in air quality and particulate air pollution in Qatar” (QEERI, 2021). To complement this effort, QEERI established two key indicators to assess urban air quality: Air Quality Index (AQI) and Inhalable Particulates Index (IPI) (QEERI, 2021). These indicators are tracked and measured by Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS). Multiple stations have been placed across key areas, such as Education City, and at some of the stadiums, to better monitor air quality around World Cup venues in collaboration with Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

The QEERI water center tackles water security concerns, crucial for a nation that relies on desalination as the sole source of clean water. QEERI research aims to optimize water resources, treatment materials, processes and technologies that are adapted to Qatar’s environment (QEERI n.d.b). The center has partnered with local stakeholders such as Ashghal, the Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC), and Qatargas, to develop more efficient desalination technology, with the Multi-effect Desalination (MED) pilot plant demonstrating a 40% energy efficiency improvement and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to existing technologies (QEERI, 2019). In addition to water security, Qatar is exploring ways to provide alternative energy supply, to adopt a cleaner mix of energy supplies. As such, QEERI launched the Solar Consortium to promote and encourage solar energy adoption and installation in Qatar, with some partners including Kahramaa (the national energy provider). Furthermore, QEERI is working on the development of an Energy Systems Model that aims to support and inform the decision-making process through scenario planning and evidence-based policy recommendations (see Chap. 8).

One critical area of focus for QEERI is understanding the impact climate change has on desert environments. To do so, it partnered with NASA Oasis to build Qatar’s first scientific satellite focused on water and climate change challenges in desert areas (NASA, 2020). Orbiting Arid Subsurface and Ice Sheet Sounder (OASISS) is the first mission dedicated to measuring the impact of climate change beneath the surface of hyper-arid deserts and polar ice sheets. The aim is to monitor the impact of rising temperatures on rising sea levels in Qatar, a peninsula that has one of the highest submersion rates, as sea levels pose threats to coastal aquifers.

5.2.6.2 Qatar Science and Technology Park

The QSTP, launched by QF in March of 2009, is a free zone and technology park aimed at conceiving and growing tech enterprises in Qatar (QSTP n.d.). QSTP focuses on facilitating the development of new high-tech services and products, driving applied research and development, and supporting the commercialization of market-ready solutions. QSTP houses over 40 members, with several entities focusing on sustainability-related technologies and solutions, a few of these are outlined below.

The ConocoPhillips Global Water Sustainability Center focuses on the development of advanced wastewater treatment and cost-efficient solutions to reduce water waste from industrial activities and works closely with Qatargas to develop scalable solutions to reduce global water consumption and waste. The Qatar Shell Research and Technology Center works with universities like Texas A&M to enhance the production and efficiency of the hydrocarbons industry, advancing understanding of carbonate reservoirs and addressing challenges like carbon capture and storage and enhanced oil recovery processes to support the production of clean fossil fuels. Infrastructure and Research Development focuses on market solutions to reduce carbon emissions through waste management and efficient recycling technologies and processes. The Total Research Center runs programs on solar energy, restoration of marine habitats including coral reefs rehabilitation, biodiversity, and gas conversation. The Mitsubishi Water Technology Center aims to introduce and develop sea water reverse osmosis technology in Qatar, considering the Gulf’s unique sea water conditions. ExxonMobil research focuses on four areas: environment management, water reuse, LNG technology and surface geology. The Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) focuses on developing and deploying smart mobility systems and solutions in the areas of intelligent transport, logistics and telematics, road safety and environment. The Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD) focuses on research and development in the areas of green building certifications, accreditations, standards setting, voluntary carbon markets, and advisory services on sustainability and climate change. GORD led to the development of GSAS, the first MENA-region specific performance-based system designed to assess buildings and infrastructure on their sustainability impacts. The GSAS rating has become widely used in Qatar including in all FIFA World Cup 2022 construction efforts.

These centers and others within the QSTP are uniquely positioned to collaborate with Education City entities and universities and work closely with national stakeholders to promote new market-ready solutions and enable the private sector with technologies that are contributing to making Qatar more sustainable.

5.2.6.3 Education City as a Testbed for National Pilots

Education City provides a critical value to national sustainability efforts through its ability to bring in together research, academia, policy, industry, and the private sector and serves as a unique space where research findings, new solutions, and innovations can be piloted. Leveraging the ecosystem of research, academia, physical infrastructure, and operations, Education City has lent itself as a testbed and enabled the piloting of several sustainability-related initiatives.

From behavior-changing interventions like banning plastics, providing healthy lunches, giving out reusable bottles and lunch packs to school students and workers, to procurement changes that stipulate contractors act more sustainably to apps like QKONs aimed at enhancing recycling, several solutions have been tested to enable evidence-based policy advice for national stakeholders.

Air quality solutions via initiatives like park and plant, urban farms, planting a green belt around Education City and more recently measuring the impact of car-free days on the air particle composition are being observed and documented. Indoor air quality smart home solutions are being piloted in Education City’s community housing compound, through sensors tied into HVAC systems in collaboration with Ministry of Public Health, Ooredoo and Kahramaa. The learnings will enable solutions that can be scaled up nationally for better outdoor and indoor air quality, a concern given the amount of indoor time spent during the hotter months of the year.

Pilots related to asphalt composition, paint colors, and materials for roads to reduce urban heat island effects have been run and results provided in terms of actionable standards and solutions to national entities. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels’ rooftops have been installed around Education City which have enabled QF to save around 2,590 tons of CO2 emissions annually. Charging stations for electric vehicles were developed in partnership with Ministry of Transport and Communications and Kahramaa.

Educational models are continuously being disrupted and progressive education systems tested in the area of sustainability which will support national educational development. Community action and behavior change are constantly being encouraged and different policies, incentives, apps, and tools are trialed and tested. Through its vibrant and unique ecosystem, QF is a critical innovative space where new solutions and products can be piloted and tested to provide evidence-based advice to national authorities.

5.2.7 Global Reach: QF’s Role in Advancing and Promoting Dialogue

QF has a global reach and promotes dialogue on key topics via multiple platforms. QF had an active presence in the latest COY and COP meetings that took place in 2021. A group of students from the QF schools network participated in the pre-cop youth summit in Milan, where they were able to express their concerns about their future and demanded that government leaders and policymakers make serious strides and commitments to reach the target of 1.5° Celsius. The students were also present at the COP26 meetings in Glasgow, where they presented a declaration on climate change to the meeting of world leaders.

Other QF entities took part in the meeting, including the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) who, along with the World Health Organization (WHO), discussed the findings and policy recommendations from their work on climate change and health, and policies to maintain healthy dry cities. During COP26, QF announced a partnership with Rolls-Royce to invest, develop, and scale-up climate-tech business, creating a center of innovation for global climate technology, with two planned campuses in the UK and Qatar, positioning Qatar as among the top five global countries to invest in clean energy R&D and as a pioneer in small, and advanced economies.

5.3 Impact and Challenges

QF has no doubt had a positive impact. Through its multiple initiatives, QF has avoided the use of over 100,000 plastic bottles (in cafeterias, schools, and offices) and over 120,000 single-use plastic bags per month. Furthermore, 20% of plastic packaging was avoided in construction projects around Education City (Qatar Foundation, 2020b). Green building standards have reduced emissions of QF structures ensuring it B rating in 2020, the best performing among peers reporting on GHG emissions nationally to the UN (CDP n.d.b).

Colored bins around campus promote segregation at the source and partnerships with private companies support proper waste management and high rates of recycling. Innovative apps (like QKons) and policies that aim to nudge behaviors (like park and plant, community and school gardens, and car-free days) are routinely being piloted to promote environmentally friendly practices.

QF schools and universities have embedded sustainability education, giving rise to multiple youth activist groups. A key example is the Activists in Action, who launched a petition to advocate for a nation-wide ban of single-use plastic bags and may have contributed to the nation’s recent announcement to ban these in May 2022 (The Peninsula, 2022a, 2022b). The Eco-Schools program has educated hundreds of students on sustainability-related issues, with more in the pipeline. The annual Qatar Sustainability Week reaches thousands of participants promoting awareness about sustainability. The weekly Farmer’s Market promotes eco-friendly businesses and circular economy practices among those visiting. The Qur’anic botanical gardens provide values-based learning to instill a moral drive to protect the environment.

To fully determine the impact of QF’s initiatives and interventions will require some rigorous case studies and assessments, given that many of these are intangible social impact and awareness raising. Nonetheless, it is clear that QF is on the path toward a more sustainable future as it continues to innovate and pilot new thinking and solutions and inspires future generations to change their behaviors.

Despite the visible impact, all success is not without challenges. Mobilizing change at multiple fronts can be a complex and time-consuming exercise. Further, implementing innovative policies can sometimes be difficult. QF must coordinate with multiple stakeholders to ensure and promote systems-wide change. For example, the COVID pandemic led to government imposing measures which forced the use of plastic bottles, bags, and cutlery for food delivery. Despite QF’s desire to bans these items, they had to be temporarily reinstated at schools and offices to adhere with health safety measures.

Qatar’s arid desert environment, scarce water resources, and low rainfall present a persistent challenge to a sustainable future, making it difficult to enhance walkability at such a large premise like Education City. Research in the sustainability considerations of such environments remains sparse. Nonetheless, QF’s investment in education and research are leading to innovative bottom-up, community-based solutions that are solving Qatar’s specific challenges and moving the needle toward a more sustainable outlook.

Promoting success stories can be challenging and ensuring messages reach the relevant audience involves a coordinated effort of convening and policy advocacy. To amplify the impact of QF’s practices, QF must coordinate action and align with national stakeholders, the private sector and industry, and communities. This will ensure that relevant regulations are set in place (building on lessons learned from QF experience) to promote wider-scale behavioral change.

5.4 Toward a Sustainable Future

Moving forward, Qatar is uniquely positioned to have a leading local and global voice on sustainability due to it being on the receiving end of climate change, facing risks of rising temperatures and sea levels, as well as given its influence on the global energy sector. The World Cup 2022 acts as a visible international event, placing Qatar in the global spotlight, providing an opportunity to showcase its successes and achievements in the sustainability field.

Sustainability continues to be a national and global priority and QF has embarked on a series of important initiatives to support the State of Qatar. As part of its recently launched refreshed strategy, QF featured the selection of sustainability as one of five key themes that the foundation will focus on. Within sustainability, focus areas include: (1) sustainable energy, (2) resource security and management, (3) environmental protection and restoration, (4) sustainable and circular economy, and (5) human and society well-being. The QF strategy recognizes that to achieve impact in these areas, multiple interventions must be employed and aligns a set of implementation tracks, or components of the Foundation’s ecosystem to achieve the necessary multisectoral systems shifts. These tracks include education and lifelong learning, research, policy analysis and advocacy, innovation and development, and community outreach and engagement.

QF will continue to lead in education and is currently undertaking a project to review its educational pedagogy in relation to sustainability, with educators from the pre-university education team exploring different methods and tools to educate youth within the QF schools’ network and documenting best practices to recommend to national educational institutions. In addition, a team of researchers from HBKU were awarded a research grant aimed at understanding how SDGs are currently taught in Qatar and providing recommendations on how to further empower students via SDG education and Global Citizenship (Tok, 2021; see Chap. 17).

Within community outreach and engagement, through the Education City Stadium, the World Cup tournament taking place in November–December 2022 will serve as a catalyst to promote sustainable practices. With waste segregation and informational campaigns, as well as linking to the “Precious Plastics” initiative outlined above, QF will engage the community to actively take part in and learn about sustainable practices. Other plans include the launch of Green Island, a community-centered one-stop-shop for all recyclables within Education City (The Peninsula, 2022a, 2022b).

QF recognizes the critical role that it can play in shaping and promoting policy both within Qatar and globally. QF is advancing this commitment with the launch of Earthna—Center for a Sustainable Future, designed to provide a holistic view of environmental, social, and economic prosperity as part of Qatar’s ambition to enhance sustainability at a national and global level (Earthna n.d.a). By bringing together and disseminating Qatar’s policy research and perspectives on topics that have global relevance, the center will drive dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the identification of solutions, supporting nations with similarly harsh climates in addressing sustainability challenges. Earthna will capitalize on Qatar’s position to play a regional and global role as well as bridge the North–South gap on climate change. Earthna will focus on defining and contextualizing sustainability needs of dry and arid climates; leverage Qatar’s unique position in global energy markets to explore opportunities; and draw upon QF’s flagship Education City and its unique ecosystem of research, academia, and innovation as a national testbed to pilot new ideas. With this policy center, the role of QF in continuing to promote sustainability will be solidified as it becomes a key enabling entity, supporting the state and non-state actors to work together toward a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach to understanding and mitigating climate change and promoting sustainability.