Doha - Qatar has set before itself the achievable goal to become the first GCC country to implement the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project activities, Dr Ali Hamed Al Mulla, Manager, Corporate Environment and Social Development at Qatar Petroleum, said here yesterday.
Al Mulla said that a review of the current status of CDM implementation shows that none of the 176 CDM project activities registered globally as of May this year is located in the GCC countries. "However, in recent months interest in CDM among GCC countries has been increasing and Qatar has the potential to lead the way in implementing them", he said.
CDM is an initiative under the Kyoto Protocol that allows industrialised countries to invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries. CDM is designed to make it easier and cheaper for industrialised countries to meet the emission reduction targets they agreed to under the Protocol.
At the same time, it can help countries like Qatar explore ways to optimize oil and gas processes while contributing to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Al Mulla was speaking at the interactive workshop on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for senior management QP operations hosted by the Corporate Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Department at QP.
Dr John Kilani, Lead Environment Engineer, Corporate Environment and Sustainable Development at QP, and Member of the CDM Executive Board told The Peninsula that Qatar is doing its fare share in terms of the international environmental agenda. "Qatar, considering the size of the country is playing a very big role and is very visible globally on environmental matters", he said.
However, Kilani pointed out that in CDM there has not been much participation, especially within the GCC and other Arab countries so far, but the interest is now growing.
One of the main reasons of the slow-start in the region, he noted, is because the process of the Kyoto Protocol coming into force took longer than expected and the Opec countries took a collective decision that the protocol would not be ratified until it comes into force.
Although there has been a slow-start on CDM initially, there is a big increase now. Qatar has set up its Designated National Authority (DNA), which is one of the requirements of the United Nations before a country can participate in the CDM projects.
Earlier, Saad Al Kubaisi, Manager, Corporate HSE at QP told the workshop that Qatar has ratified both the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. "The Designated National Authority of Qatar was established in July last year, signaling to the international community the readiness of our country to participate actively in CDM", he said.
Al Kubaisi also stressed that an effective participation in CDM by Qatar will involve several sectors of the economy, particularly the energy and industry sectors.
© The Peninsula 2006
