Swiss Secretary of State for Energy presented with local sustainability applications

DOHA, January 24th  2012 - Leveraging its position in building local and international relationships to promote environmentally sustainable practices in Qatar, the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) hosted a delegation headed by the Swiss Secretary of State for Energy, Mr. Walter Steinmann, three of his senior aides, in addition to executives from 22 leading energy companies based in Switzerland.

Eng. Jassim Telefat , Treasurer, Board of Directors, QGBC received the guests at QGBC Headquarters, where he presented the visiting delegation with the main cornerstones and scope  of the non-profit organisation supported by Qatar Foundation and Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser.  A multimedia presentation on local green building design and development was followed by an interactive session that detailed the path of the organisation since its inception in 2009 by official decree.

The presentation also included a showcase of the progress achieved in several flagship projects in the country, such as Msheireb - Heart of Doha and Education City, in ascribing to accredited sustainability standards.

Eng. Jassim Telefat, also Technical Director, Capital Projects, Qatar Foundation commented, "The feedback we got, was very positive and it gives me a great sense of fulfilment to share the success of the QGBC with international guests visiting Qatar. The QGBC has  built and continually  engages an active membership body, including corporations and engineering communities among a wide network of stakeholders to champion sustainable building practices in Qatar,  ultimately realising Qatar National Vision 2030"

By 2030, Qatar aims to be an advanced society, sustaining its development and providing a high standard of living for its entire people. In that direction, Doha has just been rated as one of "the 10 Emerging Sustainable Cities to Watch in 2012" by leading sustainability blog GreenGoPost.com.

As per a recent report on sustainable consumption from the World Economic Forum, by 2030 almost 60% of the world's population will be in the middle income bracket with energy demand projected to increase by 40%, and water demand expected to outstrip supply by 40%, the  relevance of environmental solutions-oriented organisations such as the QGBC have become only more profound.

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About QGBC:
Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) is a non-profit, membership driven organization providing leadership and encouraging collaboration in conducting environmentally sustainable practices for green building design and development in Qatar.

QGBC also aims to support the overall health and sustainability of environment, people, and economic security for generations to come.

The council, supported by Qatar Foundation, was formally established in 2009 by a decree signed by H.H. Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser.

Through QGBC, Qatar joins a network of over 80 different countries that run active national green building councils under the umbrella of the World Green Building Council. 

For further information on QGBC, please contact:
Anand George Zachariah
Account Executive
Hill + Knowlton Strategies
anandgeorge.zachariah@hkstrategies.com
+974 55549858

© Press Release 2012