The Delegation from Represented by GMAK
State of Qatar
Country: State of Qatar
Committee: UN General Assembly (UNGA)
Agenda: Promoting sustainable development and climate action
Addressing the UN Climate Action Summit 2019 in New York, the Monarch of Qatar defined
climate change as “one of the serious challenges of our time”.1
Climate change and sustainable development are interconnected global challenges that day by
day become increasingly more relevant and severe. Human-made emissions in the atmosphere
are trapping and slowing heat loss to space, being one of the leading causes of climate change2,
which only leads to rising temperatures, extreme weather conditions, and a lack of food. Qatar, a
small but wealthy country in the Gulf, is a country leading globally in terms of natural gas
production, Qatar’s economy is reliant on gas and oil.3 Despite this, Qatar is a strong advocate
for sustainable development; investing millions into clean energy, shifting to green buildings and
expanding natural solutions.4
Climate change presents both challenges and opportunities for Qatar. Being a desert country,
Qatar is severely vulnerable to rising temperatures, which frequently surpass 45°C, straining the
nation as demand for air cooling increases.5 Additionally, Qatar is largely dependent on
desalination to provide fresh water for domestic needs: a process that consumes large amounts of
fossil fuels.6 This creates a cycle in Qatar, where addressing water shortages increases carbon
emissions. One of the most visible domestic changes is Qatar’s shift in economic planning.
Initiatives like Qatar National Vision 2030 has made it’s mark in Qatar, with the nation
diversifying its economy to reduce it’s dependence on fossil fuel exports7
Qatar’s policies are rooted in it’s unique position as a major fossil fuel producer, while also
recognizing the urgent needs to address environmental challenges. “On one hand, Qatar’s
ecological and human systems are prone to the adverse impacts of climate change. On the other
hand, due to its total dependence on the export of carbon-based resources, Qatar’s economic
welfare and prosperity depends on the outcome of the climate change negotiations, which seeks,
as an ultimate objective, complete phase-out of fossil fuel energy sources” explains Qatar’s
1
https://www.qatar-tribune.com/article/173067/FIRSTPAGE/Qatar-pledges-$100-mn-in-climate-action
2
https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/causes/
3
https://www.ashghal.gov.qa/en/AboutQatar/Pages/Economy.aspx
4
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/memberstates/qatar
5
https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/qatar/climate-data-historical
6
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/07/10000-litres-day-pitch-qatar-world-cup-huge-impa
ct-gulf-waters
7
https://www.gco.gov.qa/en/about-qatar/national-vision2030/
National Communications.8 Sustainability has been integrated at the highest legislative level with
the Qatar Permanent Constitution under Article 33, which was ratified in 2005.9
Qatar was among the first countries to accede to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change in 1996, the Kyoto Protocol in 2005, and the Paris Agreement in 2016.10 Qatar
makes sure to treat sustainability as an important issue: In 2019, Qatar announced a $100 million
contribution to support small island developing states to help deal with climate change. In 2023,
Qatar planted over 320,000 trees under its ongoing 10 million trees initiative. 11 Qatar has
repeatedly over the years been making contributions worldwide for the benefit of sustainability,
acknowledging its impact.
Qatar believes that there needs to be a change in the current interpretation of climate action,
moving away from the typical approach. Instead, policies should recognize the unique
circumstances and capacities of different nations, ensuring that those with fewer resources
receive adequate support to meet their climate goals, additionally believing that there should be
an establishment of mechanisms to provide financial and technical assistance to developing
countries, facilitating their transition to renewable energy and sustainable practices. Qatar would
further like to look into methane reduction strategies as a global collaboration, making sure that
sustainable development is viewed as an important subject in today’s world.12
8
https://mecce.ca/country_profiles/cce-country-profile-qatar/
9
https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Qatar_2003
10
https://www.usqbc.org/public/documents/upload/Qatar%20Sustainability%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf
11
https://www.qna.org.qa/en/News-Area/News/2024-02/24/0047-ministry-of-municipality-qualitative-leaps-in
-number-of-public-parks-and-green-spaces-in-recent-years
12
https://qa.usembassy.gov/joint-statement-on-qatars-endorsement-of-the-global-methane-pledge/
