Four themes will prevail during the summit, including tackling food security, adaptation and resilience.

Global, regional and local policymakers, thinkers, business and industry leaders have gathered at the Earthna Summit 2023 on Wednesday to discuss the most urgent environmental issues facing the globe.

The two-day event at Msheireb Downtown Doha will focus predominantly on creating new sustainability pathways to address hot and arid environments. The Summit itself is aiming to be carbon-neutral.

Officials made specific note of the urgency to bring climate change awareness, targeting primarily countries that could be most impacted by the looming global issue, including hot and dry areas.

Climate change mitigation requires concerted international efforts, with officials saying that it is a “moral imperative” for countries most responsible for climate change and increased carbon footprint to help those in need that barely contribute to the overall climate crisis.

Four themes will prevail during the summit, including working towards a new sustainable framework for countries in hot and arid areas, tackling food security, adaptation and resilience.

Another such theme includes, addressing climate and energy, as well as biodiversity, ecosystems and indigenous knowledge.

The summit will showcase 70 experts in 21 sessions. Interactive lectures and seminars will take place at Earthna Village, a public space at Baharat Msheireb.

Separately, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, shared a picture of herself and famous primate ethologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, on Instagram, with the caption that read: “World treasure in Qatar.”

The 88-year-old icon is in Qatar as one of the speakers for the two-day Earthna Summit event.

Due to her ground-breaking study on chimpanzee behaviour, Dr Goodall is regarded as the pre-eminent expert on the species. She discovered that chimpanzees are similar to humans in their ability to create tools, consume and hunt meat, as well as engage in social interactions.

Other speakers include CEO of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC Nasser Al Khater, Qatar’s Envoy to the United Kingdom Fahad Mohammed Al Attiyah, Yemen’s Former Minister of Water and Environment Abdul-Rahman Al-Eryani, President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema, among others.

Earthna

Earthna is a play on words, combining both English and Arabic, which means ‘our earth.’

The non-profit policy centre’s mission is to support sustainability through the advocation for evidence-based policy action on a global level. It also aims to encourage behavioural change within the community, as well as positioning Qatar as a leading voice for environmental issues in dry and water-scarce climates.

The establishment of the centre is in line with Qatar Foundation’s dedication to thought leadership in policymaking, whether its in its establishment or promotion. It is also an extension of Qatar Foundation’s network of domestic and international collaborations.

Qatar Foundation’s global campus, Education City, will be used as a test bed for any new technologies and sustainable implementations.

This centre is a part of Qatar Foundation’s continuous support to the country in its journey to achieving the 2030 national vision.