In January, Qatar held talks with international banks in a bid to potentially raise billions of dollars worth of green bonds.

The second edition of Smart City Expo Doha arrived in Msheireb Downtown, in an event where the CEO of Fira de Barcelona described it as the most ‘authentic’ one yet.

“Because it’s the first time that we are putting a real Smart City EXPO in a real smart city, in a real smart city district in the heart of Msheireb.”

“I must say that among all the additions that Fira de Barcelona has organised of EXPO City around the world, [this] is the most life most original one,” CEO Ricard Zapatero said. This means that the event takes shape in real life as Msheirab is world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project and one of the smartest cities in the globe.

This makes it “a real Smart City EXPO life, where people will have the chance to experience what’s going what’s happening and feel what a Smart City EXPO is like.”

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There are 5,000 people currently pre-registered as well as the participation of 90 various technology and sustainable companies. The event will hold 70 speakers from around the world, which puts Doha “as the capital of smart city ecosystem in the whole world,” Zapatero noted.

The major event is seen as a way to build relations and trust between different entities to work towards a more robust urban system in which sustainable and smart city ecosystems are built upon.

Small City EXPO is also hosted in Korea, Brazil, Miami in the United States, Barcelona, and Shanghai in China. “This is, I would say, the short list of the most performing cities around the world who are betting and working for the smart city projects,” he added.

The different partners in Small City EXPO work together to build equitable and sustainable cities as well as focus on sustaining an clean urban model for future generations.

Speaking to Doha News, Mayor of Augusta, city in Georgia, Hardie Davis said “Smart City EXPO Doha as a new city you see so much innovation, here in Qatar you have an opportunity to invest because everything is new.”

The sustainable urban planning efforts come as part of Qatar’s vision of moving towards a more green country through sizeable initiatives and investments.

Qatar’s green efforts

Qatar’s Finance Minister Ali Al-Kuwari confirmed the country’s plans to issue green bonds, however the timing depends on the condition of the market. This was announced on Sunday in an interview with Bloomberg, held at the sidelines of Doha Forum 2022.

In February, Qatar National Bank in conjunction with the UK-based HSBC launched a green energy-centered monetary tool which aims to increase the short term sustainable funding options for banks and companies. These bonds would be allocated to und projects attributed to environmental and climate benefits.

Earlier this month, QatarEnergy updated its Sustainability Strategy, which is part of its efforts in harbouring “clean and affordable energy to facilitate the energy transition.”

Through the revised strategy, the company seeks to increase the carbon intensity of Qatar’s liquified natural gas facilities by 35% instead the initial target of 25%. The intensity of its upstream facilities will also be slashed to 25% instead of 15%.

Qatar joins the Global Methane Pledge, John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, revealed in an exclusive press engagement at the sidelines of this year’s Doha Forum.

The project’s, launched in November 2021, target focuses on minimising worldwide methane emissions to maintain the target of diminishing global warming effects to 1.5 degrees Celsius.