The Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) will hold its first annual conference on 27–28 April at the Qatar National Convention Centre.
The conference will cover the challenges of environmental sustainability and will promote best practice for the built environment for Qatar, the Gulf region and beyond, the conference organiser said.
There will be four main themes to the conference: Passivhaus (a low energy building standard) in the Middle East and North Africa region; retrofitting Doha; carbon footprinting and Qatar's national vision; and future sustainable cities.
“Building a sustainable future is a fundamental principle which underpins the Qatar National Vision: 2030," said construction expert Peter Blackmore of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com. "Theory is now becoming reality in the Msheireb Downtown Doha development – a 31 hectare regeneration project in the heart of the city – and in the construction of the Doha Metro, which will bring residents in reach of key amenities right across the city by public transport for the first time. In 2022 visitors to the World Cup will experience a country that has delivered on an amazing range of green building initiatives."
QGBC director Meshal al-Shamari said that the "Council is committed to promoting environmental sustainability in all walks of life in Qatar, with the built environment under particular focus at this first conference", the Gulf Times reported.
"The conference will provide an excellent forum for practitioners and academic researchers to exchange ideas about the latest issues and developments in the green building industry and offer solutions," he added, according to the Gulf Times. Submissions have been invited for papers, presentations and posters.
