Dr. Al-Marri: All humankind is tasked with enhancing the global response to the threat of climate change
A call to integrate climate change and environmental approaches into NHRI complaint systems
Doha: December 5, 2020
Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions called on taking decisive action to mitigate the impact of climate change as well as building capacities, noting that the phenomenon of climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today.
Al Marri explained that The National Human Rights Committee plays an important role in monitoring the state’s implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, which was ratified by the state on June 23, 2017, where the State of Qatar was one of the first signatories. Through monitoring, the committee makes recommendations and proposals for developing climate policies based on a human rights approach.
Al Marri pointed out that Environmental sustainability has become a dominant issue at the public and private sectors in the State of Qatar over the past few years. New initiatives have been launched in several companies. One of the best practices is the first Clean Development Mechanism Project introduced by the state of Qatar in 2007, “the Al-Shaheen Oil Field Gas Recovery and Utilization Project”, noting that The National Human Rights Committee has monitored some companies made substantial investments in replacing old turbines, boilers and furnaces to reduce greenhouse and non-greenhouse gas emissions and get rid of wastewater. However, these initiatives were indiscriminate and lack coherence, which is why the committee presented in its annual reports recommendations to decision makers to compile and strengthen these initiatives by expediting the enactment of new regulations and establishing a strong support system for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large manufacturing firms while ensuring commitment to transparency and accountability.
Al Marri concluded that The National Human Rights Committee is committed to continue work actively towards developing a comprehensive climate policy based on a human rights approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial sector. In the same context, The committee plans to develop programs to disseminate information and education of the Paris Agreement for all segments of society, and to achieve a common vision on climate change and human rights, in order to help implement this agreement and achieve the state’s obligation on stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner towards the objective of the Paris agreement.
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