The closing of the Environment Champions Programme by the British Council Qatar was celebrated Tuesday by the British Council Qatar. This programme consists of young activists who have created and implemented projects within their communities in order to make Qatar a more sustainable, greener country.
The programme, which was launched in October 2021 in response to COP26 in Britain, saw more 50 undergraduates and educators from Qatar develop six social action plans to address climate and environmental challenges.
These plans, which were designed to make an impact on the local level at the local level, have been implemented in their communities over four months. The six groups were able to present their plans in action before the judges at the ceremony event.
The event was opened by Waseem Kotoub, director – Gulf Strategy Fund Programme from the British Council, who highlighted the importance of climate action among Qatari youths and the country’s commitment to address environmental challenges, including through the education of Qatari students.
Sam Ayton, country director for the British Council Qatar said that “The Environment Champions Programme was all about empowering youths, and I want to congratulate everyone who has worked hard over the past few months to implement these ideas. Qatar is a country that has beautiful natural resources and relies on them in many ways. It has been inspiring to see how action plans have had a significant impact on how people view climate and made measurable changes in the way they tackle environmental challenges in their communities.
“I would like to thank the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Arab Youth Climate Movement, Qatar Green Building Council, and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Qatar for their partnership on this important programme. It is the pinnacle of our work on sustainability in Qatar to support the country’s National Vision 2030.
Hissa al-Aali, director of the Training and Educational Development Centre, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, said: “Qatar’s National Vision 2030 aims to transform Qatar into an advanced country capable of achieving sustainable development and environmental development, which falls under one of the four pillars of this vision developed through the establishment of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The MoEHE can be considered one of the tributaries in realising this vision. The Training and Educational Development Centre of the MoEHE is keen on promoting local and global citizenship, in partnership and collaboration with the British Council. They look forward to implementing Qatar Environment Champions Programme to consolidate a culture of sustainability within educational institutions and tackle challenges in the field.
“The programme is a starting point for social work, and change. They will be led by a group teachers who are driven to make a difference and combine passion and work for a better future. They will work to promote innovative solutions in sustainability, especially in regard to climate change. One of the outcomes of the programme that we are looking forward to is the establishment a network of national trainers who have the skills.
knowledge and motivation to tackle climate action.”
The event brought together environmentalists, business leaders, and academic heads.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of Britain has funded the Environment Champions Programme.
Find out more on British Council’s work on climate at https://www.britishcouncil.qa/en/programmes/qatar-environment-champions