New Delhi: The Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, said Qatar had implemented an ambitious long-term sustainable development strategy in 2011.
In his speech at the 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, Al Attiyah said the Qatari leadership was committed to working seriously with other governments to build an international consensus on the goals of sustainable development and climate change policies.
He noted that the global economy was witnessing unprecedented growth, and pointed out that while economic growth had lifted millions out of poverty, the current economic model, coupled with rapid population growth in some parts of the world, had led to increased pressure on limited natural resources.
In this context he quoted Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, saying: “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”
The earth’s resources are sufficient to meet the needs of the moment without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, Al Attiyah said, while underlining the need for a more sustainable approach to the use and conservation of natural resources and calling for further cooperation to implement fundamental changes in production and consumption processes.
If our communities continue on the path of greed, growing pressure on limited resources will lead to a widening gap between the rich and the poor and damage the environment, Al Attiyah said.
He pointed out that the participants shared a common interest in the impact of unsustainable use of resources on the climate and a common responsibility for the welfare of future generations to address these concerns at the national level.
He urged the participants to pledge to move forward and work on the principles and policies of previous agreements, such as the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns adopted at the Rio+20 Summit.
He added that the time had come to move on from the global consensus on climate change and sustainable development issues towards practical solutions.
“As a former president of the Climate Change Conference COP18/CMP8 I am aware of the challenges that lie ahead of us, and we are working to reach a consensus on a common vision for tackling climate change,” Al Attiyah said.
“Such a consensus requires of the participants to work hard in order to reduce the gap between the general and shared visions about the issues of sustainable development and climate change, he continued.”
Al Attiyah expressed optimism that the summit was progressing towards achieving a set of proposals to be presented to COP21 in Paris.QNA
