Keith Clarke, the former CEO of the engineering consultancy Atkins, believes Qatar can overcome the ignominious fact that it has the world’s highest carbon footprint per capita and become a leader in green and sustainable technologies.

Mr. Clarke shared his thoughts at a recent lecture series hosted by the Qatar Green Building Council. Similar to what I have been saying for months, Clarke points out the trends unfolding in Qatar: a diversifying economy, growing interest in issues including resilience and climate volatility and codes such as the Qatar Sustainability Assessment System (QSAS).

Obviously huge obstacles confront Qatar’s shift towards environmental stewardship: very cheap water and energy, a mindset affected by sudden wealth and no incentives to change wasteful behavior.

Since raising energy prices is not the political reality, Clarke noted that more can be done. Green building plays a huge role, from the installation of LED lights to smart grid technologies and building retrofits. Systems that allow families to monitor their energy consumption and then compare them to standards would be a start.

I have been criticized for offering similar views, yet I must say Clarke’s assessment is spot on. This is a great time for sustainability professionals to be in Qatar and in nearby countries in the Middle East. With so much low-hanging fruit available that can help Qatar lower its carbon footprint, much work needs to be done. Instead of throwing up their hands in frustration, sustainability and corporate social responsibility practitioners should view Qatar as a massive and exciting opportunity.

About The Author

Leon Kaye

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.