DOHA: Waste management will be a key contributor to sustainable development, Dr R Seetharaman, CEO, Doha Bank, told the sixth Waste Management & Recycling Summit which opened yesterday at Intercontinental Doha The City.
Giving a presentation on ‘Green Banking & Sustainability’, he said: “Sustainable development is the one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
“Banks as responsible corporate citizens adopt green banking as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development.
“Green banking considers all social and environmental factors to protect the environment and conserve natural resources.
“Green banking is also called ethical banking or a sustainable banking and promotes environmental-friendly practices and reduces carbon footprint from banking activities.
“Green banking will blend customers’ financial interests with the interests of the environment. It will also enable environmental sensibility to pay off for clients and the planet. Green banking is an innovative solution for sustainable development.”
Dr Seetharaman also highlighted measures on waste management in GCC, saying, “In June 2015, Abu Dhabi’s waste management authority announced an ambitious 25-year recycling plan. Abu Dhabi will be split into zones with specific types of recycling centres introduced to match the kinds of waste generated there.
“The plan aims to integrate new facilities with existing ones. Landfills where waste is dumped and burnt will be restructured for more energy efficient and environmentally sound methods.
“The landfills in Qatar are running out of space and new engineered ones need to be created. Qatar aims to raise the recycle share from 8 percent to 38 percent of solid waste, reducing landfill to 53 percent and converting waste to energy.”
He also provided insight on global warming, carbon emission trends, and the importance of paper recycling.The Peninsula
