Meeting its mitigation goals in line with Qatar National Climate Change Action Plan 2030, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) has received the globally recognised carbon neutral certification, making it the first museum in the MENA region and in Asia to achieve carbon neutrality. To achieve the status of carbon neutrality, MIA went through comprehensive audits aimed at measuring and verifying the GHG emissions linked with the operations and services of the facility. Acknowledging the achievement, an awarding ceremony was held at the museum in the presence of senior members of Qatar Museums, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) in its capacity as the verifying organisation, and the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD), which worked on the project as an advisory partner to support it in achieving carbon neutrality for a one-year reporting period that started in 2021.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Eng. Ms. Dhabya Jamal Sayar, Director of Facilities Management Department at Qatar Museums, said: “Climate change has emerged as one of the greatest challenges faced by the world today and adverse effects are visible across globe and in Qatar. Qatar Museums, being a leading organization in Qatar, has embarked on a journey of low carbon transformation of its museums. To initiate the low carbon transformation process, Qatar Museums selected the Museum of Islamic Arts to achieve carbon neutrality for its operations and services for the reporting period of year 2021. Qatar Museums, with the help of GORD, identified low carbon interventions and developed its carbon neutrality plan. DNV, being the third-party auditor involved for the carbon neutrality, has verified and validated the GHG emissions and has certified MIA as carbon neutral for the year 2021. Qatar Museums is proud to have commenced this journey, which resulted in MIA becoming the first museum in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region to achieve carbon neutrality.”
Dr. Yousef Alhorr Founding Chairman of GORD, said, “As repositories of artifacts, museums preserve heritage, culture and spirits of nations over time. The purpose they serve is intrinsically linked with the idea of environmental sustainability that aims at conserving our natural resources for generations to come. Like governments and corporate entities, museums too have a bigger role to play in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. By supporting environmental conservation alongside cultural preservation, Qatar Museums has demonstrated true stewardship as a forward-thinking organization investing in the future of the nation as well as the planet earth. GORD is a proud partner of Qatar Museums’ journey towards low carbon development.”.
In order to reduce its GHG emissions, MIA with the help of GORD, identified low carbon interventions and developed a carbon neutrality plan. In order to audit and validate the GHG emissions and carbon neutrality claims/plan, internationally reputed DNV Middle East was appointed to carry out third-party audit based on international standard – PAS 2060. After the completion of successful audit, DNV certified that MIA has achieved carbon neutrality for its operations and services for the year 2021.
Speaking on behalf of DNV, Mr. Prakash Tikare, Area Manager – India Subcontinent & Middle East, said: “Carbon Neutrality is becoming the monument of the net zero commitment to create value chain impact with international standards and implement best business practices. With partnership with GORD, we are proud to support the Museum of Islamic Art to provide a strong direction for its stakeholders towards the net zero commitment of Qatar government. We commend the initiatives of MIA and congratulate it to be a frontrunner in contributions towards Qatar’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and set a benchmark in GCC counties.”
The scope of activities included in assessing MIA’s carbon footprint included the operational impacts linked with electricity and water consumption, waste generation and visitors commute to the museum. In the assessment process, all major GHG emission sources were accounted by using international protocols.
Museum of Islamic Art
Founded in 2008, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) was one of the first projects initiated by QM. Designed by the renowned Chinese American architect I. M. Pei, the MIA is a globally acclaimed museum that stands majestically on Doha’s Corniche, with panoramic views of the city’s waterfront. The museum showcases Qatar’s world-class collections of Islamic art spanning some 1,400 years. Representing the full scope of Islamic art from the 7th to the 20th centuries, the MIA collection includes manuscripts, ceramics, metal, glass, ivory, textiles, wood, and precious stones. The works have been collected from three continents, including countries across the Middle East, and reaching as far as Spain and China. MIA presents a changing programme of exhibitions illustrating the heritage of the Islamic world, as well as extensive educational activities for school children and families, making the museum a vital part of the community. The MIA has become a popular museum in the region and internationally, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Dr. Julia Gonnella has served as director of the museum since 2017.
ABOUT QATAR MUSEUMS:
Qatar Museums is Qatar’s preeminent institution for art and culture dedicated to providing authentic cultural experiences through an expanding network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art and programming. It oversees the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, MIA Park, QM Gallery at Katara, ALRIWAQ DOHA Exhibition Space, the Al Zubarah World Heritage Site Visitor Centre, and archaeological projects throughout Qatar, as well as the development of future projects and museums that will highlight its collections across multiple areas of activity including Orientalist art, photography, sports, children's education, and wildlife conservation.
ABOUT GORD:
GORD is a non-profit organization spearheading MENA region’s sustainability milieu. Headquartered in Qatar Science and Technology Park, GORD drives the transformation of societies, industries, and the built environment by influencing corporate ethos, fostering innovation, and developing capacity to enable low-carbon sustainable growth for present and future generations. The organization’s key operations include R&D, standards setting, green buildings certification, accreditation services, voluntary carbon markets, performance testing, knowledge dissemination and advisory services on sustainability and climate change for governments, non-government, public and private sector organizations.
ABOUT DNV:
DNV is an independent assurance and risk management provider, operating in more than 100 countries. Through its broad experience and deep expertise DNV advances safety and sustainable performance, sets industry standards, and inspires and develops solutions. Whether assessing a new ship design, qualifying technology for a floating wind farm, certifying a food company's supply chain or safely managing risk in the rail sector, DNV enables its customers and their stakeholders to manage technological and regulatory complexity with confidence. Driven by its purpose, to safeguard life, property, and the environment, DNV helps its customers seize opportunities and tackle the risks arising from global transformations.