OREANDA-NEWS. November 15, 2013. Qatar Petroleum (QP) and the Dubai Carbon Center of Excellence (DCCE) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that establishes a clear framework of communication and effective coordination between the two parties to strengthen their strategic partnership. The agreement will also foster an institutional system of framework that would lead to mutual cooperation to serve all segments of society, thus reflecting on the process of sustainable development in both countries.

The MOU was signed by Mr. Saif Saed Al-Naimi, Director of the HSE Regulations and Enforcement Directorate of QP, and Engr. Waleed Ali Ahmed Salman, Chairman of the DCCE.

His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, welcomed the signing of the MOU, highlighting its importance in promoting sustainable development and in opening the way for the exchange of experiences between QP and DCCE. His Excellency said this cooperation would contribute to creating initiatives that will enhance energy consumption efficiency, and lead to innovative solutions to climate change challenges.

H.E. Dr. Al-Sada stressed the importance placed by the State of Qatar on sustainability and climate change issues, as well as on its role in consolidating best practices within the framework of achieving its strategic objectives, which include rationalizing energy consumption and reducing carbon emissions.

In his comments on the occasion, H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, said that the DCCE looks forward to working with Qatar Petroleum to develop a regional network that will support the economy according to the principles of sustainable development, to raise the efficiency of energy consumption and resources, as well as to monitor global trends and to evaluate opportunities of developing it locally.

“This MOU complements the recent success of the State of Qatar in hosting the 18th Conference of Parties (COP 18) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which has extended the Kyoto Protocol for a new period. It also supports what the Qatari capital Doha has achieved by opening a new gateway to take the lead in creating and developing new market mechanisms and in building a green and sustainable infrastructure, which certainly requires many initiatives for it to completed successfully and to meet international and domestic expectations,” H.E Al Tayer added.

For his part, Engr. Salman expressed his delight on the signing of a cooperation agreement with Qatar Petroleum, saying: “This MOU represents a pioneering step to achieve a set of important goals, which would pave the way for the exchange of knowledge, expertise and institutional experiences between the DCCE and QP at all the levels and will help to broaden and disseminate the concepts, skills and applications of intellectual creativity and innovation.”

He also stressed on the consolidation of the principle of transparency as a fundamental principle for the management of the partnership between both parties. “Through this partnership, the exchange of expertise will lead to the effective management of clean energy projects, which will reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency. It will also create a platform for introducing pioneering initiatives and creative projects to protect the environment and to deal with climate change issues with sustainable plans according to global best practices,” he added.

Engr. Salman also pointed out that through this MOU, there will be initiatives to promote national and institutional capacity, and it will also provide the opportunity to create new platforms to add financial resources through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) within the framework of partnerships between the public and private sectors. He said that this will lead to the launch of a variety of developmental initiatives so as to promote a culture of innovation and excellence to improve environmental performance, reduce the consumption of resources and promote the implementation of best practices.
 
In his comments on the signing of the MOU, Mr. Saif Saed Al-Naimi, Director of QP’s HSE Regulations and Enforcement Directorate, said that the MOU will enable both parties to work towards an effective partnership that will be mutually beneficial, promote opportunities for growth, and support the institutional development efforts. He added that both QP and the DCCE will exchange institutional knowledge and experiences as well as disseminate concepts and skills related to the application of creativity and innovative thinking. Activating their joint action will improve their operations, simplify procedures, develop customers’ services, and maximize benefits for the community.

The DCCE is a partnership between the public and private sectors in Dubai and is linked with global organizations, such as the United Nations, to strengthen its expertise in providing integrated consulting services in the field of carbon emissions reductions. The center is under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, which is the main supporter of the Emirates’ Green Development Strategy, which was announced in January 2012 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

QP, on the other hand, is a state-owned public corporation that is responsible for all phases of the oil and gas industry in the State of Qatar. The principal activities of QP, its subsidiaries and joint ventures are the exploration, production, local and international sale of crude oil, natural gas and gas liquids, refined products, synthetic fuels, petrochemicals, fuel additives, fertilizers, liquefied natural gas (LNG), steel and aluminum.