Doha, January 26 (QNA) - The National Planning Council (NPC), represented by the National Statistics Center, has launched Monday the National Workshop on Circular Economy Indicators, in cooperation with the GCC Statistical Center.

The four-day workshop is being held on Jan. 26-29, and brings together 80 experts and specialists representing more than 18 national entities concerned with environmental, economic and development affairs.

The workshop was inaugurated by Director of Social and Environmental Statistics Department at the National Statistics Center Ibrahim Hamad Al Mohannadi. In his opening remarks, he highlighted the importance of integrating environmental, economic and social statistics to support the transformation towards a prosperous circular economy. He said: "This workshop represents a practical step toward moving from conceptual understanding to an integrated statistical system that supports the assessment of policy and program impacts. The success of developing circular economy indicators depends on data quality, data integration, and close collaboration among national entities."

"The circular economy concept aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy, both of which aim to balance between economic and social development and environmental protection. It also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, where circular economy indicators form a core component," he added.

The workshop aims to enhance institutional awareness of the circular economy and its role in reducing emissions, minimizing waste, and improving the efficiency of production and consumption chains, thereby supporting the sustainability of Qatar's natural resources. It also seeks to build the technical capacities of national cadres in measuring and analyzing circular economy data and developing national indicators based on methodologies adopted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Throughout the four days, the workshop will discuss several key themes, including the global framework for circular economy indicators, national policies and measures, technical cooperation with international organizations, data sources, and approaches to enhance the technical capacities of national entities in data collection and analysis in line with international methodologies. These discussions aim to improve integration across environmental, economic and social data, and to support the production of indicators required for international reports.

The workshop also features a panel discussion on mechanisms for implementing the circular economy in the State of Qatar, with participation from representatives of the Ministry of Municipality, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and the Public Works Authority. The session will address the management of waste generated by infrastructure projects, the challenges associated with its management, and the role of national policies and incentives in encouraging investment in recycling-based industries.

This workshop is part of the NPC's ongoing efforts to enhance institutional awareness of circular economy concepts and to empower national institutions to use indicators in analyzing policies related to sustainable consumption and resource management. It also aims to foster innovation in resource management in line with global best practices, contributing to the development of national policies that support the transformation to a prosperous circular economy in alignment with the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy (2024-2030). (QNA)