Doha, Qatar: Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) has announced launching the ‘Qatar Sustainability Awards’, established to commend the commitment and contributions of organisations in advancing sustainable development and environmental protection in Qatar and beyond.

The announcement revealed that the Awards are comprised of six categories: ‘Green Buildings’, for buildings constructed or remodelled in accordance with sustainability standards; ‘Green Hospitality’, open to hotels that apply sustainability best practices; ‘Green Service Provider’, honouring construction companies committed to sustainability; ‘Sustainability Initiatives’, recognising start-ups furthering sustainability within societies; ‘Building Products & Technologies’, technologies that contribute to the Green Building industry and ‘Applied Green Research’, recognising completed research projects that have released significant research findings.

The award categories, the announcement said, are open to all organisations operating in the region, including public and private sector enterprises, associations, consultants and industry practitioners.

The announcement informed that all nominations are to be submitted by October 20, 2016, and will be reviewed by an expert panel of judges comprised of senior sustainability practitioners and academics. Shortlisted nominations, the announcement said, will be made known on October 30. It added that the winners will be announced at the Qatar Green Building Council Conference, taking place from November 13 to 15, 2016.

“In recent years, the sustainability movement in Qatar has really begun to gain traction, with more organisations across all sectors actively seeking out ways to advance their sustainability practices,” said Meshal Al Shamari, QGBC Director. “We believe it’s time that these efforts are brought to light and given the recognition they deserve. ‘The Qatar Sustainability Awards’ also serve to raise awareness about sustainability and encourage the wider community to do their part towards building a greener future.”

Hamoda Yousef, Head of Communications at QGBC, added: “Through the six award categories, and several sub-categories, we have comprehensively covered all sectors and practices most relevant to the industry. We anticipate receiving a host of nominations that will no doubt make for an exciting and competitive selection process. QGBC looks forward to learning about and celebrating outstanding initiatives that are making great strides towards sustainability. We welcome nominations and wish all nominees the best of luck.”

The Council informed that nominations can be submitted at: http://qatargbc.org/conference/awards.