Doha, February 21 (QNA) - HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al-Thani affirmed Tuesday that the issue of climate change is a priority for the State of Qatar at the local and global levels, pointing to the steps and initiatives taken by the state in this field.

During the opening session of the International Conference on Climate Change and Human Rights, which kicked off today, His Excellency said that the issue of climate change is a priority for the State of Qatar, as it has taken ambitious measures over the past years to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030 in protecting the environment and limiting the effects of climate change.

His Excellency stressed that the State of Qatar adopted a clear and balanced approach in addressing the phenomenon of climate change in light of the Qatar National Vision 2030, and the motives it carries for progress and acceleration of development, in order to achieve environmental, social and economic sustainability, making many efforts in various sectors.

In pursuit of achieving the goals of the strategic plan for the environment, a national plan for climate change has been developed, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from all sectors by 2030, His Excellency added.

His Excellency pointed out that the National Climate Change Action Plan 2030 (NCCAP) identified more than 35 initiatives to reduce emissions and more than 300 initiatives to adapt to the effects of climate change as part of achieving the effective measures set to achieve the plan, which include clear and specific implementation plans.

HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change also pointed out that the State of Qatar highlighted its nationally determined contributions to the climate, which reflect the level of ambition it seeks to achieve in the field of reducing total emissions, and give a transparent picture of the approach and actions taken to achieve adaptation to climate change and mitigate its effects.

Qatar will continue to work towards translating the commitments contained in the Paris climate agreement, His Excellency said.

At the global level, His Excellency explained that the State of Qatar sought to take the initiative in the Summit for Climate Action, which was held in New York in September 2019, where HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani announced the State of Qatar's USD 100 million contribution to support small island developing states and least developed countries to deal with climate change, natural hazards and environmental challenges, and build capacity to face their devastating effects, as this contributes to preserving human rights from the effects of climate change.

In a related context, HE the Minister drew attention to the State of Qatar's preparations to host the fifth United Nations conference on the least developed countries next month to reduce the negative effects of climate change.

His Excellency indicated at the beginning of his speech that the phenomenon of climate change is one of the serious challenges of our time, and it is a constantly growing problem, and poses many problems that are intertwined in their economic, environmental and social dimensions, and have extremely dangerous negative repercussions on all forms of life, including human life, specially on the paths of sustainable development that all peoples aspire to.

His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al-Thani also drew attention to the effects of climate change and measures to address them on human rights, such as the right to life, the right to water and sanitation services, the right to food, health, housing and development.

His Excellency stressed that states have an obligation in the field of human rights to address the expected negative effects of climate change, and to ensure that people affected by it, especially those in vulnerable situations, have access to compensation and effective means of adaptation to live a decent life.

At the end of his speech, His Excellency hoped that this conference would achieve the desired goals, and that it would be an opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices to confront the risks posed by the phenomenon of climate change and its impact on human rights. (QNA)