Gulf State of Qatar to host COP 18

With this year’s COP 17 in full swing; Christina Figueres, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has announced that next years COP 18 event will be staged in the oil-rich Gulf State of Qatar.

Tweeting from Durban, the UN’s chief climate official publicized the decision to choose Qatar ahead of South Korea, who was also in the running to hold the prestigious 2012 conference. However, South Korea will now be the setting for the preliminary talks between government leaders in the lead up to the main event.

Choosing Qatar to hold the UNFCCC's 18th meeting could be seen as a surprising choice given the fact that the nation remains the world’s biggest emitter per capita of carbon dioxide. With a population of just 1.67 million, the average Qatari emits 53.5 metric tonnes a year. This figure represents a total that is three times more than inhabitants of the United States, 10 times more than China, 36 times more than India and 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide more than the United Arab Emirates, the second highest emitter per capita behind Qatar.

“This has been a very, very intense conversation between both countries,” commented Figueres, in reference to the healthy competition between the two Asian countries over the past two years. “It is win-win agreement for both countries, but above all it is an important win for the climate process,” she added.

Holding COP 18 in Qatar will be seen as a major coup for the nation in its bid to gain global recognition through the hosting of major events and conferences. Last year, Qatar was announced as the host nation of the 2022 FIFA football World Cup.

 

Image 01: Joi Ito | Flickr

Image 02: Sjdunphy | Flickr