This was during a press conference held on the sidelines of Round One of the 2021 Qatar Classic Squash Championship, in the presence of HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie.
The importance of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment's 'Plant a Million Trees' initiative was emphasised during the press conference, in addition to the implementation of a number of initiatives aimed at promoting co-operation between the MME and the QTSBF.
Zainal said that the federation, under the presidency of HE Nasser bin Ghanim al-Khelaifi, extends thanks to the ministry for its efforts.
He said that signing the MoU stems from the federation's keenness on helping to make the initiative a success.
The federation will immediately carry out the initiative, in addition to other programmes aimed at promoting sustainable development, which is one of the main pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Zainal revealed that initiatives have already begun to be implemented through the introduction of electronic tickets, referring to a plan that will be implemented during the next five years by relying on electric cars and helping in recycling.
He stressed the important role of sports federations in the initiatives that are aimed at preserving the environment, and revealed that the federation has a vision to engage international sports stars who come to Doha in the 'Plant a Million Trees' initiative, to emphasise the value of planting trees as part of the efforts to make Qatar pollution-free.
For his part, al-Mohannadi said that signing the MoU represents a great opportunity for both sides, noting the ministry's keenness to spread environmental culture and awareness.
He said the ministry aims to organise carbon-neutral tournaments, and use environmentally friendly transport, including electric buses, in addition to other important initiatives, such as spreading environmental awareness, incorporating optimal waste management, re-sorting and recycling, using electronic tickets instead of paper to reduce the use of paper, and cut the use of plastic.
He stressed the significance of the 'Plant a Million Trees', noting that the ministry has succeeded through this initiative in planting half a million trees so far, as part of the Qatar's efforts to confront climate change.
He added that the ministry aims to increase awareness of society towards the environment in order to achieve a clean environment, pointing to the participation of several state institutions as well as private companies in the initiative, in addition to the interaction by the community.
Al-Mohannadi noted that the ministry seeks to increase the number of trees planted as part of the initiative ahead of the World Cup Qatar 2022, praising the efforts made by various sports federations, including Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation, in engaging in this initiative. (QNA)