The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) won the ‘Government Sustainability Initiative’ Award presented by the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), a member of the Qatar Foundation, during the Annual Qatar Sustainability Awards Ceremony held on March 4. Ashghal won the award for applying best environmental practices in projects implementation works, said a statement.
Director of QGBC, Eng Meshal Al Shamari, handed over the award to Eng. Salem Al Shawi, Assistant Manager of the Roads Projects Department at Ashghal. The award comes in the context of the department’s efforts in the field of sustainability.
The Qatar Sustainability Awards, launched by the Qatar Green Building Council, aims to honor the contributions of individuals and institutions in supporting sustainable development and their commitment to implementing initiatives that enhance sustainability and protect the environment inside and outside of Qatar.
On this occasion, Eng. Salem Al Shawi, Assistant Manager of the Roads Projects Department at Ashghal, said: “Promoting sustainability and recycling is an essential goal within Ashghal’s Corporate Strategy 2018-2022, which is in line with the efforts of various institutions and in various fields towards a better future for next generations and to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030 sustainable development goals aimed at achieving a balance between economic growth and environment preservation, especially in light of the growing environmental challenges around the world.”
Eng. Salem Al Shawi said: “We appreciate the efforts of the Qatar Green Building Council to shed light on government initiatives in Qatar, as this has an important impact in educating the community and encouraging more entities to engage in activities related to sustainability and intensify cooperation in this field.”
The ‘Government Sustainability Initiative’ Award comes in recognition of Ashghal’s efforts in the field of environmental sustainability, and in the context of several initiatives by the authority within the roads and infrastructure projects implemented by the Roads Projects Department.
Through these projects, asphalt is recycled and used in the asphalt foundation layer of roads under construction, with a percentage of not less than 15 percent of this layer, which contributes to reducing the waste of implementation works and reducing emissions resulting from the transfer of old asphalt to landfills.
The department also uses old tyres’ crumb rubber in the asphalt surface layer, to produce modified bitumen and use it in asphalt mixtures, which reduces the carbon footprint of the asphalt, increases its flexibility and increases the life of the road.
SOURCE: THEPENINSULAQATAR