Qatar Airways sees the big picture about the environment

The exhibition called “enVision” is organised by “Doha Koottam”, a group of Indian photographers. It aims to highlight the unspoilt natural places of Qatar, while at the same time addresses environmental issues and raises public awareness to protect these hidden natural gems.  From the lush green mangrove plantation at Al Khor to the great natural wonder of Qatar – the beautiful inland sea – surrounded by glowing sand dunes and not to forget the country’s national symbol the Oryx antelope in the wild, visitors will be fascinated by the sheer variety of marvellous, mostly undiscovered sites Qatar has to offer.

The photographic exhibition kicks off on World Environment Day on June 5 – a major vehicle through which the United Nations (UN) seeks to raise awareness of the environment and boost political attention and action. This year’s theme is “Your planet needs you – unite to combat climate change”.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “We are delighted to support this photographic exhibition, which not only highlights Qatar’s natural heritage, but also gives us the opportunity to reflect on how important it is to care for the environment and preserve our pristine landscapes.”

“As an aviation industry leader, one of our key roles is to help lead the change towards environmental sustainability. The exhibition allows us to express our serious concern for the environment and allows us to make a genuine contribution to society as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programme,” he added.

The exhibition is yet another milestone in Qatar Airways’ environmental efforts, which are part of the airline’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme “The Oryx Flies Green”. Qatar Airways’ staff recently participated in a beach clean-up campaign to remove debris at Al Wakra beach, one of many activities where the airline is taking a proactive approach to environmental conservation.

To tackle climate change, another step towards a sustainable development was recently taken by Qatar Airways when the airline signed a ground-breaking agreement with the aviation industry body IATA to offer passengers’ choice to join a global carbon offset trading scheme designed to help fund global environmental projects.

This summer, while the IATA system is put in place, Qatar Airways’ passengers can choose to pay voluntarily a little extra when booking their tickets in order to offset the carbon footprint for the particular flight being taken, with proceeds going towards international programmes recognised by non-government organisations.

The IATA system calculates the carbon footprint for different flight sectors and passengers are able to select which of the many programmes to support with the extra they contribute.

A number of international community projects in developing nations will benefit from the programme, which is yet another committed move by Qatar Airways as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy.