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Qatar Sectors

What is Qatarʼs pathway to limit global warming to 1.5°C?

After Russia and Iran, Qatar holds the world’s third largest fossil gas reserves in the world and is one of the largest suppliers of liquified natural gas (LNG).17 The industry sector has grown rapidly in Qatar in the past two decades as the sector accounted for 44% of total final energy consumption in 2018.6

Energy-related emissions from the industry sector rose eight-fold between 1990 and 2019 reaching about 50 MtCO₂ in 2019.4 At the same time, process-related emissions rose more than six-fold from 2 MtCO₂e/yr in 1990 to 13 MtCO₂e/yr in 2017. In 1.5°C compatible pathways, energy-related CO₂ emissions in Qatar’s industry sector would need to decline to 13 MtCO2 in 2030 and 3–4 MtCO₂ in 2050. The share of electricity in the industry sector would need to increase from 12% in 2019 to 18–19% in 2030, and 36–60% in 2050.

Currently, Qatar is dramatically ramping up fossil gas production and undercutting competitors to cement its status as one of the top LNG suppliers in the world with a huge expansion plan.18 As part of its climate goals, under the state-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy’s Sustainability Strategy, the company outlines that it will take measures to reduce the carbon intensity of its LNG facilities by 25% and upstream operations by 15% compared to 2013 levels by 2030, partly by eliminating flaring and increasing the carbon capture and storage (CCS) capacity of LNG operations.11 However, the planned fossil gas expansion would lead to a rise in both energy and process-related emissions from the industry sector, raising the risk of asset stranding and undermining Qatar’s contribution to global efforts under the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5°C. While Qatar’s strategy relies heavily on capturing emissions through the use of CCS technologies, these are not currently available at scale, require high investment costs and are inherently risky.

1 State of Qatar. Nationally Determined Contribution. 2021. NDC.pdf

2 US.Energy Information Administration. Country Analysis: Qatar. 2015.

3 World Bank. GDP (current 2010 US$) dataset. 2021.

4 Gütschow, J.; Günther, A.; Jeffery, L.; Gieseke, R. The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1850-2018) (Version 2.2). Preprint at doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4479172 (2021).

5 Our World in Data. Where in the world do people emit the most CO2? 2019.

6 International Energy Agency. Energy data and statistics. 2021.

7 Sayeed, M. 2016. Qatar’s National Emission Inventory. Academia. 2016.

8 Krarti, M., Ali, F., Alaidroos, A. & Houchati, M. Macro-economic benefit analysis of large scale building energy efficiency programs in Qatar. International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment 6, 597–609 (2017).

9 IRENA. Regional Trends. 2022.

10 International Renewable Energy Agency. Statistics Time Series. 2021.

11 QatarEnergy. Sustainability Report 2020. 2020. 2020 Sustainability Report.pdf

12 International Trade Administration. Qatar Electric Vehicles Challenges and Opportunities. 2021.

13 IEA. CO2 Emissions Statistics. 2019.

14 Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. Qatar Second National Development Strategy 2018-2022. 2018.

15 Hassabou, A. M. & Khan, M. A. Energy Efficient & Sustainable Buildings: Integration with solar assisted air-conditioning technology in Qatar-A Step towards Grid Free Zero Carbon Living. (2018) doi:10.18086/eurosun2018.06.15.

16 Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. Qatar Second National Development Strategy 2018~2022. 2018.

17 Gas Exporting Countries Forum. Qatar (Member). 2019.

18 Bloomberg. King of LNG Undercuts Rivals to Keep Dominating World Market. 2021.

19 BBC News. Qatar Crisis: What you need to know. 2017.

20 Al-Buenain, A. et al. The Adoption of Electric Vehicles in Qatar Can Contribute to Net Carbon Emission Reduction but Requires Strong Government Incentives. Vehicles 3, 618–635 (2021).

21 International Trade Administration. Qatar Electric Vehicles Challenges and Opportunities. Market Intelligence. 2021.

Qatarʼs energy mix in the industry sector

petajoule per year

Scaling
SSP1 Low CDR reliance
2019203020402050400600800
SSP1 High CDR reliance
2019203020402050400600800
Low energy demand
2019203020402050400600800
High energy demand - Low CDR reliance
2019203020402050400600800
  • Natural gas
  • Coal
  • Oil and e-fuels
  • Biofuel
  • Biogas
  • Biomass
  • Hydrogen
  • Electricity
  • Heat

Qatarʼs industry sector direct CO₂ emissions (of energy demand)

MtCO₂/yr

Unit
102030405019902010203020502070
  • Historical emissions
  • SSP1 High CDR reliance
  • SSP1 Low CDR reliance
  • High energy demand - Low CDR reliance
  • Low energy demand

Qatarʼs GHG emissions from industrial processes

MtCO₂e/yr

0510152019902010203020502070
  • SSP1 Low CDR reliance
  • SSP1 High CDR reliance
  • Low energy demand
  • High energy demand - Low CDR reliance
  • Historical emissions

1.5°C compatible industry sector benchmarks

Direct CO₂ emissions, direct electrification rates, and combined shares of electricity, hydrogen and biomass from illustrative 1.5°C pathways for Qatar

Indicator
2019
2030
2040
2050
Decarbonised industry sector by
Direct CO₂ emissions
MtCO₂/yr
50
13
6
3 to 4
2054 to 2055
Relative to reference year in %
−74%
−88 to −87%
−94 to −92%
Indicator
2019
2030
2040
2050
Share of electricity
Percent
12
18 to 19
26 to 41
36 to 60
Share of electricity, hydrogren and biomass
Percent
12
22 to 23
29 to 53
42 to 84

Footnotes