Yaşam döngüsünün devam etmesi ve doğal kaynakların korunması için hiç kuşkusuz sürdürülebilirlik önemlidir. Bu nedenle, kaynakların tükenmesi, iklim değişiklikleri, küresel ısınma ve diğer zararlar dahil olmak üzere maddi çevresel zararlara neden olan inşaat, yapılaşma, imalat, hafriyat ve diğer işleri üstlenirken çevresel gereklilikler göz ardı edilemez.
In 2010, the Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD) and the Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania (T.C. Chan) collaborated to create the Global Sustainability Assessment System in Qatar. This collaborative effort sought to reduce urban environmental impacts while simultaneously satisfying societal needs.
This system, instead of relying on a single economic indicator, take into account the social, economic, environmental, and cultural features of the society—all of which vary from region to region.
The standards of the GSAS certificate consist of 8 sections:
In 2010, Qatar included "QSAS" in the Qatar Building Code. Now, public and private sector projects must obtain the "QSAS" certificate that includes 140 mechanisms for sustainability and is divided into 8 sections including urban communication, site, energy, water, materials, internal environment, economic value, culture, management, and operation.
Each one of these sections works on measuring a specific feature of the environmental impact of the project. Each section consists of specific standards that evaluate and indicate a specific subject, then, a score is assigned to each section according to compatibility degree.
Noteworthy, there are common points between Arabic sustainability codes, such as the preservation of water and energy. There are also differential points in the assessment of some items due to the specifications differences of every country, as well as the need for the government's support to encourage applying sustainability in construction projects.