ESG Advisory in Qatar

Turn ESG from a compliance obligation into a genuine source of value.

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Your ESG advisor in Qatar

At BDO in Qatar, we believe ESG is both a strategic opportunity and a governance imperative. Organisations today are expected to create measurable environmental and social impact while maintaining strong transparency and accountability standards. A well-structured ESG framework supports sustainable growth, strengthens stakeholder confidence and enhances long-term competitiveness.

In Qatar’s investment-led economy — particularly across energy, infrastructure, construction, aviation and capital-intensive sectors — ESG expectations are increasingly embedded into financing discussions, investor due diligence processes and public sector procurement requirements.

Our ESG engagements are partner-led and designed to deliver measurable outcomes, ensuring that sustainability initiatives are integrated into core business strategy rather than treated as standalone reporting exercises. A team of 12 senior-level ESG advisors supports clients across banking, financial services, oil and gas, aluminium, steel, power and real estate.

How BDO Qatar can assist you

We provide a comprehensive range of ESG solutions tailored to an organisation's level of maturity, from initial strategy through to independent assurance. Our team brings extensive cross-industry experience supporting ESG initiatives across sectors including banking, financial services, insurance, oil and gas, real estate, hospitality, healthcare, automotive, logistics and retail.

ESG strategy and framework development

An effective ESG strategy allows organisations to achieve their desired short, medium and long term ESG goals through a systematic roadmap, built on a clear understanding of what matters most to the business and its stakeholders.

BDO Qatar helps you to:

  • Perform an ESG gap assessment to understand your current state
  • Develop your ESG vision and mission statements
  • Set measurable and feasible ESG targets and goals
  • Develop an ESG roadmap and governance framework
  • Define the roles of the Board, senior management, compliance and risk management

Materiality assessment and stakeholder engagement

Materiality assessment identifies the ESG topics that matter most to your business and its stakeholders, forming the foundation for a credible ESG strategy and reporting process.

BDO Qatar helps you to:

  • Conduct materiality assessments aligned with GRI Universal Standards
  • Engage internal and external stakeholders to validate priority ESG topics
  • Benchmark material topics against sector and regional peers
  • Translate materiality outcomes into ESG strategy and reporting priorities

ESG reporting

ESG reporting is a systematic tool for organisations to disclose their ESG vision, commitments, strategies and performance to a wide range of stakeholders. It builds trust and strengthens reputation, but requires significant stakeholder engagement and reliable data collection across multiple sites to produce accurate, credible reports.

ESG reports should be developed in line with recognised frameworks and standards such as GRI Standards and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards. In Qatar, applicable sustainability reporting requirements depend on an organisation's regulatory perimeter. Listed companies should consider Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) ESG guidance and Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) sustainability reporting and governance requirements. Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has issued a Sustainability Reporting Framework for financial institutions aligned with IFRS S1 and IFRS S2, while the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) has introduced Corporate Sustainability Reporting Rules for firms within its scope.

BDO Qatar helps you to:

  • Develop the theme and structure of your ESG report
  • Collect ESG data from multiple sites and stakeholders
  • Align disclosures with GRI Standards and IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards
  • Support alignment with applicable QSE, QFMA, QCB and QFCRA sustainability reporting requirements
  • Build reliable, repeatable data collection and reporting processes
  • Assess whether ESG data and emissions calculation systems are needed

ESG in deals

ESG is increasingly a factor in deal value, risk and investor confidence. Whether raising capital, acquiring a target or preparing for a public listing on the Qatar Stock Exchange, organisations and investors need ESG due diligence that identifies risk and value creation opportunities before terms are set.

BDO Qatar helps you to:

  • Conduct ESG due diligence on acquisition targets and investments
  • Assess ESG risk exposure and value creation opportunities ahead of transactions
  • Support investor readiness with ESG roadmap alignment
  • Advise on ESG considerations for QSE listings and capital raising

Capacity building

ESG only becomes embedded when it is understood and owned across the organisation, rather than held within a single function. Capacity building equips the Board, senior management and operational teams with the knowledge and practical skills needed to make ESG part of everyday decision making.

BDO Qatar helps you to:

  • Deliver ESG training for Board members, senior management and operational teams
  • Define ESG ownership and accountability across departments
  • Build in-house ESG capability and reduce reliance on external expertise over time
  • Embed ESG considerations into procurement and operational processes

Who we serve

  • Financial services — sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, banks, asset managers and investment holding companies navigating investor and lender ESG expectations
  • Oil and gas — organisations managing decarbonisation commitments and regional energy transition constraints
  • Aluminium (upstream and downstream) — companies balancing production intensity with emissions disclosure requirements
  • Steel — organisations preparing for supply chain and carbon reporting scrutiny
  • Power and electricity — utilities managing regulatory reporting and stakeholder accountability

Why BDO Qatar

  • A team of 12 senior-level ESG specialists with cross-industry experience
  • A partner-led approach that provides senior-level involvement throughout the engagement
  • Two decades in the Qatari market, with BDO Qatar established in 2005
  • Audit heritage that underpins credible, assurance-ready ESG advisory
  • Deep familiarity with QFMA, QSE and QCB disclosure and governance requirements
  • Experience across financial services, oil and gas, aluminium, steel, power and real estate

Meet our BDO Qatar ESG advisors

Bringing over 20 years of combined experience across asset managers, investment holding companies, oil and gas sector, aluminium upstream and downstream companies, steel, power and electricity

Common ESG questions Qatari businesses face

What ESG topics are material to our organisation?

Materiality is organisation-specific. It depends on sector, stakeholder expectations and regulatory exposure, including alignment with QFMA governance requirements. BDO Qatar runs structured materiality assessments that combine stakeholder engagement with industry benchmarking to identify the ESG topics most relevant to your business.

How do we establish reliable ESG data collection and reporting processes?

Reliable reporting starts with a clear data ownership structure across departments, supported by defined data points, consistent collection cycles and, where volumes justify it, dedicated ESG data management tools. BDO Qatar helps design and implement these processes so reporting is accurate and aligned with QSE guidance.

What are the expectations from regulators around ESG in Qatar?

QFMA, QSE and QCB have each raised ESG expectations in recent years, from QFMA's updated Governance Code to QCB's mandatory ESG reporting requirements for banks and regulated institutions, with broader alignment to IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 underway. BDO Qatar tracks these developments and helps organisations stay ahead of requirements rather than reacting to them.

To what extent should we adopt voluntary ESG practices, and how do we benefit?

Voluntary practices ahead of a regulatory deadline position organisations favourably with investors, lenders and increasingly regulation-conscious customers, and can reduce the cost of later compliance. QSE's ESG guidance is currently voluntary but expected to become mandatory, so early adoption can provide a genuine advantage. BDO Qatar helps assess which voluntary practices deliver the most value for your sector and stage of maturity.

How do we integrate ESG into existing procurement and operational processes?

Integration works best when ESG criteria are incorporated into existing processes and approval gates, rather than managed through a separate parallel system. BDO Qatar helps identify the right integration points across procurement and operations.

How do we navigate regional ESG challenges, such as limited fossil fuel alternatives and reliance on private transport?

These constraints are common across the region and require pragmatic, phased targets rather than approaches copied from other markets. BDO Qatar helps organisations set realistic ESG roadmaps that reflect Qatar's infrastructure, energy mix and operating environment.

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esg in qatar

Where are you on your ESG journey?

From first strategy to independent assurance, our team meets you at the right stage.

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