Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Supreme Committee for Saudi Green, launched the first edition of the annual Saudi Green Initiative Forum in Riyadh, which focuses on launching new environmental initiatives for the Kingdom and monitoring the impact of previously announced initiatives, aiming to achieve the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative.
In his inaugural speech at the forum, the Crown Prince announced the launch of the first package of qualitative initiatives in the Kingdom to be a roadmap for environmental protection and tackling climate change challenges, which will contribute to achieving the ambitious targets of the Saudi Green Initiative. He revealed the Kingdom's commitment to joining the "Global Methane Pledge," aimed at reducing global methane emissions by 30%.
The Crown Prince noted that the Kingdom had launched initiatives in the energy sector that would reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030, representing a voluntary cut of more than double the previously announced targets for emissions reductions. He confirmed the start of the first phase of afforestation by planting over 450 million trees, rehabilitating 8 million hectares of degraded land, and designating new protected areas, bringing the total protected areas in the Kingdom to over 20% of its total area.
The Crown Prince emphasized his determination to transform Riyadh into one of the most sustainable cities globally. He announced the Kingdom's intention to join the Global Ocean Alliance, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste in the Oceans and Beaches, and the Sports for Climate Action Agreement, along with establishing a Global Center for Sustainable Tourism and a nonprofit organization for ocean exploration.
He also declared Saudi Arabia's goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 through a circular carbon economy approach, aligning with the Kingdom's developmental plans, promoting economic diversification, adhering to the "moving baseline," and preserving the Kingdom's leadership role in enhancing global energy market security and stability, while benefiting from mature and available technologies for managing and reducing emissions.
Furthermore, this first package of initiatives represents investments exceeding 700 billion riyals, contributing to green economic development, creating quality job opportunities, and providing significant investment opportunities for the private sector, in accordance with the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Over three days, Saudi Arabia showcased its plans to implement the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative by planting various types of trees to enhance the regional ecosystem.
The Saudi Green Initiative was first announced in March, ahead of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12, which aims to reach larger emission reductions to combat global warming, according to Reuters. The Paris Climate Agreement seeks to achieve environmental goals within global efforts to prevent the average global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
US Climate Envoy John Kerry is scheduled to attend a broader Green Summit in the Middle East hosted by Riyadh on Monday. Saudi Arabia commits to reducing carbon emissions by over 4% of global contributions through initiatives including generating 50% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and planting billions of trees in the desert country. Experts believe it is too early to assess the impact of emerging solar and wind projects in Saudi Arabia, which opened its first renewable energy plants in April and began electricity generation at its first wind farm in August.
The ambitious projects include the futuristic NEOM city, which has plans for green energy initiatives, including a hydrogen production facility costing five billion dollars, and state-linked Saudi entities are focusing on raising funds related to green projects.
