Saudi Crown prince launches the first package of environmental initiatives with SAR 700 billion
The inaugural edition of the annual forum of the Green Saudi Initiative was opened in Riyadh by Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Green Saudi Arabia.
The Crown Prince announced the launch of the first package of qualitative initiatives in the Kingdom to serve as a road map for protecting the environment and confronting the challenges of climate change in his opening speech to the Green Saudi Initiative Forum, revealing that the Kingdom has joined the “global pledge in The Methane Action” aimed at reducing global methane emissions by 30%.
He said that the Kingdom has begun energy-related efforts that will decrease carbon emissions by 278 million tons per year by 2030, which would be a voluntary reduction of more than twice the Kingdom’s proclaimed emission reduction objectives.
He announced the commencement of the first phase of afforestation projects, which included planting over 450 million trees, repairing 8 million hectares of damaged land, and designating additional protected lands, increasing the Kingdom’s total protected area to more than 20% of its total area.
The Crown Prince emphasized his commitment to making Riyadh one of the world’s most sustainable cities.
He declared the Kingdom’s plan to join the World Ocean Union, the Alliance to Eliminate Plastic Waste in Oceans and Beaches, and the Sport for Climate Action Agreement, as well as construct a worldwide center for tourist sustainability and a non-profit foundation for ocean exploration.
The Crown Prince also stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 through a circular economy approach, in line with the Kingdom’s development plans, enabling economic diversification, and in line with the “moving baseline,” while maintaining the Kingdom’s leadership role in enhancing security and stability.
Following the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, he continued, this initial package of initiatives comprises investments worth more than 700 billion riyals, will contribute to the growth of the green economy, the creation of high-quality jobs, and large-scale private-sector investment possibilities.
Saudi Arabia will announce its intentions to implement the Green Saudi Initiative and the Green Middle East Initiative over three days, including the planting of a variety of tree species to improve the region’s ecology.
