Saudi initiatives & Plans to Go Green catch eyes at Cop 27
The COP27 climate conference held in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh this week witnessed the launch of the second edition of two green initiatives by Saudi Arabia.
In October 2021, the Kingdom launched its initiatives to achieve green goals, which included a package of investments amounting to SAR 700 billion ($186.62 billion) to develop the green economy.
Saudi Arabia aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, and reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030.
The two initiatives are the second edition of the Green Middle East Initiative summit and the second edition of the Saudi Green Initiative forum.
On October 25, 2021, Saudi Arabia held the first summit of the Green Middle East Initiative in the capital, Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia is scheduled to hold the second summit of the initiative, on November 7, during the COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh.
The initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions in the region by more than 10% compared to global contributions. It also aims to reduce carbon emissions from oil production operations in the Middle East by more than 60%.
It also aims to plant 50 billion trees in the Middle East, which is the largest tree-planting program in the world. It includes the planting of 10 billion trees within the Kingdom and the planting of 40 billion trees across the region over the coming decades.
The initiative’s data indicates that planting this number of trees will stabilize the soil, protect against floods and dust storms, and reduce carbon emissions around the world by 2.5%.
Among the most prominent countries supporting this initiative are Egypt, the Emirates, Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Chad, Djibouti, and Tanzania.
It is also supported by the US, Russia, China, the UK, France, Italy, Greece, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, India, and Sweden.
Through this initiative, Saudi Arabia seeks to mitigate the repercussions of climate change on the countries of the Middle East, expand regional cooperation and establish an infrastructure capable of reducing emissions and protecting the environment.
The Kingdom affirms that sustainable development resulting from the Middle East Initiative will lead to advancing economic diversification, providing job opportunities, and stimulating private sector investments.
The Kingdom also intends to launch the second edition of the Green Saudi Initiative forum under the slogan “From Ambition to Action” on November 11-12 during the activities of the Climate Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Through the initiative, Saudi Arabia aims to plant 10 billion trees throughout the Kingdom and raise the percentage of protected areas in the Kingdom to 30%. It also aims to reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030.
