Saudi Arabia Is All Set To Enroute For A Green Future

According to the report, climate change is affecting humans beyond geographical boundaries, and the UN is urging countries around the world to reduce their emissions to ensure a brighter future for the coming generations.

The heat waves in Europe killed over 26,000 people in 2022, causing approximate losses amounting to a whopping $16 billion.

One of the biggest oil producers in the world is spreading climate change initiatives by setting new green goals, according to the report.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has understood the need to go green in the future and has rolled out several initiatives to ensure sustainability, both regionally and globally.

The SGI initiative was launched by the crown prince last year with the motto, "Climate action, energy security, and economic prosperity must be treated equally."

As mentioned in the report, since the launch of the SGI, Saudi Arabia has planted 18 million trees within the Kingdom, and of those, 13 million are mangroves.

The second edition of the SGI was organised in November on the sidelines of the UN climate change summit COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

The SGI forum at Sharm El-Sheikh presented a roadmap for the Kingdom’s climate action and the way in which it is planning to achieve net-zero goals by 2060.

During the event, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said, "The Kingdom is supporting climate initiatives within the Kingdom, as well as in developing countries that need a helping hand to ensure sustainability," the report added.

Under the goals outlined in SGI, the Kingdom will also plant more than 600 million trees by the end of this decade, an increase of more than 150 million over the initial aim.

"Saudi Arabia is taking environmental action on a national, regional, and international level," said Environment Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli during the SGI 2022.

A report says NEOM, the $500 billion megacity that is under construction in the Kingdom, has pledged that 1.5 million hectares of land would be rehabilitated and 100 million native trees, shrubs, and grasses planted by 2030.

Regionally, SGI plans to plant 50 billion trees across the Middle East and restore an area equivalent to 200 million hectares of degraded land, which will in turn reduce global carbon levels by 2.5 percent.

According to the report, Saudi Arabia’s SGI is not just working to achieve climate targets; it is also steadily steering the Kingdom to become a global leader in espousing a green future.

Earlier in October, during the Future Investment Initiative, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund completed its first-ever green bond issuance at a value of $3 billion, auctioning 1.4 million tonnes of carbon.

The report also mentioned Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry signed an agreement with Saudi Aramco to develop one of the largest planned carbon capture and storage hubs in the world in November.

The report concludes with some future plans under SGI, which include the ability to extract and store 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year in its initial phase. The plant is scheduled to open in 2027 in Jubail Industrial City.

The kingdom aims to store 44 million tonnes of coal a year by 2035.

Saudi Arabia also announced three more carbon capture pilot projects involving the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the NEOM smart city, the Saudi Electricity Company, Alsafwa Cement Company, Ma'aden, and Gulf Cryo during COP27.

To help planet Earth regain its lost beauty, more nations are expected to follow the Kingdom’s path as Saudi Arabia moves toward a sustainable future.

By Sumita Pawar