Kingdom renews commitment to green cause

World leaders pose for a family photo at the UN Climate Change Conference 2016 (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco, on Tuesday. (Reuters)

MARRAKECH: Saudi Arabia has reiterated its commitment to work toward mitigating the effect of contributors to climate change at the 22nd UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech after the complete ratification of the Paris Convention.
Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Khalid Al-Falih said: “I am pleased to announce that Saudi Arabia has completed the ratification of the procedures of the Paris Convention, which underlines Saudi Arabia’s firm commitment to address the problem of climate change.”
He added: “In this regard, we stress the importance of increasing investment in research and development to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel extraction and consumption, very necessary to achieve the environmental objectives that have been agreed upon at the Paris Conference.”
The minister added that Saudi Arabia remains committed to meeting the world’s energy needs through a gradual shift toward a more sustainable environmental future, yet this transformation “must remain economically viable.”
Al-Falih led the Saudi delegation to the Marrakech conference.
He said that Saudi Arabia shares the international community’s concerns and endeavors to address the challenges posed by climate change and its impact.