RIYADH: When NASA’s Voyager 1 captured the mesmerizing photograph of earth from a distance of 6 billion km in 1990, the planet looked like a pale blue dot which was so beautiful and captivating.
But the harsh reality is that this “pale blue dot” in which humanity thrives may seem beautiful only from space and, what’s worse, the future seems increasingly uncertain as global warming and climate change stares us in the face.
The heat waves in Europe killed over 26,000 people in 2022 causing approximate losses amounting to a whopping $16 billion. On the other side, African countries that are meager contributors of carbon emissions are also facing the fallout of climate change.
FASTFACTS
- Since the launch of the SGI, Saudi Arabia has planted 18 million trees within the Kingdom and of those 13 million are mangroves.
- Along with its wider Middle East Green Initiative, SGI forum in 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.
- NEOM, the $500-billion megacity which 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.
- The PIF plans to invest more than $10 billion by 2026 in qualified green projects, including renewable energy, clean transportation and sustainable water management.
Climate-related issues are slowly pulling the earth to the verge of a tipping point where there could be no reversal to the past where the planet was green and blue.
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.
For its part Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest oil producers in the world, is spearheading climate change initiatives by setting new green goals.
Even though the Kingdom’s economy has been dependent on oil for several decades, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has understood the necessity of going green in the future and has rolled out several initiatives to ensure sustainability, both regionally and globally.
The Saudi Green Initiative
The Saudi Green Initiative was launched by the crown prince last year with the motto, “climate action, energy security and economic prosperity must be treated equally.”
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 organized in November on the sidelines of the UN climate change summit COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Along with its wider Middle East Green Initiative, 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 that the Kingdom is supporting climate initiatives within the Kingdom, as well as in developing countries that need a helping hand to ensure sustainability.
Under the goals outlined in SGI, Saudi Arabia aims to achieve the target of placing 30 percent of its land and sea territory under protection by 2030. 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.
The giga-projects in Saudi Arabia are also putting sustainability first, and they are also contributing to the Kingdom’s journey to ensure a greener future.
NEOM, the $500-billion megacity which 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.
The future is green
Saudi Arabia’s SGI is not just working to achieve climate targets, but it is also steadily steering the Kingdom to become a global leader in espousing a green future.
From embracing renewable energy to adopting carbon capture technologies, along with a vision to become the world’s largest exporter of hydrogen, the Kingdom has a long road ahead of it to ensure sustainability in all sectors.
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 tons of carbon.
The PIF also plans to invest more than $10 billion by 2026 in qualified green projects, including renewable energy, clean transportation and sustainable water management.
In November, 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.
The plant, scheduled to open in 2027 in Jubail Industrial City, will extract and store 9 million tons of carbon dioxide a year in its initial phase. The Kingdom aims to store 44 million tons a year by 2035.
What’s more, during COP27, Saudi Arabia also announced three more carbon capture pilot projects involving King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the NEOM smart city, the Saudi Electricity Company, Alsafwa Cement Company, Ma’aden and Gulf Cryo.
As Saudi Arabia moves toward a sustainable future, more nations are expected to follow the Kingdom’s path, helping planet earth regain some of its lost beauty.
