Renewable energy top climate change solution

The 18th annual conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will meet for the first time in the Gulf Region from the 26th of November till the 7th of December.
On this occasion, the German Embassy in Riyadh, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Green Gulf, and the German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs in Riyadh (GESALO/AHK Saudi Arabia) are organizing an exhibition on renewal energy.
The exhibition will provide an insight into the German renewable energy philosophy, as almost 20% of the electricity in Germany is now generated from renewable energy resources.
According to the organizers, the exhibition will take place at InterContinental Hotel from the 26th-28th of November in Riyadh. The exhibition will then move to Al-Khobar from the 30th of November till the 2nd of December, and finally make it to Jeddah from the 5th-7th of December.
Talking on this occasion, German Ambassador Dieter Haller said “Germany is taking a leading role on climate protection and renewable energy has evolved into a highly innovative sector in Germany”.
He said that given the abundance of solar energy in this region, solar power is among the most important types of renewable energy alternatives being promoted in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Government has announced an ambitious goal of reaching 41 GW of solar power generation capacity by 2032. In addition, 9 GW of wind energy capacity is also being envisaged.
Renewable energy is likely to become the world’s dominant climate change solution. It can also help conserve mineral resources as raw materials for the petrochemical industry, rather than extinguishing them in power generation.
In this context, the development of Green Gulf will be the first industrial initiative in the Arabian Peninsula to extend the solar energy value chain beyond the production of polysilicon. With a clear futuristic vision and a thorough understanding of the market needs, Green Gulf has taken the lead to push the new industry ahead; a step on the road to establishing a strong pillar for the Kingdom’s economy.
The Intercontinental Hotels Group has also underscored its commitment to contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability in its operations. The group has set itself several goals under its corporate social responsibility program.