Jeddah: Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Amir Mohammed bin Salman, said that the plan to green the Middle East requires continuous cooperation of the countries in the region. The Crown Prince was speaking at the ‘Green Middle East Initiative’ summit held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Achieving global climate goals and their swift implementation within the framework of international agreements requires active contributions by member states. The project strives to support regional efforts and cooperation among countries to reduce or completely eliminate emissions of more than 6,700 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The second objective of the initiative is to plant 5,000 crore trees across the region. 2,000 lakh hectares of degraded land can be reclaimed through the project. The crown prince said it would also help reduce carbon emissions by 2.5 percent from the current global rate.
Planting 5,000 crore trees will help combat desertification, reduce dust storms and protect the Earth from the environmental, social and economic impacts of degradation.
Saudi Arabia is leading the efforts to achieve this goal through the framework agreed by the founding member states at the regional ministerial meeting hosted by Riyadh in October 2020.
Saudi Arabia will host a Green Middle East Initiative General Secretariat meeting to discuss accelerating reforestation efforts. It has also been decided to allocate 250 million dollars for its projects and administrative activities.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The Crown Prince also stated that it is the first sovereign financial institution to take this step globally and the first in the Middle East. The Green Middle East Initiative Summit is the first forum launched to accelerate the region’s green transition, stimulate economic development and build a sustainable future.
The summit reaffirms Saudi Arabia’s commitment to working with all countries to ensure a green future for all. Saudi Arabia has accelerated its adoption of technologies, resources and development for the use of renewable energy with the aim of controlling carbon emissions.
The most important of these measures is to diversify the energy mix used to generate electricity in the country. By 2030, 50 percent of domestic electricity generation will depend on renewable energy sources.
The country also renews its commitment to work with countries in the region to achieve the goals of the Green Middle East Initiative to become a global model for combating climate change. The Crown Prince added that we hope that the summit will achieve results that will contribute to strengthening joint action to ensure a bright and prosperous future for our future generations.