المملكة: With 5 initiatives and 14 memorandums of understanding… details of the conclusion of the Green Saudi Forum

The fourth edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum concluded today in the Green Zone at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), hosted by the capital, Riyadh.
His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy, opened the forum, which highlighted the latest developments in the progress made in the Kingdom in terms of the transition in the energy sector and the key role of women and youth.

Green Saudi Initiative Forum

Over the course of two days, the forum witnessed the participation of 50 speakers in 25 sessions, attended by more than 1,500 visitors from the public and private sectors. During the forum, the Kingdom announced the launch of five new initiatives with a total value of 225 million riyals, the signing of 14 memorandums of understanding, in addition to holding fruitful discussions with the aim of accelerating the pace of climate and environmental action.
The forum witnessed the participation of an elite group of energy sector leaders, including the President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, and the Chairman and CEO of Total Energy, Patrick Pouyanné, who stressed the importance of achieving a balance between security, cost, and sustainability, the “energy trilogy,” by adopting an approach. My work combines reliance on oil and gas and renewable energy sources.

5 new initiatives

In this context, the Kingdom seeks to increase renewable energy capacities in the energy mix to reach 130 gigawatts by 2030. 6.2 gigawatts of these capacities have been developed and connected to the network, while projects with a capacity of 20 gigawatts have been put forward during the current year, and the total current capacities are under The development is 44.2 gigawatts, enough to supply more than 7 million homes with clean electricity.
During the forum, the Kingdom revealed five new initiatives with a total value of 225 million riyals, with the aim of accelerating the pace of afforestation efforts. Since the launch of the Green Saudi Initiative in 2021 AD, the Kingdom has succeeded in planting more than 100 million trees and reclaiming 118,000 hectares of degraded land, exceeding the area of ​​165,000 football fields, which contributes to enhancing its goal of planting 10 billion trees and combating desertification.

14 memoranda of understanding

The forum also witnessed the signing of 14 memorandums of understanding in various fields, including carbon capture, emissions reduction, clean cooking solutions, and enhancing environmental performance, in an important step that reflects the cooperative and comprehensive approach adopted by the Kingdom in the field of sustainability.
The forum’s activities witnessed the organization of a dedicated session that dealt with the “National Strategy for the Sustainability of the Red Sea”, which was launched by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Green Saudi Arabia – may God protect him – today.

National strategy for the sustainability of the Red Sea

The new strategy provides a national framework for protecting biodiversity in the Red Sea and supporting the Kingdom’s efforts aimed at developing an advanced model of the blue economy.
Commenting on the launch of the strategy, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for Environmental Affairs and Advisor to the Presidency of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) Riyadh, Osama Fakih, said: “The launch of the strategy represents an important natural step within a comprehensive national context, given that sustainable development cannot be achieved without taking into account environmental aspects.” .

Biodiversity

The CEO of the General Foundation for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea, “Shams,” Khalid bin Muhammad Al-Isfahani, highlighted the unique biodiversity scene in the Red Sea, noting that although coral reefs cover less than 0.2% of the area of ​​the seas and oceans, they are It hosts 25% of marine organisms,” he said, likening the sea without coral reefs to land without trees.
A group of specialists in the field of sustainability praised the Kingdom’s ambitious approach and the continuous progress it is making in terms of climate and environmental action efforts under the umbrella of the Saudi Green Initiative.

Green Middle East

The Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Francesco La Camera, highlighted the Kingdom’s leadership role. He said: “The slogan ‘By nature we initiate’ reflects a firm commitment demonstrated by the Kingdom by launching ambitious initiatives and taking practical measures.”
In turn, the fourth President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall, praised the Green Saudi Arabia and Green Middle East initiatives, stressing that “major environmental issues require joint solutions.”