Oil Minister, Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, has praised the keynote speech delivered by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), held in Glasgow, the United Kingdom, noting that the speech confirmed the kingdom’s vision on the need to step up international cooperation to confront the repercussions of climate change, being among the challenges to the world in the present and future, BNA reports.
HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s announcement of the kingdom’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2060 and reducing emissions by 30 percent by 2035 through decarbonisation and efficiency initiatives and doubling deployment of renewable energy is a message to the world that confirms the extent to Bahrain’s keenness to honour its environmental pledges at the international level, the minister said.
The minister pointed out that under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Oil Ministry has implemented a wide range of environmental projects and initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the negative effects of climate change, in cooperation with many local and international agencies, including the “Green Climate Fund”, whose 21st board meeting was held in Bahrain, the first oil country to host such an event.
Proud of you Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Part of his speech at #COP26 #bahrain 🇧🇭❤️ pic.twitter.com/ghhAAmtvzP
— Fatima 🇧🇭 (@f_alsisi) November 3, 2021
The minister indicated that during that meeting, held in 2018, GCF Board endorsed and approved to finance environmental projects in Bahrain, noting that among such projects was the Oil Ministry’s project with the Green Climate Fund, “Enhancing Climate Resilience for the Water Sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa affirmed that the Kingdom has been leading the way in implementing many environment-friendly projects, the most important of which are the production of unleaded gasoline, the Kerosene Merox project, the refinery gas desulfurization project, the LPG Processing Project, the lube base oil project, the wastewater treatment unit project and the carbon dioxide extraction project.
Other environment-friendly projects include the establishment of a fish farm, a bird reserve, a Bahraini tree garden, Her Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa’s Aromatic Plants Garden at the GPIC, a Bahrain-Japanese friendship garden, and the inauguration of the Tatweer Petroleum Solar Power Plant, in addition to setting up incentive programmes for Bahraini schools to innovate and excel in the environmental field, he also said, noting that all these projects and programmes are aimed at enabling to the kingdom to reach the net zero target by 2060.
The Oil Minister also said HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s participation in the Middle East Green Initiative Summit, which was inaugurated by Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, last month, is among the contributions that support the achievement of the ambitious goals of reaching net zero carbon emission by 2060, and confirm the pivotal role Bahrain plays in achieving environmental security in the region and the world.
