The Middle East Green Initiative Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, convened international and regional leaders to motivate consensus to deliver against shared environmental commitments, unite ambitions, drive investment and inspire the collective action needed to tackle climate change.
The Summit was hosted by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia.
The Middle East Green Initiative Summit convenes international and regional leaders to motivate consensus to deliver against shared environmental commitments. Springboarding from the national climate commitments enshrined in the Saudi Green Initiative, the Kingdom will work with its neighbors to combat climate change beyond its borders through collective action, SGI states on its site.
The Middle East Green Initiative Summit:
- Implementing energy efficiency programs.
- Create a first-of-its-kind regional alliance.
- Introduce the Middle East’s first pact on climate change.
- Developing carbon capture technology.
- Provide an intersection of knowledge and capital.
- Drive the investment and knowledge transfer needed to solve common challenges.
- Increasing public transportation.
- Offer a stage for climate diplomacy.
- Foster the political will needed for transformative action.
The Middle East Green Initiative will work to:
- Plant 50 billion trees across the Middle East (including 10 billion at home in Saudi Arabia);
- Develop carbon capture technology;
- Restore an area equivalent to 200 million hectares of degraded land, reducing 2.5% of global carbon levels;
- Contribute to reducing carbon emissions resulting from hydrocarbon production in the region by more than 60% and propel the area towards achieving more than 10% of global carbon emissions reduction targets.
At the Middle East Green Initiative Summit 2021, stated that it is now or never for concrete global actions to address climate change. Stage of development, per capita income, historical responsibility, equity and CBDR-RC are paramount in any collective global action. pic.twitter.com/LWTJdNhz90
— Bhupender Yadav (मोदी का परिवार) (@byadavbjp) October 25, 2021
UAE and Saudi Arabia meeting
H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance, met on October 25 with Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti Crown Prince, on the sidelines of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit.
During the meeting, bilateral ties between the two countries were discussed, WAM states.
The two sides also reviewed Arab and international efforts to preserve the environment and address climate change and its impact on the global economy. They also stressed the importance of the measures led by Saudi Arabia in this respect and their positive impact at regional and international levels, and their contributions to tackle environmental challenges and improve life quality.
Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, attended the meeting.
Maktoum bin Mohammed leads UAE delegation to Middle East Green Initiative Summit in Riyadh
H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, led the UAE delegation to the Middle East Green Initiative Summit, which concluded on October 25 in the Saudi capital Riyadh, WAM reports.
HRH Crown Prince Inaugurates Works of “Middle East Green Initiative Summit”.https://t.co/ulgM1KfP6I#MiddleEastGreenInitiative#MGISummit pic.twitter.com/m8vJDODrjk
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) October 25, 2021
The Summit brought together international and regional leaders to foster consensus in delivering against shared environmental commitments. The event sought to identify and address environmental challenges, find effective solutions to overcome them and support efforts to combat climate change.
Sheikh Maktoum commended the efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and the follow-up of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, to undertake initiatives that bring tangible benefits to the Gulf and Arab regions in various fields. The Middle East Green Initiative Summit reflects the Kingdom’s keenness to bring about a transformation in environmental conservation and resource sustainability in the region, HH Sheikh Maktoum said.
The Deputy Ruler of Dubai further said that under the leadership of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, places the highest priority on protecting the environment, preserving natural resources and ensuring their sustainability for future generations.
Sheikh Maktoum stressed that the UAE had made substantial strides in embedding practices that strengthen environmental preservation and combat climate in its development model. Sustainability policies that ensure a strong balance between achieving development goals and preserving the environment and its natural resources within international conventions and treaties are integral to the nation’s strategic vision for development.
H.H. was accompanied to the Summit by a high-profile delegation including Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment; Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State; and Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
HRH, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, participated in the Middle East Green Initiative Summit
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain participated on October 25 in the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit, BNA reports.
HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad highlighted Saudi Arabia’s strategic role in furthering regional development and environmental protection and reaffirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commitment to achieving regional and global environmental security.
It is a commitment strengthened over the last week by both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia’s announcements of their intention to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad welcomed the initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and others to preserve the natural environment and combat climate change, commenting that this is a global challenge that requires a united approach to ensure a prosperous future for all.
https://twitter.com/Qatar_Tribune/status/1452652871019806734
HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing between countries to develop CCUS technology, reduce carbon emissions, and increase energy efficiency, stating that we all have a collective responsibility to achieve climate security and secure a sustainable future.
His Royal Highness also highlighted the vital role of agricultural nurseries in realizing the MGI Summit’s afforestation goals, committed Bahrain to support these efforts, and commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s success in organizing and hosting the Summit.
Sabic unveils carbon neutrality strategy at Saudi forum
Sabic, a global leader in the chemical industry, has unveiled its global strategy towards carbon neutrality at the inaugural Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Forum, which took place on October 25 under the theme “A new era of action: Oasis Alive” in Riyadh.
Held under the patronage of HRH Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the invitation-only event was attended by a high-level delegation from the company who joined international heads of state and global leaders of business, finance, and civil society to discuss Saudi Arabia’s vision for tackling environmental challenges.
Sabic Chairman Khalid Hashim Al-Dabbagh said: “The SGI provides an ambitious framework aimed towards the shared goal of achieving a green future. Sabic is an active contributor to several strategic initiatives announced today, including those geared towards hydrogen production, reusing captured carbon, and recycling plastics.
“At Sabic, we recognize the power of collaboration to improve and protect the quality of life for the next generations. Sustainability is in our DNA, and we’re pleased to contribute innovative technologies that will accelerate our journey towards carbon neutrality.”
Sabic Vice Chairman and CEO, Yousef Al-Benyan, joined an industry panel to discuss the scaling up of new technologies and reasserted the company’s global commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pursue carbon neutrality.
He said: “Sabic is uniquely contributing to the SGI goals and taking bold actions that support the Kingdom’s ambitions for the circular carbon economy. Our global carbon neutrality strategy reaffirms our commitment to the Paris Agreement goals and the continuous pursuit of solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Al-Benyan added: “Many countries are competing for position as the world looks to broaden its energy mix and reduce carbon emissions. The foresight of Vision 2030, our abundant renewable resources, and the innovative advances made by Saudi Arabian companies are making circularity a reality, placing the Kingdom in pole position to lead the new energy revolution.”
During the session, he outlined vital Sabic’s circular innovations and collaborative efforts to transform energy-intensive industry towards renewables and being a founding member of the Low Carbon Emitting Technologies (LCET) initiative with the World Economic Forum (WEF). In this collaboration, Sabic and ten peer companies will work together to share early-stage risks and co-invest in developing and upscaling LCETs.
Sabic is also partnering in developing the world’s first large-scale chemical site to operate on 100% renewable power and, in a different project, developing solutions for electrically heated steam cracker furnaces that could reduce emissions by up to 90%.
Al-Benyan also highlighted some accomplishments including, the demonstration of the blue ammonia supply chain and the development of the world’s most significant CO2 capture and purification plant. Based in Jubail and operational from 2015, the pioneering facility can process up to 500,000MT of CO2 per year into feedstock for industrial processes.
Meanwhile, the company’s range of certified renewable polymers provides an essential bridge for the value chain to evolve from a linear to a circular economy. Its landmark plastic chemical recycling processes contribute to CO2 reduction by preventing the incineration of plastic waste.
