Environmental initiatives and programs, including the Green Saudi Arabia and the Green Middle East initiatives, as well as the carbon circular economy and energy transformations, have contributed to advancing Saudi Arabia’s ranking in the Green Future Index for 2022.
Issued by the MIT Technology Review of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Index highlighted Saudi Arabia’s 10 place advancement, following leading programs and initiatives led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In a report, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) noted that the Kingdom’s rapid progress in the Green Future Index crowns the efforts, programs, and initiatives, which include the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives (SGI & MGI) and the establishment of royal natural reserves to increase vegetation in the Kingdom.
The Green Future Index report showed that the Kingdom has moved up in the Carbon Emissions Pillar by 27 places, ranking 19th globally. The progress was driven by the Kingdom’s announcement that it would raise the carbon-emissions target in its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to 278 mtpa by 2030, more than double the 133 mpta announced in 2015.
The announcement of Saudi Arabia’s aspiration to reach net-zero by 2060 has also contributed to this progress. Depending on the maturity and availability of the necessary technologies, the Kingdom seeks to achieve this ambitious goal through the implementation of the CCE approach, in line with its development plans and economic diversification efforts, and consistent with the “dynamic baseline” stipulated in the Kingdom’s NDC.
The Kingdom has also launched, in this context, a national program for the Circular Carbon Economy, a comprehensive approach endorsed by G20 leaders during the country’s presidency of the summit in 2020.
In the Energy Transition Pillar, the Kingdom advanced 12 places, ranking 12th, as well as ranking first in the Renewable Energy Growth Indicator within the same pillar.
This progress was led by the Kingdom’s announcement that it would raise the share of renewable energy in the energy mix used for electricity production to 50% by 2030.
The Green Future Index is an annual ranking of 76 countries based on their ability to develop a sustainable, low-emissions future. It also measures the degree to which these economies are turning towards clean energy, in industry, agriculture, and society through innovation, policy, and investment in renewables.
The Index is divided into five pillars: Carbon Emissions, Energy Transition, Green Society, Clean Innovation, and Climate Policy.
The Green Saudi Arabia initiative forum, which was held in October last year, announced a first package of more than 60 new initiatives and projects, with investments worth more than 700 billion riyals ($186.6 billion) to contribute to the development of the green economy. The Riyadh Initiative supports all climate action efforts under a single vision that paves the way to reach zero neutrality.
