In line with a decision by the Saudi government, March 27 of each year has been designated as an official day to celebrate the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to chart a path for Saudi Arabia and the region in protecting the planet.
The initiative, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March 2021, oversees the implementation of a sustainable, long-term climate action plan that supports Saudi Arabia’s ambition to achieve the goal of zero neutrality by 2060 through the circular carbon economy, and accelerate transition towards a green economy.
The initiative embodies the vision of Prince Mohammed, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Green Saudi Arabia, to confront the challenges of climate change, improve the quality of life, protect the environment, and advance sustainable innovation for the benefit of future generations.
Leading role
Riyadh plays a pioneering role in reducing the effects of climate change and carbon emissions, given its rich resources and experience in managing global energy stability. According to experts and specialists, Saudi Arabia is qualified to lead a new era of climate action and contribute significantly to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
During the meeting of Arab ministers concerned with climate affairs in Riyadh in October, Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stressed that responding to the challenges of climate change was a shared responsibility.
He explained that each region has its own environment that requires different means and implementation mechanisms to deal with this challenge, emphasizing the importance of four axes, namely adaptation, mitigation, financing, and global effort.
The minister also underlined the vital role of young men and women in responding to the challenges of climate change, by developing solutions and innovations and participating actively in decision-making.
Consolidating interest
Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli, the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said on his personal account on X that the Council of Ministers’ decision to designate March 27 as an annual day for the Saudi Green initiative represents a “consolidation of the leadership’s interest in environmental issues locally and internationally” and “supports the Kingdom’s approach to leading the green era, and ensuring a more sustainable future for the next generations.”
For his part, Majid Al-Hogail, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, said Saudi Arabia will continue “our journey to enhance the prosperity of our cities and raise the quality of life,” adding: “Our ambitions are great. We are always capable of achieving them.”
Many government agencies are expected to organize events to mark the Saudi Green Initiative Day and highlight their efforts in reducing carbon emissions, increasing afforestation and protecting land and marine areas.
The Ministry of Environment said that 43 afforestation projects have been launched as part of the Saudi Green initiative to achieve the goal of planting 10 billion trees inside Saudi Arabia, and 40 billion trees throughout the region, and rehabilitating degraded lands.
This will ultimately reduce carbon emissions around the world by 2.5 percent, the ministry told Asharq Al-Awsat.
77 different programs
Since the announcement of the Saudi Green Initiative, 77 different programs have been launched to support these goals and drive sustainable growth, with investments worth more than SAR700 billion.
Saudi Arabia has transformed its commitments into concrete actions by uniting the efforts of the government and private sectors and promoting opportunities for cooperation and innovation. It is also moving towards achieving its national climate ambitions and supporting global goals in this framework.
43 afforestation initiatives
The 43 afforestation initiatives aim to plant about 400 million trees by 2030.
The official spokesman for the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture told Asharq Al-Awsat that these initiatives have contributed until the third quarter of 2023 to planting 43.9 million trees in various parts of Saudi Arabia, and reclaiming 94,000 hectares of degraded lands, achieving a 300 percent increase in production capacity to reduce carbon emissions, and more than 8 gigawatts in production capacity for renewable energy projects.
Biodiversity
In order to strengthen and enhance biological diversity, restore the local natural environment, and increase the percentage of protected areas to more than 30 percent of the total land area in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry said that work is underway to implement four initiatives that will contribute to increasing the percentage of protected terrestrial areas to more than 21 percent, and the percentage of marine protected areas to more than 26 percent by 2030.
Moreover, since the launch of the Saudi Green initiative, 1,669 endangered animals, such as the Arabian oryx, sand gazelle, and ibex, have been resettled in the Kingdom’s natural reserves, where they help enhance biodiversity.
Community participation
The initiative called on all members of Saudi society to participate in the activities of the first edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Day. The Ministry’s spokesman, Saleh bin Abdul Mohsen bin Dakhil, confirmed “a great demand by members of society to participate in the afforestation initiatives taking place in various parts of the country.”
He said that more than 150,000 volunteers have registered to participate in these projects over the past two years, adding that this number is expected to double.
Remote Sensing
With regards to new agricultural technologies that have been utilized within the framework of sustainable solutions that preserve the environment, the Ministry of Environment launched a program for remote sensing and artificial intelligence technologies to study the reality of vegetation areas and contribute to achieving afforestation goals.
Advanced technologies support tree planting efforts in hard-to-reach areas, by identifying suitable sites for planting them, studying the nature of the soil and plant species, and monitoring the movement of sand.
