ROSHN Inaugurates RGIC in Support of Saudi Green Initiative

The ROSHN Green Initiative Center (RGIC) is a flagship facility in line with the Saudi Green Initiative.SPA
The ROSHN Green Initiative Center (RGIC) is a flagship facility in line with the Saudi Green Initiative.SPA
TT

ROSHN Inaugurates RGIC in Support of Saudi Green Initiative

The ROSHN Green Initiative Center (RGIC) is a flagship facility in line with the Saudi Green Initiative.SPA
The ROSHN Green Initiative Center (RGIC) is a flagship facility in line with the Saudi Green Initiative.SPA

ROSHN, Saudi Arabia's leading real estate developer and a PIF giga project, announced on Wednesday the inauguration of the ROSHN Green Initiative Center (RGIC), a flagship facility in line with the Saudi Green Initiative.
RGIC will serve as a tree nursery and educational hub open to the public, cultivating greenery to enrich ROSHN communities and surrounding areas, ROSHN said in a statement.
At the launch of RGIC, ROSHN signed four sustainability-focused agreements with Saudi organizations. They will support ROSHN's efforts to promote green concepts, such as the circular economy, reducing carbon emissions, and ecological regeneration.
Launched last year as part of ROSHN's Yuhyeek CSR program on the occasion of the Kingdom’s 93rd National Day, the ROSHN Green Initiative has already delivered on initial goals, with over 32,000 seedlings, 25,000 mangrove trees, and 4,300 other trees planted across the Kingdom through 93 green initiatives. Over 3,000 volunteers and 75 schools have been engaged in these efforts.
According to the statement, RGIC, equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, will be able to produce 2,000 trees annually. The facility will also serve as a learning hub, offering educational and interactive engagements to the public and organizations interested in supporting Saudi Arabia's sustainability programs.
The trees grown at RGIC will be planted in ROSHN's communities and certain areas throughout the country, contributing to environmental preservation and regeneration, as outlined by the Saudi Green Initiative.
ROSHN, the statement said, is committed to human-centric and sustainable communities, incorporating eco-friendly practices in its operations and developments. It focuses on energy and water usage, materials and waste management, transport and connectivity, and community well-being.
ROSHN was one of the first organizations in Saudi Arabia to join the UN Global Compact, proof of its dedication to advancing sustainability and ecological regeneration, according to the statement.



EU Countries Take 1st Step to Weaken Protected Status of Wolves

A young wolf stands in the enclosure of the Falkenstein National Park Center. Armin Weigel/dpa
A young wolf stands in the enclosure of the Falkenstein National Park Center. Armin Weigel/dpa
TT

EU Countries Take 1st Step to Weaken Protected Status of Wolves

A young wolf stands in the enclosure of the Falkenstein National Park Center. Armin Weigel/dpa
A young wolf stands in the enclosure of the Falkenstein National Park Center. Armin Weigel/dpa

Safeguards to protect wolves in the European Union could be weakened in future after member states agreed on Wednesday on the first steps towards easing these measures.

Weakening the protection of wolves aims to facilitate the culling of those deemed a threat to livestock.

Until now, wolves have been highly protected in Europe. In some regions, however, people question whether the status quo is still justified as the number of wolves is growing, dpa reported.

The wolf's protection in the EU is tied to the 1979 Bern Convention, the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

EU ambassadors in Brussels agreed to propose a change to the body in charge of the wildlife protection treaty, EU diplomats told dpa.

Amending the Bern Convention is a first step which could pave the way for the European Commission to propose EU legislation to change the protected status of the wolf at a later stage.

The wolf's comeback in Europe is highly controversial.

Currently, wolves receive strict protection status under EU law with provisions allowing for local authorities to take action, including shooting wolves in case of conflicts with rural communities and farmers.

While some EU countries, including Germany and France, are in favor of easier culling, nature conservation groups campaign for different approaches, like better herd surveillance, night confinement and more guard dogs.

Having been extinct in large parts of Europe until the 1960s, there are currently around 19,000 wolves in the EU, according to conservationists.