Saudi Arabia strengthens its climate action efforts at the Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2024, announcing new investments worth 225 million riyals and highlighting qualitative achievements from 86 initiatives.
Riyadh (UNA/SPA) – The fourth edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum kicked off yesterday under the slogan “By Nature, We Take Initiative,” coinciding with the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), hosted in the capital, Riyadh.
On the first day of the forum, five new initiatives were announced, with a total value of 225 million Saudi riyals (60 million US dollars). This significant step underscores the Kingdom’s leading role in driving climate and environmental action.
With total investments reaching SAR 705 billion (USD 188 billion), the 86 ongoing initiatives under the Saudi Green Initiative continue to make significant progress toward achieving the goals of the three Rio Conventions.
The Saudi Green Initiative is a fundamental pillar in the Kingdom’s efforts to build a more sustainable future for all, through reducing emissions, combating desertification, and protecting natural ecosystems.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is steadily advancing towards its goal of achieving net zero by 2060 through the adoption of a circular carbon economy approach. This includes the achievement of the Saudi Green Initiative’s goal of reducing emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030, as well as attaining the optimal energy mix by increasing the contribution of renewable energy sources to nearly 50% of the total electricity generation capacity by 2030.
In line with these objectives, the Kingdom aims to increase renewable energy capacity in the energy mix to 130 gigawatts by 2030. Of this capacity, 6.2 gigawatts have already been developed and connected to the grid, while projects with a total capacity of 20 gigawatts were launched in the current year. The total capacity currently under development stands at 44.2 gigawatts, enough to supply over 7 million homes with clean electricity.
To achieve the goal of displacing more than one million barrels of liquid fuel per day, highly efficient gas-fired plants equipped with carbon capture technologies are expected to provide a total capacity of 42 gigawatts for electricity generation. To date, four plants with a combined capacity of 5.6 gigawatts have been commissioned, while five additional plants with a total capacity of 9 gigawatts are under construction. Contracts have been awarded to build plants with a combined capacity of 21 gigawatts, and tenders are being issued for other projects with a capacity of 6 gigawatts, set for 2025.
The Kingdom has begun construction of one of the largest carbon capture, transport, and storage centers in Jubail, which aims to capture 9 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2027.
Through the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program, the Kingdom continues to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by recording a significant increase in total primary energy savings, reaching approximately 539,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of 2023, reflecting an increase of 9.5% compared to the end of 2022.
The Kingdom has planted more than 100 million trees since the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative in 2021, in addition to sowing millions of seeds to enhance vegetation cover and combat sand encroachment.
It has also succeeded in reclaiming more than 118,000 hectares of degraded land, an area exceeding 165 football fields based on the dimensions approved by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). This contributes to achieving the interim goal of reclaiming 8 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
The five new initiatives are being implemented by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden), the National Vegetation Development Foundation (Marouj) in partnership with the private sector, and the Food Development Company.
These initiatives, representing investments worth SAR 225 million (USD 60 million), aim to plant millions of trees, including mangroves, sow 300 million seeds, rehabilitate degraded lands, reduce air pollution, and enhance biodiversity across the Kingdom.
Through its ongoing afforestation efforts, the Kingdom aims to provide the necessary means to protect both current and future generations from extreme temperatures. These afforestation efforts are a crucial step towards achieving the Kingdom’s long-term goal of planting 10 billion trees, which will help strengthen efforts to combat desertification and improve the quality of life in the Kingdom.
To date, the Kingdom has successfully protected 18.1% of its land areas and 6.49% of its marine areas, covering an area of approximately 400,000 square kilometers. This is a significant achievement toward reaching the goal of protecting 30% of the Kingdom’s land and marine areas by 2030.
The Kingdom has also made several notable achievements in environmental conservation efforts. Since the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative in 2021, it has successfully reintroduced more than 7,000 endangered species into nature reserves, including the Arabian oryx, the Arabian tahr, and the ibex.
In 2024, the Kingdom announced the birth of four cheetah cubs for the first time in 40 years, marking a significant achievement under the National Cheetah Reintroduction Program. Additionally, more than 110 endangered red-necked ostrich chicks were hatched in wildlife breeding centers in 2024, reflecting the Kingdom’s success in reintroducing this species after its extinction from the natural environment 100 years ago.
The Ibex Reserve and King Salman Royal Reserve have also been included on the IUCN Green List, further highlighting the Kingdom’s significant progress and the effective implementation of its environmental management and conservation programs.