ESG

SAUDI CHAMPIONS GLOBAL CAUSE TO TURN DESERTS GREEN

Saudi Arabia took centre stage in the global fight against desertification, land degradation, and climate challenges by assuming the presidency of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The presidency, handed over during the opening session in Riyadh in December, marked a significant step in the kingdom's effort to foster international collaboration on land restoration and environmental sustainability. For two years, Saudi Arabia will lead the global discourse, advancing initiatives aimed at rehabilitating degraded land, restoring its ferility, and combating the adverse effects of drought.

More than 100 million hectares of agricultural land are degraded annual-ly, affecting more than 3 bilion people globaily and incurring an econom-ic loss exceeding USD 6 trillion per year, according to Abdulrahman Alfadley, Saudi Arabia’s minister of environment, water, and agriculture and the newly appointed COP16 president. He also underscored the need for collaboration between the UNCCD and other international frameworks, particularly the Rio Conventions on biodiversity and climate change, to achieve transformative goals in land conservation and resilience building.

For its part, the kingdom has developed a comprehensive National Environment Strategy and introduced initiatives such as the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and Middle East Green Initiative to expand vegetation cover, protect wildlife, and improve waste management.

SUSTAINING THE GREEN MOMENTUM

The COP16 presidency also coincided with the fourth edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum, hosted under the theme “Action is in Our Nature.”

The event underscored Saudi Arabia’s leadership in environmental sustainability through the announcement of five new initiatives worth USD 60 million, focusing on afforestation, and land rehabilitation, and biodiversity enhancement, These efforts are part of the SGI's broader framework, which has so far launched 86 initiatives with a total investment of over USD 188 billion.The kingdom’s reforestation campaign has already planted over 100 million trees and rehabilitated 118,000 hectares of land, with plans to plant 10 billion trees over the coming decades.

Ultimately, SGI aims to rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land and increase the proportion of protected areas to 30% of the country by 2030, These efforts are complemented by advancements in renewable energy, as the kingdom targets a 50% share of renewables in its energy mix and seeks to reduce emissions by 278 million tonnes annually.

The launch of the Riyadh Action Agenda also signalled Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sustaining momentum beyond the conference. Introduced by Dr. Osama Faqeeha, deputy minister of environment, water, and agriculture, the agenda focuses on mobilising a diverse range of stakeholders – from governments to private sectors and indigenous communities – to deliver scalable solutions to land degradation. Addressing agriculture as a leading driver of land degradation, the agenda seeks to promote sustainable practices, healthy soils, and resilient crop systems, all while reducing deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. 

These actions take on added urgency in light of warnings from the UNCCD. By 2050, global crop yields could decline by 10%, with severe consequences in regions already facing water and food insecurity. Land degradation not only affact the environment but also exacerbates socio-economic challenges, including forced migration and rising food costs. Dr. Faqeeha emphasised that simple policy shifts, such as redirecting harmful agricultural subsidies, could significantly accelerate land restoration and mitigate these crises.

A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Saudi Arabia’s environmental policies also address the energy sector. As part of its journey to net-zero emissions by 2060, the kingdom is championing the Circular Carbon Economy approach. It has made significant strides in renewable energy, with 44.2 gigawatts (GW) of capacity currently under development. This includes innovative projects in carbon capture and storage, such as the centre under construction in Jubail, which aims to capture 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually by 2027. These measures are designed not only to combat desertification but also to enhance water and food security, supporting the livelihoods of vulnerable communities both locally and globally.

Other key organisations are also improving their conservation and environmental policies. The Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), for instance, noted that artificial intelligence (AI) has contributed to saving 150 million sheets of paper and conserving 1.5 billion litres of water. 

Digital transformation and innovation in the field of AI have had a significant environmental impact, including reducing carbondioxide emissions equivalent to the impact of a million trees, and saving an average of 20 working days per year for each citizen through digital services, according to SDAIA.

The authority is monitoring four billion square metres of urban areas in Riyadh by analysing 540 gigabytes of satellite image data that is updated annually through the Smart C national platform for smart cities, as part of the authority’s role as the national reference for data and AI.

The National Platform for Charitable Work (Ehsan) contributes to the implementation of 1,150 environmental projects in partnership with 480 charities, while the government cloud-computing platform Deem integrated 260 data centres, reducing energy consumption by 64 megawatts and eliminating around 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.