The Saudi Green Initiative Forum, Gallery, and Talks, held as part of the 16th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16), concluded successfully in Riyadh. The event, which ran for two weeks, attracted significant attendance and participation from international experts and sector representatives. It showcased Saudi Arabia’s progress towards achieving its net-zero goals, following a circular carbon economy approach.
The Saudi Green Initiative Pavilion hosted discussions and sessions on Saudi Arabia’s achievements in emissions reduction, afforestation, and ecosystem protection. The forum, themed “Action is in Our Nature,” took place on December 3-4, with 50 speakers participating across 25 sessions. It engaged over 1,500 delegates from both public and private sectors. The forum also saw the announcement of five new initiatives valued at SAR 225 million ($60 million) and the signing of 14 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
During the forum, Saudi Arabia unveiled key milestones in its environmental efforts since the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative in 2021. The Kingdom has connected 6.2 GW of renewable energy to its grid, with 20 GW of projects launched this year and 44.2 GW under development. These efforts aim to supply clean electricity to over 7 million homes.
As part of its environmental restoration goals, Saudi Arabia has rehabilitated over 118,000 hectares of degraded land, equivalent to planting over 100 million trees. This achievement contributes to the interim goal of restoring 8 million hectares by 2030. Additionally, the Kingdom has placed 18.1% of its land and 6.49% of its marine environments under protection, with plans to safeguard 30% of these areas by 2030. Furthermore, over 7,000 endangered species have been rewilded in the Kingdom’s nature reserves.
From December 5-13, the SGI Pavilion hosted daily SGI Talks, which covered crucial topics such as ecosystem regeneration, sustainable finance, methane monitoring technologies, and sustainable food solutions. These discussions facilitated actionable insights and audience engagement.
The SGI Gallery featured over 40 organizations contributing to the Saudi Green Initiative across five zones, including a Kids Zone. This area inspired more than 1,000 schoolchildren from 54 schools to engage with environmental themes, meeting Namour, the Saudi Green Initiative leopard character, launched earlier this year to encourage youth involvement in environmental advocacy.
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