Saudi Green Initiative Forum: as it happened in Riyadh
Over 300 delegates have convened in Riyadh for the inaugural Saudi Green Initiative Forum
Saudi Arabia is hosting the inaugural Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Forum in the capital Riyadh on 23 October, and the Youth Green Summit on 24 October.
Day one of the event showcases the climate pledges Saudi Arabia has made as part of SGI, a whole of government initiative designed to create lasting changes that will protect the environment and improve the lives of future generations.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the Forum by doubling the country’s targets for reducing carbon emissions, and delegates heard from ministers and climate leaders from around the world.
On day two, delegates are hearing from younger voices at the ancillary event, Youth Green Summit, which explores how young people around the world can engage in climate action.
The Independent is reporting live from Riyadh – follow our live blog for the latest and read breakout stories and highlights here.
In closing the panel, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman emphasised that the SGI Forum is not a one day event to be forgotten after the fact – it will be held every single year.
The minister of energy also revealed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in the process of formulating a foundation to further cement his commitments towards SGI.
He added: “What does this say? It says we want to be held accountable. But also we want to be sure that others will be held accountable for what they commit themselves to.”
As well as live panels and discussions, there are special addresses by those at the forefront of climate action, including Hoesung Lee, Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Prince Charles also appeared in a special address to delegates.
He said in a pre-recorded video for the event: “We now have a dangerously narrow window of opportunity in which to accelerate a green recovery, while laying the foundations for a sustainable future.”
He also urged world leaders to come up with “ambitious” plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Full story here:
Prince Charles warns of ‘dangerously narrow window’ to act on climate change
HRH encourages Middle East leaders to make the most of ‘huge potential’ for renewable energy projects in the region
Talk has turned to conservation efforts in the region and around the world.
Saudi Arabia has been a leader in conservation efforts in the region for decades. It successfully brought the Arabian oryx back from the brink of extinction in the 1980s for example, and now some of the largest herds in the Arabian Peninsula are thriving in its nature reserves.
The country’s current conservation projects include work to secure the future of Arabian leopards and endangered sea turtles.
The panel, titled Turning Back the Clock on Extinction, is being led by Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States and its first envoy, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud.
She’s joined on stage by Marco Lambertini, the director general of WWF International, and Barbara Belvisi, the founder and CEO of space technology company Interstellar Lab.
During the panel, Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud discussed how hospitality and tourism will be central to Saudi Arabia’s plans to diversify its economy.
She stressed that preserving the environment is also an important part of that, adding, “What are you coming to see if we’ve destroyed it?”
The princess highlighted The Red Sea Project as an example of how the Kingdom is combining the protection of the environment with sustainable tourism.
During the planning stages of the tourist resorts, built on a collection of paradisal islands off the west coast of Saudi Arabia, movement of animals including birds, fish and sea turtles were all mapped out by the project’s developers, The Red Sea Development Company.
The resorts were then planned around those maps to ensure minimal impact on the environment.
She added: “What’s the point of thriving if we’re going to thrive alone?”
In an earlier panel, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said that Saudi Arabia wants to be held accountable for its climate pledges.
Watch it here:
Now moving onto the marine ecosystem is a panel on the wealth of biodiversity in the Red Sea, specifically in the Gulf of Aqaba.
This location is quite unique because in 2020, scientists discovered heat-resilient corals here. With better understanding and more research, these species could be the answer to saving the world’s reefs.
Saudi Arabia’s minister plenipotentiary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Tawlah, and president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Dr Tony Chan, are discussing this unique ecosystem on stage.
Joining the discussions are Raymond Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world; CEO of the World Ocean Council, Paul Holthusis; and John Pagano, CEO of Red Sea Development Company and AMAALA.
Expanding on the comments made earlier by Princess Reema, The Red Sea Development Company’s John Pagano said they wanted to show the world that there’s a better way to do things and to lead the global transformation towards regenerative development.
He outlined how the Red Sea Project will be net carbon neutral from day one and that it will be the largest tourism development in the world powered by renewable energy.
Mr Pagano said: “I describe our project as being inspired by nature but led by science.”
Research shaping the developments at the Red Sea Project comes from the experts at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust).
In addition to the mapping projects that determined how the tourist resort is being built, the Red Sea Development Company is also using Kaust’s research to plan future developments, including “sacrificial reefs” for tourists.
Read about how that will work here:
Can Red Sea coral show us how to save the world’s reefs?
Scientists have discovered heat-resistant corals in the Red Sea - but this is only the beginning of sustainable regeneration in the area
Princess Reema called for global leaders to deliver on climate action in an earlier panel on conservation.
She said: “We’ve all heard our children talk to us. When are we going to start listening to them?”
The princess added: “The time of activism must end. Now is the time of action ... to make sure that what we’ve lost can thrive again.”
Read the full story here:
Princess Reema calls for global leaders to deliver on climate action
Saudi Ambassador to the United States urges the international community to turn back the clock on extinction and preserve biodiversity for the future
As well as the live coverage here and on The Independent’s SGI Hub, Independent TV will also be sharing exclusive interviews from the inaugural SGI Forum.
Speaking first is Kaust’s Dr Tony Chan who says that carbon is not a dirty word.
Watch it here:
How can technology help in the fight against the damaging effects of climate change?
That’s the subject of a fireside chat, led by Saudi Arabia’s minister of communications and information technology, Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha.
During the informal conversation, the minister said: “There is an element of carbon because it exists in the world. The solution is in the circular carbon economy.
“How we could reduce this carbon, reuse this carbon, recycle this carbon and more importantly, remove this carbon.”