Fortune - USA (2021-10 & 2021-11)

Content by the Buzz Business

targets and tracking its performance

in the fi ght against climate change.

The forum will be followed by the

Middle East Green Initiative Summit,

where international and regional

leaders will collaborate on climate

change solutions, working to ensure

a sust ainable future for all. A Youth

Green Summit will also be held to

help incubate the next generation of

leadership in environmental st ewardship.

Protect ing natural treasures

As part of the Saudi Green Initiative’s

formidable environmental commitment,

more than 30% of the total territory

of the Kingdom will be designated as

protect ed areas. This also includes a

focus on the country’s biodiverse coast al

regions and its dazzling coral reefs,

which are threatened by the rise in sea

temperatures caused by climate change.

Saudi Arabia is accelerating its eff orts

to preserve its unique ecosyst ems

both on land and in the sea. Over the

past four years, the percentage of the

Kingdom’s protect ed natural reserves

has increased from 4% to more than

16%, and 75 additional land, coast al,

and marine areas are proposed for

SUSTAINABILITY

further protect ion. In 2020 alone, the

country planted more than 2 million

mangrove trees along thousands of

miles of coast line. Mangrove forest s

are rich carbon sinks and serve as a

nursery for many marine animals.

Meanwhile, new populations of

celebrated desert animals such

as gazelle, oryx, and ost rich are

being carefully reintroduced to

their native Saudi environment.

To support these rewilding eff orts,

Saudi Arabia will increase the size of

its new force of sp ecial environmental

guards by almost tenfold over the next

four years. There are also plans to

reintroduce animals such as the Arabian

leopard—currently extinct in the wild in

Saudi Arabia—back into its ancest ral

home, inst illing reverence for the past

and sowing hope for our collect ive future.

Millions of trees are being planted all across the Middle East to combat climate change.

10 billion

trees to be planted in

Saudi Arabia

30%

of Saudi Arabia designated

as protected areas

50 billion

trees to be planted in the

Middle East

50%

of Saudi Arabia’s energy

mix to come from

renewables by 2030

At least

130 million

metric tons

of CO 2 emissions eliminated

annually by 2030

SGI IN NUMBERS

THE KINGDOM’S STRONG

COMMITMENT TO TACKLE

BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND LAND

DEGRADATION, INVEST IN

NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS, AND

PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT IS

AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION

TO INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS

TO COMBAT ENVIRONMENTAL

CHALLENGES.
_

INGER ANDERSEN,

UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL

OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UN

ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME