Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt – The leaders attending the second edition of the Middle East Green Summit have reiterated the importance of working to strengthen support for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and to achieve sustainable development goals that contribute to economic diversity and the eradication of poverty.
The event — co-chaired by Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi — was attended by a number of leaders from Middle Eastern and African countries along with international officials in the environment and climate change sector in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz at 🌍 #MGISummit: The #Saudi #Green Initiative will reduce 200 million tons of carbon emissions by 2030. @KSAmofaEN
🌳#SGIForum #COP27 @COP27P #TogetherForImplementation #SharmElSheikh pic.twitter.com/He5RGjrVk8— TRENDS (@mena_trends) November 7, 2022
The leaders emphasized enhancing the integration of the optimal energy mix for electricity production, supporting the electrical grid’s capacity for the entry of renewable energy, contributing to achieving climate change targets through signing interconnection memorandums and agreements that were signed with multiple regional nations such as Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan, as an extension of interconnection cooperation for the GCC countries.
El-Sisi, on his part, emphasized that the Middle East Green Initiative represents an excellent opportunity to strengthen cooperation among its member states in order to mobilize more investments and provide new mechanisms for innovative financing to support projects undertaken by countries to address climate change, in coordination with Arab and regional financial institutions that play an important role in this regard.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at 🌍 #MGISummit: People in the Arab world and Middle East are suffering more than people in the other regions due to climate change. @AlsisiOfficial
🌳#SGIForum #COP27 @COP27P #SharmElSheikh pic.twitter.com/JEUkvvWbAt— TRENDS (@mena_trends) November 7, 2022
He added that the initiative also serves as an ideal framework for strengthening technical cooperation and connecting research institutions in member countries in order to promote integration of research and applied programs relevant to climate change technologies.
Kuwait
Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait, affirmed that the Summit provides a foundation for regional collaboration in addressing the consequences of climate change.
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“The Middle East Green Initiative Summit serves as a catalyst for regional collaboration in addressing the impacts of climate change and marks a significant turning point for the Middle East region in climate action,” he said at the Summit, which was held on the sidelines of the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.
The Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to fully support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts and its commitment to what is agreed upon in light of its capabilities and resources. He also stated that Kuwait will spare no effort to achieve the recommendations made by this initiative in all of its editions.
Djibouti
Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh stressed that the Green Middle East Initiative is very important, expressing his hope that its positive impact that would contribute to build a more sustainable future for the generations to come.
He indicated that Egypt’s leadership in international climate action during the coming period would achieve the desired goals, stressing his country’s readiness to work closely with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt in this regard.
The President of Djibouti stressed that climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing the region and the world as a whole, which requires mobilizing efforts to address the negative effects that threaten the future of humanity.
Tunisia
Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden praised the goals of the Green Middle East Initiative, explaining that they coincide with Tunisia’s strategic national goals, reiterating her country’s support for the initiative to achieve mutual benefit and explore innovative financing opportunities within this initiative.
Bouden said, “The convening of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate (COP27), and the Green Middle East Initiative within its framework, contribute to the formulation of a joint and urgent action plan to respond to various environmental challenges.”
The Tunisian Prime Minister explained that her country has adopted the national strategy for the prospect of 2050 for low-carbon development and coping with climate change to serve as a road map to reduce all forms of fragileness and make ecological adaptation efforts a tributary of socioeconomic growth in rural and urban areas.
Sudan
The Chairman of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council, Lieutenant-General Abdelfattah Al-Burhan, praised the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in addressing seriously the effects of climate changes in the Middle East.
Al-Burhan noted the importance of holding the summit in its second edition to confront the challenges of climate change, indicating that this initiative is the appropriate scientific and practical mechanism to address the negative effects on climate change.
The Chairman of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council reiterated his country’s commitment to the initiative’s programs and projects and to provide all Sudan’s natural capabilities of land and water to implement the plans and projects of these initiatives.
Jordan
Joran’s Crown Prince Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II stressed the importance of the Green Middle East Initiative, pointing out that his country participated in various technical meetings related to the initiative, believing in its importance and alignment with national plans and strategies aimed at increasing the green area, alleviating the effects of climate change, and reducing desertification and land degradation in Jordan.
Prince Al Hussein stressed the need to work together to develop policies, programs and innovative solutions that guarantee a green and sustainable future for the current and future generations.
The Crown Prince of Jordan expressed his hope to move forward in implementing the initiative, which will be the starting point for adopting policies and initiatives at the national and regional levels to confront the effects of climate change.
United Kingdom
UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly praised the importance of the Green Middle East Initiative Summit, in its second edition, to confront the challenges of climate change, indicating that such initiatives allow the leaders of the countries of the region to address these challenges in appropriate ways.
Cleverly explained that climate, energy and food crises and conflicts have increased in the recent period, which increases the vulnerability of food imports in the Middle East and Africa.
The UK State Secretary drew attention to the effects of climate change on the Middle East, including dust storms, forest fires and floods that swept a number of countries, expressing hope for the success of the Green Middle East initiative to make the future more sustainable.
Yemen
The President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, praised the Green Middle East Initiative, which enhances opportunities for environmental cooperation with all concerned parties around the world, noting that the initiative is an effective contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reduce the temperature of the planet and reduce the negative effects of climate change.
Al-Alimi said that the initiative represents a platform for regional cooperation to promote the preservation of vegetation cover and support international and regional efforts aimed at creating environmental cooperation opportunities that transcend borders and enhance opportunities for peace and development among peoples.
The President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council stressed that his country will work with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to make the initiative a success as a model for cooperation and environmental and humanitarian work, expressing his hope that the initiative will help rehabilitate the biodiversity and plant systems in Yemen.
Mauritania
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani stressed that the Middle East Initiative reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness on a collective approach to confronting climate change throughout the region.
Ghazouani noted the Kingdom’s commitment and leadership in international efforts aimed at building a more sustainable future, stressing his country’s full support for the initiative.
The Mauritanian president clarified that the measures taken under the umbrella of this initiative would be a strong support for the efforts of Africa in facing climate change.
Pakistan
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, noted that the Green Middle East Initiative is one of the important steps towards a positive future for the generations.
Sharif explained that the goals of the initiative are fully in line with Pakistan’s Forest Policy and the Pakistan Green Program which focuses on protection and management of forests and wildlife by 2030.
He expressed his country’s full readiness to cooperate with all member countries of the Green Middle East Initiative, and to share experiences and expertise related to restoring forests and green areas, assessing carbon dioxide emissions and others, stressing that Pakistan expresses its full commitment to the goals of this initiative, and looks forward to working closely with all member countries, in order to work to protect the planet from climate change.
India
India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav hailed the launch of the second edition of the Green Middle East initiative by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, praising this initiative aimed at transforming green economies.
Yadav said that the world needs to adopt more green initiatives to protect the environment and achieve green economic opportunities in the region, noting that India is committed to work to reduce carbon emissions and maintain sustainable development goals with a view to promote green resources.
The Indian minister expressed his hope that the Green Middle East Initiative would play its role in addressing climate change, stressing the importance of increasing green cover and promoting green resources and the green economy through good management of natural and environmental resources.