Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Today’s SGI Talks, Eye in the Sky, featured Nora Abdulaziz AlSudairy, Sustainability Expert at the Ministry of Energy, and Walid Matar, Principal Fellow at KAPSARC. The session explored Saudi Arabia’s use of satellite technology to redefine methane monitoring and the Kingdom’s leading role in reducing [methane] emissions, critical for combating the impacts of climate change.

Nora emphasized the Kingdom’s decades-long commitment to methane reduction, starting with the Master Gas System in the 1970s. “We’ve always recognized that this needs to be tackled. Saudi Arabia has been taking active steps to reduce flaring for the past 40 years,” she noted. As part of her remarks, Nora reminded the audience of the Kingdom's global support for methane reduction initiatives, including the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to cut methane emissions by 30% globally by 2030, and the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative.

Walid Matar shared insights from KAPSARC’s groundbreaking study of methane emissions in Saudi Arabia using novel satellite technology, covering the years 2016-2022. The study found that Saudi Arabia has the second-lowest global methane intensity in oil and gas production among oil-producing countries. “This new data positions Saudi Arabia as a global leader in methane reduction and reflects an innovative approach in redefining our understanding of emissions in Saudi Arabia,” Matar remarked.

SGI Talks run daily in the SGI Pavilion at 3pm. Tomorrow’s session, titled ‘Empowering the Everyday Investor,’ will feature Hashem Alfawaz, Vice President, Economic Affairs, Environment Fund, and Nour Alqaffas, Climate Change Specialist, Clean Development Mechanism Designated National Authority.

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ABOUT THE SAUDI GREEN INITIATIVE (SGI)

Under the patronage of HRH Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Green Initiative is charting a path for the Kingdom in protecting the planet. With ambitious targets spanning the coming decades, the national initiative aims to improve quality of life and protect future generations by increasing reliance on clean energy, offsetting the impact of fossil fuels, and protecting the environment. For more information visit: www.greeninitiatives.gov.sa

SGI AT UNCCD COP16

  • For the duration of COP16, SGI will welcome the public to a 4,000 m² Pavilion in the Green Zone, where the SGI Gallery will be open to visitors from 9:00am to 7:00pm (Fridays 2:00pm to 8:00pm).
  • SGI Talks, a daily expert-led speaker series, will run from December 5–13 in the SGI Gallery at 3:00pm, offering insights from global and Saudi climate leaders on key sustainability trends and innovations.


For those following along at home:
Visit our website: Saudi Green Initiatives Forum 2024 | Saudi & Middle East Green Initiatives