GCC chief praises Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives

GCC chief praises Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives

RIYADH — The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf praised the “Saudi Green” and the “Middle East Green” initiatives announced by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy prime minister and minister of defense, stressing that they will chart the direction of the Kingdom and the region in protecting the nature, and facing environmental challenges.He affirmed that these initiatives will contribute significantly to preserving vegetation cover, reducing carbon emissions, combating pollution and land degradation, and preserving marine life, through a number of steps such as planting 10 billion trees within Saudi Arabia during the coming decades.The initiatives will go toward rehabilitating about 40 million hectares of land, increasing the area covered with trees, and raising the percentage of protected areas to more than 30% of the Kingdom's land area, exceeding the current global target of protecting 17% of each country's land.It will also contribute to reducing carbon emissions, through renewable energy projects that will provide 50% of electricity production in the Kingdom by 2030.Al-Hajraf praised the Kingdom's pioneering