Saudi Arabia targets zero carbon emissions by 2060

Saudi Arabia targets zero carbon emissions by 2060

RIYADH: Top crude exporter Saudi Arabia will aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said yesterday, days before the COP26 global climate summit. The kingdom said it would also join a global effort to cut methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The UN says more than 130 countries have set or are considering a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, an objective it says is “imperative” to safeguard a livable climate.

“I announce today Saudi Arabia’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2060,” Prince Mohammed told the “Saudi Green Initiative” forum. “I am pleased to launch initiatives in the energy sector that will reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030, thus voluntarily more than doubling the target announced,” he said. “We also announce the kingdom’s accession to the Global Methane Pledge.”

A statement said Saudi Arabia would “contribute to cutting global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030, as part of its commitment to deliver a cleaner, greener future”. The 2060 target would “enable us to have a smooth and viable transition, without risking economic or social impacts”, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said.

Kuwaiti