Saudi Crown Prince announces Saudi Green Initiative Forum in Egypt

Second SGI and Middle East Green Initiative Summit will be held alongside Cop27 next month

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. AFP

Saudi Arabia has launched two high-profile green forums spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to take place next month alongside the Cop27 climate change summit in Egypt.

Prince Mohammed on Thursday announced that the second Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit and Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Forum would be held in Sharm El Sheikh in tandem with Cop27.

The MGI Summit will be held on November 7 and the SGI Forum on November 11 and 12.

The second SGI Forum will feature an elite line-up of climate experts and thought leaders to discuss the progress that has been made towards achieving the climate targets announced by the kingdom last year.

The theme of this year’s forum, ‘From ambition to action’, reflects Saudi Arabia’s determination to turn these targets into reality by catalysing collective action to confront climate challenges that impact the entire world, according to a press release.

Prince Mohammed said of the gatherings: “We are holding them in tandem with Cop27, an event bringing nations from around the world together under one roof, to advance global climate ambitions by inspiring joint activity at local, regional and international levels.

“I would like to thank His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Egyptian government for hosting the MGI Summit and SGI Forum in Egypt this year,."

MGI and SGI were launched by Prince Mohammed in 2021 to enhance Saudi Arabia’s environmental action, in line with the kingdom’s Saudi Vision 2030.

He used the opening of the first SGI Forum in October 2021 to announce the kingdom aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2060 through the Carbon Circular Economy approach.

Under SGI, the kingdom will plant 10 billion trees across the country and designate 30 per cent of country’s land and sea territories as protected areas. In addition, Saudi Arabia has committed to reducing carbon emissions by 278 million tonnes annually by 2030.