Saudi Arabia, the world’s second largest oil producer – second only to the United States – aims to reduce carbon emissions by 60%, as well as tackling pollution and land degradation. And it also has a target of increasing the percentage of protected areas to more than 30 per cent of its total area.
Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who announced the project, has not said how he will plant and maintain so many trees in an arid region with limited water resources. However, according to Reuters news agency, the country has already stated, that it would “use recycled water to plant trees in places that require less irrigation, including in urban areas”.
The so-called “Saudi Green Initiative” also also includes the goal of generating 50% of energy from renewable sources by 2030. It is a big step to be achieved in less than 10 years, since oil and natural gas are the main sources of energy supply.
In parallel, the same initiative aims to plant 40 billion trees in a partnership with several nations, including the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
