Middle East Green Initiative (MEGI) Second Forum at COP27

Middle East Green Initiative Summit is a strategic regional platform that promotes cross-border cooperation, knowledge exchange, and discussion between Heads of State, relevant government ministers, and policymakers which hosted its second gathering alongside COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh. The summit supports accelerating the transition towards a green economy and building a more sustainable future for future generations. The Middle East Green Initiative signifies Saudi Arabia’s commitment to international sustainability efforts with the aim of supporting regional climate initiatives through an ambitious road map that contributes to global targets.

 The first Middle East Green Initiative Summit was hosted by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in Riyadh on October 25, 2021which facilitated a first-of-its-kind regional dialogue on climate. The leaders in attendance expressed their appreciation for the Kingdom’s initiatives and efforts in the field of the environment and climate change. Regional leaders agreed to work together to tackle climate change and to hold the summit periodically to develop implementation plans to achieve the objectives of the Middle East Green Initiative.

In the second MEGI, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will commit $2.5 billion over the next 10 years. The initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions from regional hydrocarbon production by more than 60%. Additionally, to plant 50 billion trees across the Middle East and restore an area equivalent to 200 million hectares of degraded land. The initiative will help reduce global carbon levels by 2.5%. He also announced the establishment of the General Secretariat Headquarters in Saudi Arabia.

The MEGI highlights the leadership that the Kingdom is taking in advancing regional cooperation for greener technology, a key component for decarbonizing shipping and the sector and lead to better practices. The Middle East Green Initiative integrates environmental protection, energy transition and innovative sustainability programs to achieve a green future. The prioritization of reducing carbon emissions and exploring alternatives contribute to advancing the goals of Vision2030. The ambitious actions and coordinated effort signal to the world the commitment that Saudi Arabia has championing climate action at home and abroad.

Saudi Arabia has also made significant commitments to transition rapidly to a circular carbon economy and support other countries scale up meaningful action. KSA is taking a leading role in mitigating climate change impacts and accelerating science-based solutions to reducing emissions. Given the Kingdom’s vast resources and experience in managing global energy stability, Saudi Arabia is well placed to lead a new era of climate action and make a significant contribution to global emissions reduction efforts.