Top crude exporter Saudi Arabia will aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060, its de facto ruler said on Saturday, days before the COP26 global climate summit.
The kingdom, one of the world’s biggest polluters, said it would also join a global effort to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
The United Nations 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 liveable climate.
“I announce today Saudi Arabia’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2060,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Saudi Green Initiative forum.
COP26 President Alok Sharma welcomed the announcement. “I hope this landmark announcement... will galvanise ambition from others ahead of #COP26,” Sharma tweeted, adding he was looking forward to seeing more details on the Saudi plan.
Shortly after, energy giant Saudi Aramco said it committed to being a net zero enterprise by 2050. “Saudi Aramco will achieve an ambition of being also a net zero from our operation by 2050,” Aramco chief executive Amin Nasser said at the forum.
Separately, Sharma said success at the upcoming COP26 climate summit is “definitely harder” than the 2015 Paris talks which resulted in a landmark accord.
{{/usCountry}}Separately, Sharma said success at the upcoming COP26 climate summit is “definitely harder” than the 2015 Paris talks which resulted in a landmark accord.
{{/usCountry}}The October 31-November 12 gathering in Glasgow is the biggest climate conference since the Paris summit and is seen as crucial in setting worldwide emission targets to slow global warming.