How Saudi Arabia and its Asian partners are driving green development ahead of COP29
Qingdao, China: As the world's largest economy and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, China is seen as having a special responsibility among nations to help address climate change and promote sustainable development.
Thus, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization invited Asian countries to participate in the two-day Green Development Forum in Shandong earlier this month.
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation with regional parties to achieve common social and economic development goals, as well as to develop harmonious coexistence between people and nature.
Earlier this month, a two-day Green Development Forum in Shandong, China, brought together representatives from various Asian countries to discuss solutions for a greener future. (supplied)
Shen Yue, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the SCO's Good Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation Commission, reiterated the need to emphasize the relationship between development and the environment.
“Development is the development of all, and good development is green development,” Shen said in her keynote speech at the forum, which was themed: “Promoting harmony between humans and nature by joining hands in green development.”
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Green development is a focus for many countries, including Saudi Arabia. Indeed, one of the objectives of the state's Vision 2030 reform agenda is to ensure sustainable practices in social and economic development.
Two such strategies launched by the kingdom to promote green growth and a low-carbon future are the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative.
Together, these initiatives aim to increase vegetation cover in Saudi Arabia and the region by planting billions of trees to reduce the effects of climate change and slow the rise in global temperatures in line with the kingdom's net-zero commitments.
Another regional state that has made green development a top priority is Iran.
Ali Salazegheh, vice president and head of Iran's environment department, discussed his country's commitment to combating climate change during the SCO conference in the port city of Qingdao, Shandong.
An example of this is the country's role in hosting an international conference on sand and dust storms in 2023.
A family portrait of participants at the Green Development Forum held in Shandong, China earlier this month. (supplied)
However, Salazegheh believes that addressing social and political issues is important to prevent the deepening of the environmental crisis in the region, including the need for economic stability and poverty reduction.
“Developing countries should make their social and economic development a top priority because the fight against poverty and the development of health and the management of housing and energy are considered fundamental priorities for a significant part of developing countries,” he said. Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
These efforts and more will be on the agenda at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP29 – in Baku this November. In the run-up to this major event, host country Azerbaijan is working hard to achieve its green development goals.
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Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, will host COP29 in November.
The COP29 Presidency aims to raise ambition and enable action.
Baku is committed to developing the nation's renewable energy potential.
The policy includes tax breaks on electric vehicles and investment in education.
Although Azerbaijan is a major player in the global oil and gas industry, ranking 20th in the world for proven oil reserves, one of the key pillars of its green development strategy is the rapid expansion of renewable energy infrastructure.
The country has made significant changes to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, begin the transition to renewable energy, and participate in global efforts to combat climate change.
230MW Garadagh Solar Power Plant Project in Azerbaijan. (A photo by Haifa AlShamri)
In 2020, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy and UAE firm Masdar signed an agreement to establish the country's first solar power facility – the 230 MW Garadagh Solar Power Plant.
The project covers 550 hectares and currently features 570,000 bifacial photovoltaic panels, which capture direct sunlight and the reflection of sunlight from the ground.
Murad Sadikhov, country manager of the Garadagh solar power plant, told Arab News that the facility has achieved 24 gigawatts of capacity so far. “But we have set a very ambitious target of reaching 100 gigawatts by 2032,” he said.
Murad Sadikhov, Country Manager of the 230 MW Garadagh Solar Power Plant Project in Azerbaijan. (A photo by Haifa AlShamri)
Along with the implementation of renewable energy projects, Azerbaijan is encouraging the public to adopt green transportation modes from using fossil fuel-intensive vehicles.
“The government is promoting the green agenda, not only in establishing production capacity but also on the demand side,” Sadikhov said.
“They promote electric vehicles. They launched the Electromobility Master Plan. They appointed key advisors. They instituted new rules and laws such as tax breaks for EVs and are promoting EVs for public transportation, trying to maximize the use of electric transportation.”
Significant progress has been made in harnessing Azerbaijan's vast wind energy potential. The Azerbaijan 240 MW wind farm, for one, is being developed by Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power.
Azerbaijan is also investing heavily in raising public awareness of environmentally friendly practices and training the next generation of sustainability professionals. “Most universities now have special programs for renewable energy,” Sadikhov said.
While many nations across Asia have adopted green development strategies, experts and officials are aware that more needs to be done to address the climate challenge without undermining social and economic development.
