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THE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reinforced its climate change actions at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 22) in Marrakech, Morocco, currently in session, with the ratification of the Paris Agreement before the entry into force of the Agreement.
“I am pleased to announce that Saudi Arabia have completed the ratification of the Paris Agreement and this is testimony of the Kingdom’s solid commitment to doing its part to address the issue of climate change.
As such, greater investment in reducing the environmental impact of fossil fuel production and consumption is essential to meeting agreed-upon climate targets. The Kingdom remains committed to meeting the world’s energy needs via the gradual transition towards a more environmentally sustainable future — keeping in mind that the path of the transition itself must remain both economically viable and environmentally sustainable,” said Khalid Al-Falih, minister of energy, industry and mineral resources.
Al-Falih is currently leading the Saudi Arabian delegation to Marrakech on behalf of Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Salman, comprising officials and subject matter experts representing various Kingdom entities. This is the minister’s debut at COP after being appointed to his current portfolio earlier this year.
According to Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia shared the international community’s challenges of climate change and its effects, and advocates for mutually beneficial resolutions to the issue.
“It is our sincere hope that the Conference of Parties, at its 22nd session (COP 22), will sustain the momentum of last year’s COP 21 in Paris, where significant progress resulted in the first balanced universal climate agreement which we have now ratified,” he said.
Al-Falih said Saudi Arabia hoped that as the “COP of Action,” COP 22 will produce an equitable outcome enabling sustainable economic and social development.
Ever since the issue of climate change was brought to the world’s attention, the Kingdom has maintained a consistent view, calling for meaningful options that encompasses the concerns of developing nations under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
On Oct. 5, the threshold for entry into force of the Paris Agreement was achieved. The Paris Agreement has entered into force on Nov. 4. The first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1) will take place in Marrakech in conjunction with COP 22 and CMP 12.
The Paris Agreement builds upon the Convention and — for the first time — brings all nations into a common cause to undertake take ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.
The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, taking into consideration global sustainable development and poverty elimination.
Al-Falih is attending COP22 until Nov. 18 where he will be involved in a range of activities and engagements. He started his first day with a full schedule beginning with the Mission Innovation Ministerial Meeting, a panel discussion on Developments in Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) followed by a another panel discussion organized by Mission Innovation for the public.
In between, he held a number of bilateral meetings including with Kuwaiti Energy Minister, the United States Special Envoy for Climate Change, the Chinese Minister for Environmental Protection and the UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinoza. He ended the day with delivering a remark at the Clean Energy Ministerial Event. The highlight of his participation at COP22 will be the delivery of Saudi Arabia’s National Statement at the High Level Segment. — SG
