Riyadh (AFP)

The Saudi kingdom, one of the biggest polluters in the world, has also said it will participate in international efforts to reduce global emissions of methane (among the most famous greenhouse gases) by 30% by to 2030.

According to the United Nations, more than 130 countries have set or are planning to set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a net zero level by 2050, a target that the UN considers "imperative "to preserve a livable climate.

"Today I am announcing Saudi Arabia's zero-emission target by 2060 through a circular carbon economy strategy", which aims to increase the efficiency of resource use and reduce the impact on the environment, said Mohammed ben Salman in a statement recorded at the Saudi Green Initiative forum in Riyadh.

"I am pleased to launch initiatives in the energy sector that will reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tonnes per year by 2030, more than double the previously announced target of an annual reduction of some 130 million tonnes, "said the crown prince.

The announcements come a day after those by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who said the current climate situation was "a one-way ticket to disaster" and stressed the need to "avoid failure" at the conference. International Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

COP 26, which will take place from October 31 to November 12, is seen as a crucial moment in determining global carbon emission reduction targets and combating global warming.

In March, Riyadh unveiled a vast campaign to reduce its emissions, including a plan to plant billions of trees over the next decades.

Saudi Minister of Energy Abdulaziz ben Salmane al-Saud, during a "Saudi Green Initiative" forum, October 23, 2021 in Ryad Fayez Nureldine AFP

Saudi Arabia is a relatively important country for carbon because it emits around 600 million tonnes of CO2 per year, more than France but a little less than Germany (800 million tonnes).

The goal that Riyadh has set for 2060 is more distant than that of dozens of other countries in 2050, at least on paper.

"New protected areas"

The backbone of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), Saudi Arabia also aims to produce half of its energy from renewable energies by 2030, according to statements made by Prince Mohammed at the time. ben Salman.

On Saturday, the crown prince said his country plans to initially plant more than 450 million trees and rehabilitate some eight million hectares of degraded land.

Saudi Arabia also pledges to create "new protected areas and ensure that these areas represent 20% of its entire territory," said Mohammed bin Salman, adding that the cost of these investments was estimated at more than 700 billion riyals (approximately 160 billion euros).

Photo provided by the Saudi Royal Palace of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivering a speech at the Saudi Green Initiative forum in Riyadh, October 23, 2021 BANDAR AL-JALOUD Saudi Royal Palace / AFP

Saudi Arabia currently uses oil and natural gas to meet its own rapidly growing demand for electricity and to desalinate its water, which requires huge amounts of oil on a daily basis.

At the same time, energy giant Saudi Aramco is coming under scrutiny from investors over its issues.

In January, Bloomberg reported that the oil company failed to include data on emissions from several of its refineries and petrochemical plants in its reports.

If these data were taken into account, again according to Bloomberg, the company's carbon footprint could double, adding the equivalent of some 55 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to its annual tally, the proportion of emissions generated by Portugal. .

© 2021 AFP