4th Saudi Green Initiative Forum to be Hosted in UNCCD COP16 Green Zone in Riyadh December 3-4

Riyadh, November 14, 2024, SPA -- The Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) announced today that the 2024 edition of the SGI Forum will take place on 3-4 December under the theme “Action is in our nature”. The flagship climate and environment action event, now in its fourth edition, will return to Riyadh for the first time since its launch in 2021 by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Saudi Green Initiative.
The 2024 SGI Forum will coincide with the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). According to an SGI press release, the Riyadh COP16 (2-13 December) will be the largest-ever UNCCD conference, the first to be held in the Middle East region, and the largest multilateral conference ever hosted by Saudi Arabia.
At this year’s SGI Forum, hundreds of policymakers, business leaders, and subject matter experts from across the world will convene in a dedicated SGI Pavilion in the UNCCD COP16 Green Zone. Dozens of tailored sessions will explore best practices, innovations, and progress against SGI targets, with the goal of deepening collaboration and scaling up action for a greener future.
Since the launch of SGI, a significant positive impact has been achieved, with 4+ GW of renewable energy capacity installed, 95+ million trees and shrubs planted, and 1,660+ endangered animals rewilded across the Kingdom.
Activities in the SGI Pavilion at UNCCD COP16 Riyadh
For the duration of COP16, the Saudi Green Initiative will welcome the public to a 4,000 m2 SGI Pavilion, where visitors can enjoy an interactive journey through Saudi Arabia’s whole-of-society climate and environment efforts in the SGI Gallery. A multimedia showcase and a broad range of experts will enable guests to learn more about the 80+ initiatives already launched as part of SGI. Visitors can also attend and exchange ideas during daily SGI Talks, an expert-led speaker series that launched in 2023.
The Saudi Green Initiative was launched by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in 2021 to drive climate action across all levels of society and achieve Saudi Arabia’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2060. The initiative demonstrates the Kingdom’s dedication to improving the quality of life for current and future generations and addressing the region’s environmental challenges, including high temperatures, low rainfall, dust storms, and desertification.
More information about the upcoming SGI Forum is available on greeninitiatives.gov.sa.
The first SGI Forum took place in Riyadh in October 2021 and saw His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, unveil Saudi Arabia’s 2060 net zero goal.
In 2022, the SGI Forum was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in tandem with UNFCCC COP27. The event revealed major climate action projects, including the launch of a circular carbon economy knowledge hub, and the establishment of a regional center for advancing emissions reduction with UNESCWA.
In 2023, the third SGI Forum took place in conjunction with UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai. During the event, the Kingdom unveiled a 300% increase in installed renewable energy capacity since 2022, and 43+ million trees were planted toward the goal of 10 billion.
-- SPA