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 COP 26 global climate summit.
The kingdom, one of the world's biggest polluters, said it would also join a global effort to reduce methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
The UN 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 livable climate.
I announce today Saudi Arabia's target to achieve net zero emissions by 2060, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Saudi Green Initiative forum.
I am pleased to launch initiatives in the energy sector that will reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tonnes annually by 2030, thus voluntarily more than double the target announced, said Prince Mohammed.
We also announce the Kingdom's accession to the Global Methane Pledge. A statement said Saudi Arabia would contribute to cutting global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030, as part of its commitment to deliver a cleaner, greener future The 2060 target would enable us to have a smooth and viable transition, without risking economic or social impacts.
I hope this landmark announcement is successful. will galvanise ambition from others ahead of COP 26, Sharma tweeted, adding that he was looking forward to seeing more details on the Saudi plan.
Saudi Arabia is estimated to emit about 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year - more than Germany and slightly less than France.
The year 2050 has become a focus for carbon neutrality, defined as achieving a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.
As COP 26 approaches, a string of countries have pledged to aim for net zero emissions by 2050, and global airlines and banks are also targeting the mid-century goal.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said Friday that the current climate situation was a one-way ticket to disaster stressing the need to avoid a failure at COP 26 in Glasgow.
The gathering held between October 31 and November 12 is seen as a crucial step in setting global emission targets to reduce global warming.
In March, Saudi Arabia unveiled a campaign to combat climate change and reduce carbon emissions, including a plan to plant billions of trees in the coming decades.
The OPEC kingpin aims to reduce emissions by generating half of its energy from renewables by 2030, Prince Mohammed said at the time.
The crown prince announced the first phase on Saturday that would include planting more than 450 million trees and the rehabilitation of eight million hectares of degraded land.
Saudi Arabia also declared it would designate new protected areas The move brings the total protected areas in the kingdom to more than 30 percent of its total area Prince Mohammed said, adding the first set of green initiatives would cost more than 700 billion riyals $186.6 billion Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, said the land conservation move was critical.
We want to diversify our economy. Hospitality and tourism are key to that, but so is preserving our environment, she said at the forum.
Saudi Arabia draws on oil and natural gas to meet its own fast-growing power demand and desalinate its water - which consumes huge quantities of oil.
The initiatives come as energy giant Saudi Aramco, the kingdom's cash cow, faces scrutiny from investors over its emissions.
It added that if those facilities are included, the company's self-reported carbon footprint could nearly double, adding as much as 55 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent to its annual tally - roughly the emissions produced by Portugal.