MENA Climate Week in Riyadh deals with climate solutions ahead of COP28

The Middle East and North Africa، MENA Climate Week 2023 which is taking place from 8-12 October 2023 and hosted by the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the city of Riyadh، leading by HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman، Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy، is at a crossroads، ahead of COP28، facing not only the devastating impacts of climate change but also the challenge of transitioning their economies to ensure prosperity in a 1.5C aligned world.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is pleased to host the 2nd edition of MENA Climate Week in Riyadh

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman، Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy announces that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is pleased to host the second edition of MENA Climate Week in Riyadh، a sign of the Kingdom's unwavering commitment to exploring all solutions to the climate challenges which the Middle East and North Africa، MENA currently face. 

The Middle East and North Africa، MENA  Climate Week in Riyadh، Kingdom of Saudi Arabia، will explore advancing climate action and inclusive approaches including the Circular Carbon Economy approach which promotes the use of all available technologies، forms of energy and mitigation opportunities that would contribute to achieving climate goals.

MENA  Climate Week in Riyadh is the 1st global Stocktake، which will conclude at COP28 in UAE

The Middle East and North Africa، MENA  Climate Week in Riyadh، Kingdom of Saudi Arabia، is considered the first global Stocktake، which will conclude at COP28 in UAE in December this year، offers a unique opportunity to call for decisive and inclusive change and for urgently responding to the need for accelerating progress across all areas of the Paris Agreement.

The Middle East and North Africa، MENA Climate Week in Riyadh، Kingdom of Saudi Arabia، MENA CW 2023، and all the Regional Climate Weeks provide a platform for policymakers، practitioners، businesses and civil society to exchange on climate solutions، barriers to overcome and opportunities realized in different regions.

MENA Climate Week and all the Regional Climate Weeks  consider 4 major systems-based tracks

The Middle East and North Africa، MENA Climate Week in Riyadh، Kingdom of Saudi Arabia، MENA CW 2023، and all the Regional Climate Weeks  consider four major systems-based tracks with a view to provide region-focused contributions to inform the global stocktake including Energy systems and industry، Cities، urban and rural settlements، infrastructure and transport، and Land، ocean، food and water، as well as Societies، health، livelihoods، and economies

MENA Climate Week in Riyadh ends with call to carry forward voice of the region to Road to COP28 in Dubai  and to send a strong signal to the world، a signal of unity through ambition and inclusion، as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  aspires to leave no one behind.

Mitigation and adaptation go hand in hand

Khalid al-Mehaid، Saudi Arabia’s chief climate negotiator، states  in a statement during the closing ceremony of the UN-backed climate week in Riyadh on Thursday that  a one size fits all approach will not work in the MENA region but mitigation and adaptation go hand in hand.

Al-Mehadi، who is also a senior sustainability advisor to the Kingdom’s energy ministry indicates that the kind of energy transition narrative is not taking into account the priorities of the MENA region، let alone the Global South and the region cannot progress mitigation without seriously prioritizing adaptation.

Cooperation among regional government officials and private sector partners

The MENA Climate Week came to a close after five-long days of keynotes from regional government officials and private sector partners، youth-led discussions، and the signing of several agreements as the event، held in Boulevard Riyadh City، was hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Energy in collaboration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)، United Nations Development Program (UNDP)، United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Bank.

COP28’s President-Designate Sultan al-Jaber spoke during MENA Climate Week event in Riyadh about practically transitioning from fossil-fuel based energy sources to clean energy and providing government support to high-emission industries are three key pathways to contribute to decarbonization efforts and meet the 1.5 degree Celsius global warming limit.

MENA Climate Week is a significant collaborative opportunity ahead of the COP28 summit

The MENA Climate Week event in Riyadh، according to regional stakeholders، is a significant collaborative opportunity ahead of the COP28 summit scheduled to take place in the UAE financial capital city of Dubai between November 30 and December 12، as the stakeholders discussed scaling up carbon capture and storage، and heavily leaned on renewable energy transition as a pathway to poverty eradication، economic diversification، energy access، youth empowerment and more.

The MENA Climate Week event in Riyadh deals also with public-private collaboration and adequate financing for the high-risk MENA region were touted as essential steps to control emissions and stabilize policy as the MENA region is also recognized to have a geographic advantage in terms of an abundancy of resources and forward-thinking policymakers.

MENA Climate Week discusses issues like water scarcity

The MENA Climate Week discusses at the same time، issues like water scarcity and identifying and aligning local and national priorities which were noted for further review، as well as enhancing supply chain systems and building an efficient waste management network،  developing early warning systems for sand and dust storms which were acknowledged by the host country and deemed an essential next step.

In a joint report released by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)، AEON Collective and King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) coinciding with the MENA Climate Week، it said that the Kingdom might face in a 3-degree Celsius warmer country much sooner than the rest of the world.

Rapid transformation of national policies to protection، preserve and restore natural capital

However، this has the potential to negatively affect human life، but a rapid transformation of national policies to  protection، preserve and restore natural capital and follow through on its adaption and mitigation goals، can greatly avert the possibility، as youth participation is another essential branch، which was widely showcased through presentations and discussion from local and visiting young delegates from around the world.

Saudi Arabia’s Clean Development Mechanism Designated National Authority (CDMDNA) announced the start of a domestic market mechanism، Greenhouse Gas Crediting and Offsetting Mechanism (GCOM)،  to incentivize emissions reduction and removal، as well as a roadmap to achieve the 2021-launched Saudi Green Initiative to plant 10 billion trees was announced at the MENA Climate Week  following a two-year-long feasibility study and it will be implemented in two phases، with 600 million trees by 2030.