This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard Saudi Arabia Country Managers Abeer Abdulkareem and Amgad EllaboudySaudi Arabia’s most current carbon dioxide emission number sits at 582.1 million tons per year, as of 2019. This is more than a threefold increase from its baseline emissions in 1990 of 185.5 million tons per year. Saudi’s share of...
Category: Saudi Arabia News Brief and Action Alert
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology: A Model Sustainable Mini-City
This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard Saudi Arabia Country Managers Abeer Abdulkareem and Amgad Ellaboudy King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a model of a mini-city that has climate-conscious plans and programs and has earned a Platinum rating on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) scale. KAUST is...
Sakaka Solar Plant and Dumat al-Jandal Wind Farm in Saudi Arabia
By Climate Scorecard Saudi Arabia Country Managers Abeer Abdulkareem and Amgad Ellaboudy Most of the renewable energy projects in Saudi Arabia are either at the tender-bidding, construction and installation, or production trial phases. Therefore, it is too early to elicit the best practices in the production or distribution of renewable energy projects in the...
Climate Policy Recommendation: Strengthen Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Program
Policy Recommendation: Strengthen Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Program The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can achieve a noticeable reduction in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if it fully implemented the Saudi Arabia National Renewable Energy Program. Initially, Saudi Vision 2030’s target was to achieve 9.5 GW of renewable energy generation by 2030. This goal has been...
Saudi Arabia’s National Grid Still Largely Fueled by Carbon-Intense Energy Sources
Saudi Arabia’s electricity is primarily composed of fossil fuel sources—particularly natural gas and crude oil—with a small but increasing amount from solar energy. For its electricity, the Kingdom sources 218,470 Gigawatt hours (GWh) (or 60%) from natural gas, 159,528 GWh (or 40%) from crude oil, and 155 GWh (or < 1%) from solar energy. In...
Saudi Arabia Greenhouse Gas Emissions Have Increased by 225% Since 1990
Recently Reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels: 491.66 Metric Tons in 2018, an Increase of 225.37% and Increase from 1990 Levels (Source: IEA) The latest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions figures indicate that in 2018 Saudi Arabia produced 491.66 million Metric Tons of CO2 equivalent (MtCO2e), this figure is primarily driven by due oil and gas production....
Saudi Arabia: Hotter Summers, Fossil Fuel Bailouts, and the Production of Blue Ammonia
September 2020 It’s a race against heat, and humanity is losing Saudi Arabia has increased their air pollution amidst heat waves after their power plants burned more crude oil for air conditioners. In July 2019, the capital city of Riyadh registered its poorest air quality for the year as the average high temperature reached 43 Celsius. With...
The Center for Excellence in Climate Change Research and the Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water, and Desert Research in Saudi Arabia
Climate change mitigation research in Saudi Arabia is conducted through universities and institutions that are seemingly well-funded. Two such prominent organizations are: Center of Excellence for Climate Change Research (CECCR), at King Abdulaziz University, and Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water, and Desert Research, at King Saud University. CECCR was established in 2009 to “provide...
Lack of Political Will and Skilled Labor Shortage Might Impede the Growth of Green Jobs in the Kingdom
Saudi Arabia’s green jobs market is developing as Saudi Aramco, the country’s largest employer, is implementing sustainable initiatives that will generate green jobs within the energy industry. This initiative has four components: energy efficiency, environmental performance, human capital development, and commercial ecosystems. Within the company’s Flare Minimization Program, multiple flare gas recovery systems are installed...
Climate Justice in Saudi Arabia Should be Targeted at Smallholder Farmers, Fishermen, and Low-Income Urban Dwellers
Smallholder farmers and fishermen are particularly at risk to the effects of climate change because they rely on the environment for their livelihoods. Saudi Arabia is already a country with sparse water resources, and by 2100, field and vegetable crops are expected to require 10-13% more water because of changes in temperature and carbon dioxide...