RIYADH — Saudi Arabia and United States revealed that they are committed to addressing the increasing climate change challenge with seriousness and urgency at the conclusion of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s visit to the Kingdom.

In a joint statement by the Ministry of Energy, and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate the two countries said that the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are committed to addressing the increasing climate change challenge with seriousness and urgency.

They will work to strengthen the implementation of the Paris Agreement and actively promote a successful G20 in Italy and COP 26 in Glasgow. Both countries affirm the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and taking adaptation actions during the 2020s to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

They affirmed their intention to work together:

• To actively support and engage bilaterally on the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, including on clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and land use;

• To advance efforts under the announced Net-Zero Producers Forum, including, e.g., on methane abatement, the circular carbon economy, and clean-energy and carbon capture and storage technologies;

• To cooperate on the potential of clean hydrogen to address the hardest to abate sectors and to partner to accelerate clean hydrogen’s development and deployment, recognizing the two countries’ respective initiatives in this regard;

• To collaborate on accelerating the deployment of renewable energy and low-emissions power systems in the region;

• To encourage private sector partnerships;

• To support ocean-based and nature-based solutions for addressing both mitigation and adaptation; and

• To launch cooperation on enhancing climate change research in the areas of mitigation and adaptation.

Recalling their fruitful, in-depth discussion on their respective ongoing and future climate initiatives, both sides acknowledge each other’s efforts and look forward to engaging with each other and enhancing their actions on to road to Glasgow and beyond. — SPA