Despite an unprecedented raft of measures that Saudi Arabia has announced in the past month to tackle climate change,\u00a0 critics in western media continue to write op-eds denouncing the kingdom\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n
A closer look at what they\u2019re criticizing will show how unrealistic demands made almost exclusively of Saudi Arabia are. None of the major oil producers who are parties to the Paris Climate Agreement have been singled out by the western media for continuing to produce oil, as Saudi Arabia has been.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia\u2019s official position has been that transitioning to renewable energy will take decades and the best way to tackle it is by creating a \u201ccircular carbon economy<\/a>\u201d. The idea here is to focus on innovative greenhouse gas capture, utilization and storage technologies.<\/p>\n But the kingdom didn\u2019t stop there, they\u2019ve announced that they\u2019ll be net-zero<\/a> by 2060. A Saudi cabinet minister went so far as to say that Saudi Arabia might meet the target sooner.<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said that the world’s top oil exporter aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 and to more than double its annual target to reduce carbon emissions https:\/\/t.co\/Kt7NgwEodp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/8wIREnBNXW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Reuters (@Reuters) October 23, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n