Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, met in Riyadh today, the envoy of the President of the United States of America for Climate Change, Mr. John Kerry.

During the meeting, they reviewed the international efforts exerted to confront the phenomenon of climate change.

The meeting also dealt with the Kingdom’s qualitative initiatives in confronting the phenomenon of climate change and reducing emissions, and preserving the environment and its components, foremost of which are the Green Saudi Initiatives and the Green Middle East, in addition to its efforts during its presidency of the Group of Twenty last year in pushing the adoption of the concepts of a circular carbon economy.

The meeting was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Engineer Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli.

On the American side, the Chargé d’Affairs of the US Embassy in the Kingdom, Martina Strong, Head of Climate Ambition and Implementation Team Jonathan Pershing, and Head of Global Innovation and Completion Varun Sivaram attended.

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joint statement

At the conclusion of the visit of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today, Wednesday, 6 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1442 AH, corresponding to June 16, 2021 AD, the two countries issued the following joint statement:

Beginning of the joint declaration:

The United States of America and Saudi Arabia are committed to addressing the growing challenges of climate change seriously and urgently.

The two countries will promote the implementation of the Paris Agreement and actively promote a successful G20 Summit in Italy and COP 26 in Glasgow. Both countries stress the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and taking climate adaptation measures during the current decade to avoid the consequences of climate change.

The two countries confirmed their intention to work together to:

Active support and bilateral participation in the Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives, including in the field of clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and land use.

Enhance efforts under the Zero Neutrality Forum for producers, including methane reduction, circular carbon economy, clean energy technologies and carbon capture and storage.

Collaborate on the promising future of clean hydrogen to address the most difficult sectors to reduce emissions, and work in partnership to accelerate the development and use of clean hydrogen, taking into account the initiatives of both countries in this regard

Cooperation on accelerating the use of clean energy and low-emission electricity systems in the region

Encouraging partnerships in the private sector

Support ocean- and nature-based solutions to promote emission reduction and adaptation

Collaboration begins to encourage climate change research in the areas of emission reduction and adaptation

During their lengthy and fruitful discussion on their current and future initiatives, both sides noted the efforts made by both parties, looking forward to working together and strengthening their work until the Glasgow meeting and beyond.