Saudi Arabia can become solar energy superpower to drive global sustainability revolution: Experts – EQ Mag

Saudi can become an energy transition leader and tourism hub

Saudi Arabia can become a solar energy superpower that drives a global sustainability revolution and accelerates the world’s renewable energy transition, experts told participants at the global tourism summit in Riyadh.

Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, highlighted the region’s potential to lead a concerted push toward net-zero emissions during the 22nd World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) summit in Riyadh, which ended on Thursday.

“We need to inspire a sustainability revolution,” Sachs said, adding that tourism can really change the world by being clean and green but also by showing everyone – politicians, business leaders and civic society advocates – that we are one world and one people.

Saudi Arabia can be sustainability star

“Another solution for this region is to become a superpower in solar and hydrogen power, which Saudi Arabia can lead in,” he said.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, former president of Indonesia, called on world leaders for a mindset shift and an end to the “blame game” between developed and developing nations.

“The main challenge we face in tackling climate change again goes back to cooperation and partnerships,” he said. “We need to improve cooperation and partnerships at a local and global level to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”

Gloria Guevara, chief special advisor for Saudi Arabia’s ministry of tourism, said Saudi Arabia has shown that there was no need to choose between sustainability and economic growth.

“Tourism has clearly demonstrated its potential to become a key enabler of both and the Kingdom has continued to show how one can add value to the other,” Guevara said at the summit.

Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN framework convention on climate change, said leadership at the intersection between climate change, travel and tourism was vital.

“What we are lacking globally is leadership on the side of governments, on the side of the private sector and on the side of civil society,” she said.

“We need to develop a unity of purpose to build partnerships and foster more cooperation on the issues that matter to all of us to make travel more sustainable.”

The Riyadh WTTC summit was the biggest-ever meeting of global tourism and travel leaders, attracting nearly 3000 delegates, 55 government ministers, 60 ambassadors and diplomats, more than 250 CEOS, besides former presidents and heads of state.

Source: arabianbusiness