Cue a grain of salt.
"Saudi Arabia's crown prince pledged Saturday that OPEC's largest producer will reach 'net zero' greenhouse gas emissions by 2060," reports Sarah Dadouch.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made the announcement in a televised appearance at the first Saudi Green Initiative Forum.
The announcement also marks a drastic shift from previous statements from Suadi leadership. "Previously, the powerful Saudi energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, had ridiculed the International Energy Agency's 2050 target for reaching net-zero emissions, calling it 'a sequel to [the] 'La La Land' movie,'" according to Dadouch.
The news comes with a large caveat: the announcement did not include a commitment to slow the country's investments in new oil and gas development, nor did it include many details about how the country would reach net zero. "The prince emphasized his intention to turn the Saudi capital, Riyadh, into one of world’s most sustainable global cities. He vowed by 2030 to plant 450 million trees, to rehabilitate nearly 20 million acres of land — about the size of South Carolina — and to reduce 278 million tons of carbon emissions a year," reports Dadouch of the details included in the speech.
Read the full story: Oil giant Saudi Arabia pledges ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2060
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