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Summary report 7–11 March 2022
74th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee
Highlights and images for 13 March 2019
4th Meeting of the OECPR and 4th Session of UNEA
Highlights for Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Delegates conferring during a break in negotiations
Delegates at UNEA-4 raced to complete negotiations on all outstanding draft resolutions on Wednesday, in preparation for the High-Level Segment, which begins Thursday. The Committee of the Whole (COW) convened briefly in morning and afternoon plenaries, and agreed to forward texts on food loss, biodiversity, and arrangements for UNEA-5, single-use plastics, and marine litter and microplastics, to UNEA-4 for adoption. Informal discussions continued into the evening on draft resolutions addressing deforestation, geoengineering, and the GEO process. UNEP launched the GEO-6 report and related publications today in a series of interactive dialogues and presentations.In the evening, the COW reconvened, and delegates further approved a resolution on Enhancing UNEP’s Science-Policy Interface and Endorsement of the GEO. The EU withdrew its proposed resolution on deforestation and agricultural commodity supply chains, and Switzerland withdrew its proposed resolution on geoengineering governance, in both instances citing a lack of consensus.Delegates adopted the draft procedural report of the COW by rapporteur Putera Parthama (Indonesia). Coimbra expressed warm thanks to Parthama and the UNEP Secretariat, and conveyed his appreciation to OECPR Chair Francisca Ashietey-Odunton and all members of the CPR for their work in presenting “a mature set of decisions” that had enabled work to progress. Delegates also conveyed messages of support, and Coimbra gaveled the meeting to a close at 8.41 PM.Key highlights:
Agreement on resolutions on marine litter and microplastics, and on single-use plastics, and the role UNEP can play in these related issues;
Conclusion of negotiations on arrangements for UNEA-5, setting in place an intersessional process and preparation of an action plan to implement all provisions of the Rio+20 outcome on strengthening the role of UNEP (paragraph 88), including progressive consolidation of headquarters functions in Nairobi (sub-paragraph g);
Dialogues with youth and other stakeholders of the GEO-6 process, which put forward proposals for adopting more sustainable pathways;
An address by UNEP Patron of the Oceans and endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh, urging action to combat the degradation of the world’s oceans; and
National statements by many Member States and heads of agencies, outlining their actions to promote sustainable consumption and production (SCP), fight climate change, and halt biodiversity and habitat loss.
For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from OECPR-4 and UNEA-4, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page.
Launch of the Sixth Global Environment Outlook report (GEO-6)
From L-R: GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Paul Ekins; Paolo Soprano, Co-Chair, High-Level Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Advisory Group (HLG); Yi Huang, HLG Co-Chair; Nadya Yuti Hutagalung, UNEP Environment Goodwill Ambassador; Joyeeta Gupta, GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair; Robert Watson, Chair, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES); and Lewis Pugh, UNEP Patron of the Oceans and endurance swimmer
Robert Watson, Chair, IPBES
Nadya Yuti Hutagalung, UNEP Environment Goodwill Ambassador
Robert Watson, Chair, IPBES, with Maarten Kappelle, UNEP
Joyeeta Gupta, GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair, with Robert Watson, Chair, IPBES
Pierre Boileau, Head of GEO-6 Unit, UNEP, and Joyeeta Gupta, GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair
Dan Ma and Sorin Simplaceanu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), receiving Certificates of Achievement for their contributions in GEO-6
View of the panel during the discussion
GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair, Joyeeta Gupta
Yi Huang, HLG Co-Chair
Lewis Pugh, UNEP Patron of the Oceans and endurance swimmer
Paolo Soprano, Co-Chair, HLG
GEO-6 Assessment Co-Chair Paul Ekins
Pierre Boileau, Head of GEO-6 Unit, UNEP
Mandy Van Den Ende, Utrecht University
Shlok Sachdev, Premier Academy
Charlotte Wanja, Alliance Girls High Scool
Panel discussion with authors of GEO-6 for Youth. L-R: Moderator Gul Mohsen, University of Nottingham; Maria Jesus Iraola Anton, University College London; Alamoud Alkhatlan, Arabian Gulf University; Mandy Van Den Ende, Utrecht University; and Sarah Nyawira, Nairobi Convention Secretariat
Alamoud Alkhatlan, Arabian Gulf University
Sarah Nyawira, Nairobi Convention Secretariat
National Statements in UNEA-4 Plenary
Erik Grigoryan, Minister of Nature Protection, Armenia
Khalil Bin Musleh Al-Thaqafi, President, The General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, Saudi Arabia
Carolina Schmidt Zaldívar, Minister of the Environment, Chile
Aboud Gabir Saeed, Secretary-General, National Council for Environment, Sudan
Delegates from Saudi Arabia
Joseph Jouthe, Minister of Environment, Haiti
Tserenbat Namsrai, Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mongolia
Committee of the Whole
View of the dais during the Committee of the Whole session
Andrés Felipe Marmolejo Egred, and David Olarte Amaya, Colombia
From L-R: Matthew Billot, UNEP; Toral Patel-Weynand, US; and Lori Dando, US
Ahmed Abu Thahet, Palestine, and Hazem Shabat, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Kenya
Patrick Luna, Brazil, and Ulf Björnholm, UNEP
COW Chair Fernando Coimbra, Brazil, COW Special Rapporteur Ida Bagus Putera Parthama, Indonesia, and Theophillus Waluyo, Indonesia
Delegates conferring before the session
Between Sessions
"Making the Invisible, Visible" lounge installation
Delegates relax at an installation of lounge furniture to raise awareness of the hidden hazards of toxic chemicals in everyday objects, jointly staged by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS), the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), and the UNEP Chemicals and Health branch.
Highlights and images for 14 March 2019
4th Meeting of the OECPR and 4th Session of UNEA
Highlights for Thursday, 14 March 2019
Group photo of the UNEA-4 High-Level Segment
The High-Level Segment of UNEA-4 opened at mid-day. Heads of state and government from France, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda and Sri Lanka addressed delegates. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya, stressed the importance of integrating traditional and cultural knowledge in the effort to promote sustainable consumption and production (SCP). Emmanuel Macron, President of France, highlighted the vision behind the 3rd One Planet Summit taking place at the UN in Nairobi, in parallel with the UNEA-4 High-Level Segment. He issued a rousing call for action to limit global warming and stop biodiversity loss, warning that, “We will be held accountable.”Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, Kristalina Georgieva, interim President, World Bank, and Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP, also addressed the audience, and environment ministers delivered national statements.In the afternoon, a leadership dialogue took place between UN panelists and environment ministers, which discussed how to support sustainable food systems, promote food security and halt biodiversity loss. A multi-stakeholder dialogue followed with civil society leaders spearheading innovative solutions for sustainable consumption.Key highlights:
A choir performance with songs of welcome and tribute to those who had perished in Sunday’s plane crash;
Attendance by more than 80 environment ministers, who outlined actions for sustainability already underway in their own countries;
Dialogue between UN specialized agencies and ministers, highlighting the need to better value the contribution of ecosystems and natural capital, in economic planning; and
Concrete examples of social innovation in the civil society sphere, demonstrating the possibility of behavior change on issues such as single-use plastics and motor vehicle emissions.
For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from OECPR-4 and UNEA-4, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page.
UNEA High-Level Segment Opening Plenary
View of the dais during the High-Level Segment
Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya
Emmanuel Macron, President of France
Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP, taking a photo of Édouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of Rwanda and Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP, for the #SolveDifferent campaign.
Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka, and Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, taking a selife for the #SolveDifferent campaign.
UNEA-4 President Siim Valmar Kiisler, Estonia
Édouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of Rwanda
From L-R: Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka; Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General; and Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya
Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General
Andry Rajoelina, President of Madagascar
The UN Choir
Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP
Kristalina Georgieva, interim President and CEO, World Bank
Jorge Laguna-Celis, Secretary, Secretariat of Governing Bodies, UNEP, with Ulf Björnholm, UNEP
Édouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of Rwanda, with Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP
Tim Christophersen and Jamil Ahmad, UNEP
Sergio Costa, Minister of the Environment, Italy, with Simonetta Sommaruga, Head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, Switzerland
Nathan Ndoboli, Uganda, and Fernando Coimbra, Brazil
Fernando Coimbra, Brazil, and Jamil Ahmad, UNEP
Leadership Dialogue
From L-R: Joshtrom Kureethadam, Holy See; Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Moderator Nikhil Seth, UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR); Cristiana Pașca Palmer, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); and David Nabarro, Former Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change
Joshtrom Kureethadam, Holy See, and Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction
Cristiana Pașca Palmer, Executive Secretary, CBD
Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue
From L-R: Von Hernandez, Break Free From Plastic; Khawla Al-Muhannadi, Environment Friends Society, Bahrain; Leyla Acaroglu, Disrupt Design; Moderator Solitaire Townsend, Futerra; Desta Mebratu, African Transformative Leapfrogging Advisory Services; Lena Pripp-Kovac, IKEA Group; and João Campari, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Solitaire Townsend, Futerra
Khawla Al-Muhannadi, Environment Friends Society, Bahrain
João Campari, WWF
Leyla Acaroglu, Disrupt Design
National Statements in UNEA-4 Plenary
Sergio Costa, Minister of the Environment, Italy
Arlette Soudan-Nonault, Minister of Tourism and the Environment, Congo
Ricardo Salles, Minister of the Environment, Brazil
Ricardo Lozano Picón, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia
Between Sessions
Delegates from Costa Rica. From L-R: Lorena Aguilar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Anna Villalobos; and Marta Juárez Ruiz, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to Kenya
The Cuban delegation
The Colombian delegation
Delegates from the United Arab Emirates
Around the Venue
From L-R: Marta Juárez Ruiz, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to Kenya; Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica; and Andrea Meza, Costa Rica
Highlights and images for 24 September 2019
Launch Event of the GO for SDGs Initiative
Organized by the Permanent Mission of Germany and UNEP, the event marked the official launch of Global Opportunities for SDGs (GO for SDGs), an initiative aiming to accelerate and raise ambition for building inclusive and sustainable economies. Led by Germany and UNEP and open to other partners, GO for SDGs will serve as platform to facilitate regional dialogue and exchange among practitioners on best practices for replicating and scaling-up effects, and by fostering local institutional learning and experience sharing.
L-R: Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland; Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany; and Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
Highlights
The GO for SDGs Initiative will serve as platform to accelerate ambition by facilitating dialogue and knowledge sharing for inclusive green economies.
Germany will contribute EUR 7.5 million.
GO for SDGs will work through existing initiatives like The UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) One Planet Network.
Finland is using a toolbox of policies to achieve its commitments to be carbon neutral by 2035 and move towards a circular economy.
Peru’s National Green Growth and Competitiveness Plan highlights the value of the environment and natural resources for economic growth.
Karin Göbel, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, welcomed participants noting that the stakes to implement the SDGs have never been higher and calling for integrative solutions that bring actors together, unlock potential, and galvanize momentum towards a fast, fair, and green transformation.
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany, reminded participants that only ten years remain to implement the SDGs, noting that despite progress in some areas, more action is needed, especially on climate, water and inequality. Highlighting that many effective tools, methods and approaches already exist, she explained that the GO for SDGs initiative will focus on scaling up their use and enabling their adaptation to specific national circumstances. She announced Germany’s contribution of EUR 7.5 million to the initiative, expressing hope that other partners will join. She called for greater efforts to promote green innovation and sustainable business models and, outlining several successful examples, expressed confidence that GO for SDGs will be fruitful.
Citing several recent reports on SDG implementation, Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, stressed that many areas receive insufficient attention, including rapidly increasing resource consumption and biodiversity decline. She underlined that SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production) has the potential to unlock progress on serval SDGs. She explained that GO for SDGs will allow working through the UN system to enable sharing knowledge products and cross-country learning using existing platforms such as UNEP’s One Planet network. She called for “rolling up our collective sleeves” to tackle implementation together.
Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland, said her country wants to lead by example, by making Finland climate-neutral by 2035 and moving towards a circular economy. She highlighted that these ambitious targets need to be achieved in a socially-inclusive way. Instead of instituting a comprehensive sustainable development policy, she noted, Finland has a toolbox of policies tackling different issues, from plastics to waste. Mikkonen added that, under the One Planet Network, Finland has taken responsibility on the program for sustainable building and construction.
Lucía Ruíz, Minister of Environment, Peru, highlighted the need for a grassroots, multi-stakeholder approach to SDG implementation, and for “multi-alignment” of government policies and actions. She said Peru is working to transition to a green, circular economy and has recently instituted a ban on single-use plastics. She further mentioned Peru’s recently adopted National Green Growth and Competitiveness Plan, which highlights the value of the environment and natural resources for economic growth.
In the ensuing discussion, participants debated, among other issues: ways to rapidly scale up successful local and regional initiatives for SDG implementation; transformative cooperation; the need to provide green jobs and include social partners in the social dialogue needed for a successful transition to a green economy; and putting local governments on the UN’s agenda.
In her response, Schulze highlighted the need to translate the SDGs at the regional and local levels so that the Goals provide answers to local needs, and invited other governments to embark on the journey to become carbon neutral by 2050, like Germany. Mikkonen explained that GO for SDGs is necessary to create a pool of practical local answers and solutions to SDG implementation. Ruiz underscored the need to tackle corruption in local administrations. Satya Tripathi, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of UNEP’s New York Office, underscored the need to find the “magic mix between progress and politeness when it comes to the private sector,” which he explained implies finding the balance between safeguards and room for partnerships and innovation.
In closing, Schulze encouraged participants to “paint the picture of a better future together” that will be realized through climate action and achieving the SDGs.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page.
L-R: Naysán Sahba, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Moderator; Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland; Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany; and Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
Karin Göbel, Head of Department of Economic and Financial Affairs, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP
Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland
Lucía Ruíz, Minister of Environment, Peru
Satya Tripathi, UNEP
Naysán Sahba, UNEP
Event panel answering questions from participants.
Anne-Beth Skrede, Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
Arjan de Haan, International Development Research Centre
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany, in conversation with event participants.
CONTACT
Tobias Cabani | Tobias.Cabani.Extern@bmu.bund.de
MORE INFORMATION
https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/event/launch-go-sdgs-initiative-creating-opportunities-inclusive-and-sustainable-economies
Highlights and images for 26 September 2017
Thematic Sessions Minamata Convention on Mercury COP1
The session was moderated by Abiola Olanipekun, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, who outlined the focus of the thematic session as: use of alternative technologies; improved pollution controls and monitoring; enhanced combustion efficiency; and best practices across a range of industries, including coal burning, smelting, waste incineration, and cement. She identified coal burning as the major source of atmospheric mercury emissions. Olanipekun said mercury can enter the food chain, and that determining mercury concentrations in the environment is key. She then posed questions to the panelists, including on: how to identify key emissions sources; what control measures are practical and feasible; whether different types of controls are needed for different facilities; and how to measure control effectiveness.
On how to identify key emissions sources, Shuxiao Wang, Tsinghua University, China, emphasized the need for parties to develop national inventories including for power plants, smelting, cement and waste incineration. While noting the usefulness of the UNEP Toolkit for identification and quantification of mercury releases, she emphasized that those estimates have high uncertainties and that national estimates from actual measurement at point source are preferable. Using the example from China, she said emissions calculated from point source measurements were one third than would have been using UNEP emission factors. Wang emphasized the cost of monitoring. Using an example of size (in MW) for coal plants in China, she emphasized that the nationally-determined nature of monitoring can mean that the definition of source identification criteria can affect which facilities are monitored.
On practical and feasible control measures, Alexander Romanov, Scientific Research Institute for Atmospheric Air Protection, The Russian Federation, identified key considerations, including whether: a particular facility should be controlled; particulate matter controls already are in place; to add oxidizers to capture mercury; to improve the efficiency of burning; to change the coal mix; there is a need to pre-treat coal. He said the guidance developed by the INC process can help parties understand their options. Romanov underscored the need to balance cost, technical limitations and any other limitations. Citing the example of zinc smelting, which results in mercury in secondary products such as sulfuric acid, he stressed the importance of treating mercury rather than sending it “downstream.”
Peter Nelson, Macquarie University, Australia, said different types of controls are needed for different facilities. Noting that captured atmospheric mercury can be re-emitted or pollute land and water if not properly treated, he called for a holistic approach to mercury pollution. Nelson emphasized that capture depends on the chemical state of mercury, stressing that elemental mercury is very difficult to capture and identified activated carbon as an effective method for mercury capture. He said it is important to treat waste flows resulting from atmospheric mercury capture to avoid re-emission.
Alexandra Steffen, Environment Canada and Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, emphasized the importance of measurement and monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the Convention. She said the key aspects of monitoring include knowing where to measure, how to measure, for how long to measure, and external factors affecting measurement. She explained the differences between stack, near-stack and remote monitoring, as well as the time frames and time lags between mercury emissions abatement and measurable reductions in atmospheric concentrations. She stressed the importance of external factors such as climate change, land use and forest fires in measurement and monitoring. Steffen said active mercury monitoring still lags behind monitoring of elemental and particulate mercury, but it is also has a shorter residence time in the atmosphere and travels shorter distances. She noted that monitoring programs have to work within the constraints of available funds.
Ilia Ilyin, European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) explained how LRTAP’s work relates to the Minamata Convention, noting that LRTAP’s Protocol on Heavy Metals targets, among others, mercury. He described methods to calculate mercury concentrations in Eastern Europe and noted a network of 30 measurement stations. Ilyin also described LRTAP’s modelling approach to assess mercury pollution and methodologies linking mercury concentrations to human health. He said data is publicly available through EMEP's website.
Following the panel’s interventions, there was an open discussion with the public. Issues addressed included: how to measure particulate and vapor mercury emissions from dental offices; COP guidance on high-ash content coal emissions; and measurement of reactive mercury gases.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage from the Thematic Sessions at Mercury COP1.
Photos by IISD/ENB+ | Mike Mizurakis
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page.
From L-R: Alexandra Steffen, Environment Canada and Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme; Alexander Romanov, Scientific Research Institute for Atmospheric Air Protection, Russia; Peter Nelson, Macquarie University, Australia; Shuxiao Wang, Tsinghua University, China; Ilia Ilyin, European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution; and Abiola Olanipekun, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
Alexandra Steffen, Environment Canada and Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme
Shuxiao Wang, Tsinghua University, China
Abiola Olanipekun, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
Alexander Romanov, Scientific Research Institute for Atmospheric Air Protection, The Russian Federation
Eisaku Toda, Minamata Secretariat
Michael Bank, University of Amherst
Kasturirangan Kannah, Bromine: Powering Science and Technologies (BSEF)
Anita Tibau, Damir Skripec, and David Simone, International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT)
The Science Synthesis team of the 13th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP2017)
Highlights and images for 6 December 2018
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Pavilion Events at COP 24
Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Saturday, 8 December 2018
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ meeting coverage, is providing coverage of selected GCC Pavilion events at the Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, including written, digital and video coverage.The following event was covered by IISD Reporting Services on Thursday, 6 December 2018:
Sustainable Development for an Attainable Future
Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz / Diego Noguera
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Sustainable Development for an Attainable Future
Presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
L-R: Moderator Uthman Al-Zahrani, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC); Saleh Merdas Al-Ansari, SABIC; Fawaz Alomair, Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industry Company (KIPIC); and Muhammad Nadeem, SABIC
This event highlighted sustainability efforts undertaken by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, particularly from business perspectives. During the event, panelists explored the developments in smart cities and planned industrial communities across the GCC and their role in driving balanced economic growth and sustainable living.
Moderator Uthman Al-Zahrani, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), opened by highlighting that the event aimed to shed light on sustainability efforts in the GCC. He said that Saudi Arabia is implementing a country-wide sustainability initiative developing sustainability projects and promoting business development, focusing on energy efficiency and the role of renewable energy. Al-Zahrani added that the country has established the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center, which aims to: increase public awareness regarding the production and consumption of energy to increase efficiency in the Kingdom; and unify efforts by government and non-governmental stakeholders in this field.
Saleh Al-Ansari, SABIC, spoke about efforts to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Saudi Arabia, highlighting that SABIC is a leading private sector contributor in Saudi Arabia’s sustainability efforts. He stressed that sustainability is at the core of the SABIC 2025 Strategy, which includes company-wide goals to achieve, by 2025, a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy and water intensities, as well as a 50% reduction in material-loss intensity, using 2010 as a baseline, with focus on: resource efficiency; energy reduction; cleaner air and water; improved food security; and enhanced quality of life for all. Al-Ansari then highlighted that SABIC recycles waste from its own manufacturing processes for use as secondary raw materials, using it as feedstock to produce valuable products such as fertilizers and methanol. He reported that SABIC has achieved a 9.3% GHG intensity reduction and a 7.6% energy intensity reduction in 2017 from the 2010 baseline. He stressed the importance of involving top management in his company to integrate sustainability into the company’s business operations, citing, as an example, the establishment of the Sustainability Steering Committee, which includes the SABIC Chief Executive Officer and monitors the company’s efforts on sustainability.
Muhammad Nadeem, SABIC, said that petrochemicals such as single-use plastics are a major part of our daily lives and, if improperly used, become harmful to the environment and human health. He said that plastics, by replacing wood and steel in many sectors, have played a major role in environmental sustainability. Nadeem presented his company’s application of sustainability optimization in plant operation and discussed SABIC’s 2025 strategy, designed to ensure the integration of sustainability in all operations. SABIC’s energy and sustainability assessmen of projects, he emphasized, is targeted toward reducing GHG emissions, and ensuring energy conservation, material effectiveness and water optimization in SABIC’s day-to-day operations. SABIC, he added, has its own targets, aligned to Saudi Arabia’s commitments to the Paris Agreement, to create a world-class unit with no energy overruns. He demonstrated the process of conducting opportunity assessments for mega projects, which aims to: improve sustainability impacts and deficiencies in the energy performance of projects; ensure that plants and projects are built according to energy efficiency standards; ensure that projects are aligned to SABIC’s energy policy; and ensure proper equipment selection with respect to energy, heat, water and material losses.
Fawaz Alomair, Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industry Company (KIPIC), discussed his company’s new regasification plant for liquefied natural gas (LNG) built through the Al-Zour LNG Import Project. This new plant, he said, will supply natural gas-derived electricity to Kuwait’s national grid to meet the country’s growing energy demand. He presented a video on the initiative, which is projected to distribute high quality gas of up to 3,000 billion British Thermal Units (BTUs) per day, and expected to be operational in 2020. The project, he reported, has a low footprint, since natural gas has a competitive advantage over other, higher-emitting fossil fuels..
In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: the most effective way to select certain technologies that contribute to a long-term GHG emission reductions; the process of setting SABIC’s global Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and project milestones throughout the company’s facilities and supply chains; SABIC’s monitoring framework to measure KPI performance; the need for a life-cycle approach; the possibility of using biogas; and the importance of addressing plastics pollution problems in chemical recycling processes.
Moderator Uthman Al-Zahrani, SABIC
Saleh Merdas Al-Ansari, SABIC
Fawaz Alomair, KIPIC
Muhammad Nadeem, SABIC
A participant takes a photo of the presentation
Yasmeen Al Dawsari, Saudi Arabia
Nasser Al-Harbi, Saudi Aramco
Participants listen to the discussion
Nicole de Paula, International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD)
Participants at the GCC pavillion
CONTACT
Nejoud Almatrodi | media@ksa-climate.com
MORE INFORMATION
https://ksa-climate.com/