A collaborative communications approach is needed to deliver messages of climate change to communities acrossSaudi Arabia, experts noted during a live online forum hosted jointly by the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture (MEWA) and the British Embassy in Riyadh.
Earlier this week, spokespeople from the private and public sectors and civil society discussed the importance of raising awareness about environmental issues. In an engaging discussion on Sunday afternoon, the speakers identified challenges and shared their thoughts on potentialapproaches to reach and engage a diverse population of over 34 million, and encourage all of society to commit to climate actions.
The British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Neil Crompton, said during his opening remarks at the virtual event, “Climate change is already impacting all of us, whether that’s through air pollution or water and food scarcity. We have seen evidences of these changes, both in the UK and here in Saudi Arabia. Our campaign seeks to bring together thought leaders across sectors in Saudi Arabia to shape, inform and share best practices about how all of society can become aware of the impact of climate change. We are keen to encourage institutions and individuals to help build climate awareness and ensure that conversations around environmental concerns and sustainability are integrated into organisational culture in the future.”
The virtual roundtable, ‘Communicating Climate Change: Raising climate change awareness and encouraging climate action’, was a part of the #TogetherForOurPlanet معاً_لأجل_كوكبنا# campaign launched by the British Embassy Riyadh. Thecampaign is building awareness about climate change and the urgent need for action in the lead up to COP26 (the United Nations 26th annual session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention), which will bring together world leaders, delegates, climate experts and negotiators to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change. The second forum followed last week’s inaugural event where experts discussed ‘Reusing and recycling: the effects of plastic in nature’.
In the run up to COP26, the UK is committed to working closely with governments, businesses, civil society groups, schools and people across the world as part of a global conversation on tackling climate change.
The virtual roundtable was moderated by COP26 Regional Ambassador for MENA, Janet Rogan, who said, “ Climate change is an urgent issue in the MENA region. The region has witnessed extreme floods, forest fires, record heatwaves, desertification and even unprecedented snowfall – all because of climate change.” The Regional Ambassador spoke of the need for systematic action to address climate change and meet Paris commitments, but also noted that public support and awareness is critical to enable that action.
The British Ambassador, Neil Crompton, and COP26 Regional Ambassador for MENA, JanetRogan, were joined by five speakers includingDr. Khaled Alabdulkader, CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification on behalf of HE Abdulrahman A. AlFadley the Minister of Environment, Water, & Agriculture, who gave the keynote speech and commented, “This roundtable coincided with the launch of Saudi Environment Week earlier today, and this year, we are focusing on a theme of Environment For Us and Our Future Generations. As part of the government’s commitments, 10 million trees will be planted across Saudi Arabia alongside improving the natural environment for all the country’s inhabitants. At the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating, we are encouraging participation from the private sector in Saudi, and to be part of important discussions such as today’s, ensures that environmental awareness is at the forefront of the industry and the wider community in Saudi Arabia.”
Discussing the results of a survey published last year onPerceptions of Marine Environmental Issues by Saudi Citizens, Carlos M. Duarte, Distinguished Professor and Tarek Ahmed Juffali Research Chair in Red Sea Ecology at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology said, “We interviewed over 1500 respondents and overwhelmingly, those asked felt they were well-informed about pollution and overfishing in the oceans, but not about how their behaviour can affect environmental changes to marine habitats. They also commented that littering was their main environmental concern facing Saudi Arabia. Finding effective methods to communicate to all parts of society about the role we each play in fighting and preventing climate change, will help to improve the situation.”
Abdulsalam M. Alhawsawi,Assistant Professor, Vice Chairman for Bachelor Degree Affairs Nuclear Engineering Department at King Abdulaziz University said, “We recently had snow in Saudi Arabia so we can all see how the climate is changing. One challenge we face when developing a new technology, is encouraging companies to adopt it when it can mean additional costs and disruption to their current business models. We are working closely with the business community to find ways to do this effectively and to mature technologies that will help slow the effects of climate change and bring these technologies to market faster.”
Wael Ismail, Senior Director of Public Policy & Corporate Affairs – MENA & Sustainable Plastics Lead for AMESA Sector said, ‘The issue of climate change is one that we must tackle head-on, together, now. At PepsiCo we are committed to doing our part to enable positive change, as we continue on our path to becoming a more responsible and purpose-driven company.”
Dr. Pieter Smeets, Sr. Manager, Industrial Sustainability (MEA), SABIC concluded, “Climate change is a major threat and we must act urgently. One of the key levers for our industry in this transition is electrification, coupled with access to renewable energy.Collaboration across companies and industries will be key to achieve this.”
Individuals and organisations can share their pledge on their social media channels tagging @UKinSaudiArabia and using the campaign hashtags.
For the latest updates on Together for Our Planet in Saudi Arabia please visit The British Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s social media pages – Instagram:@ukinsaudiarabia Twitter:@UKinSaudiArabia and Facebook: @UKinSaudiArabia
For more information about COP26 please visit ukcop26.org and for Together for Our Planet please visit together-for-our-planet.ukcop26.org