LOC19:42
16:42 GMT
RIYADH, April 23 (KUNA) -- The Secretary-General of the Arab Energy Organization (AEO), Eng. Jamal Al-Loughani, affirmed on Wednesday the member states' commitment to reducing emissions and enhancing sustainability in the petroleum manufacturing sector.
This came in the opening session of the second edition of the symposium, "Carbon Emissions Reduction Pathways in the Petroleum Processing Industries," which kicked off today in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Sustainability and Climate Change in Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al-Mahid.
Al-Loughani said the symposium builds on the success of the first edition held last year in Saudi Arabia and reflects the organization's and member states' commitment to sustainability in the refining and petrochemical sectors.
Al-Loughani expressed his deep appreciation to the Saudi Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, for his continued support for the success of both editions of the symposium.
He also commended the efforts of the energy and petroleum ministers of the member states in nominating a group of experts to participate in this specialized technical dialogue.
He noted that the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries face increasing challenges due to competition and environmental legislation. However, technological advances in carbon capture and recycling, the use of low-emission raw materials, and the integration of renewable energy have provided new opportunities to achieve operational efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
He pointed out that AEO countries have made significant progress in projects to reduce emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy, praising the Kingdom's initiatives, such as Green Saudi Arabia and Green Middle East, which aim to reduce emissions, plant 10 billion trees, and protect 30 percent of land and water, as part of the Kingdom's efforts to achieve net-zero carbon neutrality by 2060.
Al-Loughani emphasized that the discussions taking place at the symposium would contribute to reaching effective solutions that support the sustainability of the petroleum downstream industries in member states. (end)
ash.aa