A call for global action towards protecting our oceans

With our oceans in dire need of proactive solutions for protection, the UN World Ocean Conference in Lisbon came at a critical moment to highlight the necessity for global action. We at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) had the honor of leading regional discussions at the sidelines of this momentous occasion under the umbrella of “Blue Saudi ”, where we established a historic collaboration with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST ), the National Center for Wildlife (NCW ) and NEOM to chart a responsible future for our oceans.

As collective custodians of the Red Sea, it was imperative for us to explore the role of science and innovation in ocean regeneration and illustrate the significance of partnerships to instigate positive impact on marine environments.

UN Environment research indicates that as tourism grows, so does its impact on the environment. If immediate action is not taken, the industry could generate a 154 percent increase in energy consumption, 131 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and 152 percent increase in water consumption by 2050. Given that we are also witnessing a post-pandemic travel boom, focusing our attention on this issue is an utmost priority.

At TRSDC, we view our role as being changemakers in the tourism industry, to lead on a transformation that has been long overdue. With each passing day, we cement our ambition into tangible commitments – be it setting out to achieve carbon neutrality; aspiring to a 30 percent net conservation benefit over the next two decades; or advancing marine sustainability, waste management, sustainable food production, carbon sequestration, and improving resilience to rising sea levels.

Earlier this week, we marked another significant milestone in our journey to extend the frontiers of regenerative development, with the launch of one of the world’s largest environmental surveys of wildlife ecosystems, spanning 200km of the vibrant Red Sea area. The 11-month-long initiative sets new benchmarks in understanding the wildlife ecosystems that surround our sites and underscores our long-running objectives to protect and enhance the environment.

We believe that our efforts are setting the direction that the tourism industry must take to prove that creating world-class destinations combined with environmental and sustainability practices is possible. We constantly challenge ourselves to do better, and to create impact by achieving new benchmarks as well as showcase how the future of tourism is being pioneered by the Kingdom.

We believe that more must be done by developers globally to ensure sustainability is embedded from the ground up, and that the environment, wildlife, and biodiversity, as well as the lives of those in local communities, are prioritized throughout the development lifecycle. We hope to inspire our peers to do their part in taking action to prevent further harm to our ecosystems and to begin implementing measures that address these issues.

The findings are extraordinary in that they allow us to grow our understanding and awareness of our project sites and effectively protect them. They also enable us to track the success of our wide-ranging sustainability programs and adapt them accordingly to maximize our positive impact. We plan to undertake regular surveys of this caliber and scale to establish trends and analyze emerging patterns over time, as part of our vision to enhance and conserve the environment we operate in.