Saudi Green Initiative: To plant 50 billion trees across the Middle East
Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) steps up its drive against plastic pollution
"SGI plans to plant 50 billion trees across the Middle East and restore an area equivalent to 200 million hectares of degraded land which will, in turn, reduce global carbon levels by 2.5 percent."
RIYADH: As the world is getting choked by plastic pollution, the planet is set to ring in another Environment Day on June 5, focused on ending the nondegradable waste’s disastrous effects.?
According to the UN Environment Programme, the world produces around 400 million tons of plastic annually, and just 9 percent of it gets recycled. What is worse? Almost 130,000 tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean every year.?
Within three years of its launch, the Saudi Green Initiative is playing a crucial role regionally in protecting the environment and reducing the use of plastic.?
Throughout these three years, the initiatives of the SGI have supported international efforts to remove plastic from oceans, develop innovative waste management systems at a national level and divert waste from landfill sites.
Catalyzing the SGI’s ambition to ensure a sustainable future, Saudi Basic Industries Corp. is participating in the Alliance to End Plastic Waste Program to clean plastic from the oceans.
The initiative, expected to be completed in 2025, supports accelerated improvements to current waste management systems in developed regions.
Trucircle is a portfolio of products SABIC offers, which include circular and bio-based products based on second- and third-generation renewable feedstock, mechanically recycled polymers, ocean and ocean-bound recycled solutions, and closed-loop services and designs for recyclability.
This program aims to create a proven waste management model that will be implemented across the Kingdom by 2035, which is expected to reduce 4.1 metric tons per annum of carbon dioxide emissions.?
Moreover, a separate SGI initiative with the NCWM is developing a comprehensive national waste management master plan for the Kingdom, pioneering circular economy practices. This project is expected to be completed by 2025.?
The SGI, inspired by Saudi Arabia’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060, has also launched several initiatives, including investing in new energy sources, improving energy efficiency and developing a carbon capture and storage program.?
Earlier in April, the annual report issued by the National Transformation Program suggested that Saudi Arabia planted over 12 million trees in the past five years through the National Center for Vegetation Development.
As part of the SGI’s initiatives, Saudi Arabia has also committed to protecting 30 percent of its terrestrial and marine area and is working in partnership with leading international organizations, including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, to safeguard the pristine landscapes of the Kingdom.
+++++++++++++
Sharjah Ruler attends opening of ‘Childhood Care Conference’
SHARJAH, 4th June, 2023 (WAM) – H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, praised the efforts of the multi-sectoral UNESCO Regional Office in the Arab Countries and their continuous initiatives to support children in the Arab world, stressing that Sharjah always seeks to enhance cooperation in this field, and will continue to support these efforts by applying standards, hosting conferences, and establishing centres for children.
This came during the opening ceremony of The Regional Early Childhood Care and Education Conference in The Arab States, in the presence of his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, which is being organised by the UNESCO office in partnership with several local and federal authorities, this Sunday morning at the Sharjah Education Academy.
Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi delivered a speech in which she welcomed the attendees in the Emirate of Sharjah, which is child-friendly and incubator of children's talents and skills, stressing that hosting The Regional Early Childhood Care and Education Conference in The Arab States in Sharjah is an affirmation of the emirate's active role in providing an ideal platform to host events and conferences that promote the concept of child care and ensure their safety and security in a constantly changing world.
She added, “The first years of a person’s life play a major role in building an individual’s identity, starting with learning to walk and communicating verbally with others, through forming relationships and friendships with their peers, until they achieve their independence in society.” Based on this, H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, attaches utmost importance to everything related to raising a child in an environment that preserves his physical and psychological health, and safeguards his rights and dignity as an influential individual in society. Children are the core of the community fabric in the Emirate of Sharjah, and caring for them is a permanent and indisputable priority.”
The Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, spoke about the reasons for the personal initiatives she took for the children, saying “The first steps I personally took to participate in the community development process in Sharjah came out of my responsibility as a mother, so I decided to focus on developing children's skills in "childhood centres" and " Sharjah Girls Clubs”, where these centres provided creative spaces in which children practice their hobbies, explore themselves and get to know other children with whom they share these hobbies. And, with the generous blessing of H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah, we have opened a number of government facilities that have won the trust of parents to be their first choice for their children in refining their skills and developing their talents to invest their abilities outside the classroom.”
Sheikha Jawaher addressed the actual experiences in the Emirate of Sharjah that empowered children and contributed to building their personality and the goals aimed at these steps, saying “We are looking for creativity when it comes to individual care and development in his social environment, and we do not stop at the experiences of others, but rather go beyond them to reach deeper dimensions and higher goals. And in this, Sharjah was a pioneer in motivating children to enter the parliamentary path at an early age, and to invest their developing leadership skills in the experience of the "Sharjah Children's Shura Council" since 1997, where the child goes through the experience of running for membership in the council in addition to setting his goals as a parliamentary candidate, leading to his attainment of a seat in the council, so that the child learns from this experience that he has a role in developing his society and building his country.
The Emirate of Sharjah was unique to this experience in instilling a sense of belonging to the homeland and enabling children to express their opinions and ideas and share them with their peers, as it is a unique opportunity for them to experience decision-making with democratic practices by asking questions and making interventions and coming up with recommendations supporting the slogan of each session held.
Under the slogan "A Quarter of a Century of Excellence in Parliamentary Work," the current parliamentary session 2022-2024 was launched. We were pleased with the requests of children wishing to run, who numbered 300 boys and girls from affiliates of Rubu' Qarn centres and all schools of the emirate. This undoubtedly indicates the success of this distinguished experience and its fruitful results in a young generation full of human energies, to be the best ambassador for his country, people and culture.”
“We have not forgotten the importance of focusing on the most prominent aspect of Sharjah’s series of experiences in child care, which is to provide a healthy and safe environment for him in all circumstances; and, in anticipation of events, we launched a campaign under the title “Child Safety”, which aimed to educate new parents on the importance of purchasing a car seat appropriate for the child to ensure his protection on the roads. With the success achieved by the campaign in this awareness march, we directed the continuation of the work of the "Child Safety" as a department falling under the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and the expansion of the scope of this department's directions to include protecting the child from any potential danger affecting his health or life, where the administration studies potential risks in the lives of children and educates parents and society as a whole about the need to pay attention to these risks and participate in protecting children from them,” Sheikha Jawaher added.
The Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs expressed her pride in the model presented by the Emirate of Sharjah in the field of child care in all stages of life, noting that choosing Sharjah as the venue for this conference reflects high confidence and competence to represent the effective leadership role in this field, which has become an approach, looking forward to the results and recommendations that will come out of the conference that would enhance regional solidarity in support of childhood, and achieve the sustainable development goals of the United Nations Development Programme.
Hazem Hussein
++++++++++
Saudi Arabia, China contemplate energy security through petrochemical Joint Ventures
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and China are collaborating to ensure safe energy supplies in their markets by planning to establish petrochemical joint ventures.
Saudi Minister of Energy Abdulaziz Al-Saud held a meeting with the chairman of the National Energy Authority of the Republic of China, Zhang Jianhua, in Riyadh to discuss JVs that will transform crude oil into petrochemicals and develop innovative uses of hydrocarbons, nuclear energy and fuel.?
Both nations are working to increase collaboration in the energy sector’s supply chains.?
Al-Saud and Zhang also discussed ways to boost ties between the countries in numerous energy fields, which will help achieve the goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030 and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.?
Further collaborations between both countries are anticipated as the Kingdom is set to host the 10th session of the Arab-Chinese Business Conference and the eighth Investment Symposium.?
Set to take place between June 11 and 12 in Riyadh, the conference is expected to be the largest Arab-Chinese gathering for business and investment.?
It will host over 2,000 participants, including high-level government representatives, senior officials, CEOs, investors and entrepreneurs.
“Collaborating for Prosperity” aims to boost cooperation in the economy, trade and investment to achieve solutions of mutual interest to Arab nations and China through strategic collaboration.?
领英推荐
It is organized by the Kingdom’s investment and foreign affairs ministries in partnership with the Chinese Council for the Promotion of International Trade and several government agencies.?
Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih said that trade and cultural ties between Arab countries and China extended over 2,000 years and that the conference reflected that historical relationship.?
He added that Saudi-Chinese relations had developed, especially following King Salman’s visit to China in 2017 and the two historic visits by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Beijing in 2016 and 2019.?
Trade in 2022 between the Arab countries and China reached SR1.6 trillion ($430 billion), a 31 percent increase from the previous year.?
Saudi Arabia led the way with trade between the countries reaching around SR400 billion ($106 billion), a 30 percent increase over 2021.?
++++++++++++++
Trump’s GOP skeptics worry as primary field grows
BY?ALEXANDER BOLTON - 06/05/23
The Republican presidential primary is getting crowded, giving heartburn to GOP senators who want to turn the page on former President Trump.?
Former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plan to launch their campaigns next week, and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin now may jump in the race after saying last month he would pass.?
The early struggles of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, long seen as Trump’s top rival for the GOP nod, have created the perception the race may be wide open and encouraged a range of candidates to take a shot at the nomination.?
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), who’s not well known on the national political stage, says he too will soon formally launch his presidential campaign.?
The new entries are a concern for?senior?Republicans in Washington who are highly skeptical of Trump’s ability to win in the 2024 general election but fear he will march to the presidential nomination easily if anti-Trump Republican primary voters are?divided among?too many other candidates.??
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are already in the race with Trump and DeSantis.?
“A replay of 2016? Yeah,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said of the concerns he shares with some of his Republican colleagues.
Their shared worry is that if Trump maintains his solid grip on his core supporters, estimated to comprise 30 percent to 40 percent of the GOP primary electorate, the ex-president will cruise to victory if the remaining share of voters is divided among too many other candidates.?
GOP senators and strategists say this dynamic was at play when Trump won the nomination in 2016. None of the candidates who tried to establish themselves as the leading alternative to Trump could establish enough of a foothold against him during that cycle.?
“A number of these people are in low single digits, so my hope would be that, if after a few months their numbers don’t get better, that they decide to drop out so that it becomes a two- or three-person race. I think that would be the best development, as far as I’m concerned,” Cornyn said.?
Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) acknowledge what happened in 2016 could play out again in 2024.?
“That’s always a possibility when you have one candidate that has a loyal following that starts with a bigger base,” he said.?
Thune, who supports Scott, suggested rival candidates don’t think DeSantis has emerged as the clear alternative to Trump despite the early buzz around his candidacy after he won reelection in Florida.??
“I think the fact that that many people are getting in suggests that they sense an opening. I think there’s a sense out there that people are looking for a new direction and a lot of these candidates are responding to it,” he said.?
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) is also contemplating a run for president, even though he has the support of only 1 percent of Republican primary voters nationwide, making him a long shot to win the presidency.?
But he’s popular in his home state, which will host the second contest of the 2024 Republican primaries a week after the Iowa caucuses.?
A poll of 500 likely New Hampshire primary voters conducted May 15-17 by National Research Inc. on behalf of American Greatness, a political action committee and advocacy group established by Trump’s former campaign manager, showed Trump with 39 percent support and DeSantis and Sununu virtually tied with 18 percent and 17 percent support, respectively.?
A University of New Hampshire poll of 818 likely Republican primary voters in the Granite State in mid-April showed Trump with 42 percent support, DeSantis with 22 percent and Sununu with 12 percent.?
While Sununu isn’t gaining much traction with primary voters nationwide, he would likely win a large share of the anti-Trump vote in the New Hampshire primary if he gets in the race.?
The conventional wisdom among strategists is that any candidate who would defeat Trump in the primary needs to beat him in the early contests.?
If Trump adds to his huge advantage over rival candidates in national polls by winning in Iowa and New Hampshire, he would pick up vital political momentum heading into the later states.?
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) noted Trump won in 2016 largely because Republican primary voters who didn’t initially favor his candidacy couldn’t settle on one alternative candidate, dividing their votes among Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
“That’s happened before,” he said.?
Rounds, who supports Scott, voiced sympathy for Cornyn’s view that presidential candidates who fail to gain significant traction with voters after a few months should get out of the way.?
“He’s just stating the facts. That’s the way that it works,” he said.?
Youngkin, if he gets into the race, could challenge DeSantis for supremacy on one of his best issues, promoting parental rights in education. Youngkin handily defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the 2021 Virginia governor’s race by seizing on the issue.?
McAuliffe committed a major gaffe when he declared at a debate, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”?
The race put parental rights in education, something that has been a local concern, traditionally,?in the national spotlight.?
Republican strategists say it’s tough to keep ambitious candidates out of a race, especially when the early front-runners are perceived as vulnerable.?
“I understand what Sen. Cornyn and others are saying, but I also think that around the country, you have a wide range of voices in the Republican Party that’s broader than the impact on the presidential nominating process,” said Vin Weber, a Republican strategist. “We’re in a long-term internal realignment of our Republican Party.?
“I think it’s very, very important the public understands this is a broad-based party and not simply a MAGA party,” he said.?
Weber said he’s “torn” about more candidates crowding the primary field but added, “I welcome them into the race.”?
“I agree with the logic that if you don’t want Trump to be the nominee, you got to get it down to a two-person race, but it’s just not realistic to argue that to people at this stage of the process,” he said.?
Weber argued there’s not much to be gained now from dissuading candidates from jumping into the presidential race.?
But he added that “down the road, yes, quietly and behind the scenes, party leaders should look at the performance of these different candidates, and when it becomes clear that they are not able to win, we may want to cut the field down to as few as possible.”?
The End+++++++++++++++