Riyadh: 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 declaration was made during the opening session of the second edition of the symposium, "Carbon Emissions Reduction Pathways in the Petroleum Processing Industries," which began today with the attendance of the Deputy Minister of Sustainability and Climate Change in Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al-Mahid.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Al-Loughani highlighted that the symposium builds on the success of the first edition held last year in Saudi Arabia, showcasing the organization's and member states' dedication to sustainability in the refining and petrochemical sectors. He expressed his appreciation to the Saudi Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, for his ongoing support, which has been instrumental in the success of both symposium editions. Al-Loughani also acknowledged the efforts of the energy and petroleum ministers of the member states in nominating a group of experts to engage in this specialized technical dialogue.
He further noted the increasing challenges faced by the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries 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 opened up new opportunities to achieve operational efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Al-Loughani pointed out that AEO countries have made significant progress in projects aimed at reducing emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon economy. He praised 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 at the symposium would contribute to reaching effective solutions that support the sustainability of the petroleum downstream industries in member states.