SGI Talks, Eye in the Sky, have explored Saudi Arabia’s use of satellite technology to redefine methane monitoring and the kingdom’s leading role in reducing (methane) emissions, critical for combating the impacts of climate change.

 

Featuring Nora Abdulaziz AlSudairy, Sustainability Expert at the Ministry of Energy, and Walid Matar, Principal Fellow at KAPSARC, the session emphasised the kingdom’s decades-long commitment to methane reduction, starting with the Master Gas System in the 1970s. 

 

“We’ve always recognised that this needs to be tackled. Saudi Arabia has been taking active steps to reduce flaring for the past 40 years,” AlSudairy noted. AlSudairy reminded the audience of the kingdom’s global support for methane reduction initiatives, including the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to cut methane emissions by 30% globally by 2030, and the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative.

 

Novel satellite technology

Matar shared insights from KAPSARC’s groundbreaking study of methane emissions in Saudi Arabia using novel satellite technology, covering the years 2016-2022. The study found that Saudi Arabia has the second-lowest global methane intensity in oil and gas production among oil-producing countries. 

 

“This new data positions Saudi Arabia as a global leader in methane reduction and reflects an innovative approach in redefining our understanding of emissions in Saudi Arabia,” Matar remarked.

 

SGI Talks run daily in the SGI Pavilion at 3pm. Tomorrow’s session, titled ‘Empowering the Everyday Investor,’ will feature Hashem Alfawaz, Vice President, Economic Affairs, Environment Fund, and Nour Alqaffas, Climate Change Specialist, Clean Development Mechanism Designated National Authority.--TradeArabia News Service