Saudi Arabia’s efforts to use renewable energy are gaining steam and beginning to pay off. According to the latest Green Future Index report, the kingdom has been ranked first globally in renewable energy production. And this is just two years after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s launch of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) to scale up its climate action and environmental protection.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy announced that the country has also advanced ten places in the overall ranking of the Green Future Index to garner the 51st spot. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US publishes the Green Future Index ranking, widely regarded as one of the most reliable studies highlighting the development of nations’ sustainability.

Regarding the decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, Saudi Arabia placed first in the Arab world and 20th overall.

Under the SGI, the country will plant 10 billion trees – 18 million already planted. Of that, 13 million are mangroves. As part of the SGI objectives, Saudi Arabia hopes to safeguard 30% of its land and 70% of its maritime area by 2030.

The SGI has plans to rebuild 200 million hectares of degraded land in the Middle East and plant 50 billion trees there, which will cut carbon levels globally by 2.5%.

The SGI has also resulted in the launch of 17 renewable energy projects, including the world’s largest clean hydrogen production hub, which will reach a capacity of 250,000 tons annually by 2060.

Additionally, the SGI has led to the launch of the first phase of the region’s largest Carbon Capture, Usage, and Storage (CCUS) hub in Jubail, with a capacity of 9 million tons annually.