ICAO welcomes updates on Saudi Green Initiatives

Montréal and Riyadh, 6 April 2021 – Saudi Arabia’s twin new initiatives for environmental protection were welcomed last week by the President of the ICAO Council, Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano, and by ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu.

During virtual meetings with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, and its Minister of Transport, Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser, President Sciacchitano and Secretary General Liu learned how the Government of Saudi Arabia aims to enhance environmental protection nationally and in the Middle East region more generally “by clearly defining an ambitious roadmap that rallies the region and significantly contributes to achieving global targets in confronting climate change.”

“Environmental sustainability and responsibility are key to the twin and mutually dependent objectives of addressing climate change and assuring the sustainable recovery of the global civil aviation network,” remarked President Sciacchitano. “The initiatives announced by Saudi Arabia will contribute key momentum to ensuring that aviation builds back better in the region, and will help inspire progress worldwide.”

“Environmental protection is a strategic objective for ICAO, with States having agreed to both a global climate neutral growth objective and a range of tools and mechanisms for achieving this,” Dr. Liu further emphasized.

Through their recent interactions at ICAO, governments have stressed the importance of a greener, more sustainable recovery of the air transport sector post pandemic, highlighting the ongoing role of aviation connectivity in countries’ achievement of 15 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

About ICAO
A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created by governments in 1944 to support their diplomacy on international air transport matters. Since that time, countries have adopted over 12,000 standards and practices through ICAO which help to align their national regulations relevant to aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, enabling a truly global network to be realized. ICAO forums also provide opportunities for advice and advocacy to be shared with government decision-makers by industry groups, civil society NGOs, and other officially-recognized air transport stakeholders.