The Global Methane Pledge is a high-impact initiative that brings together countries, corporations, and organizations committed to addressing the urgent issue of methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas responsible for a significant portion of global warming. Launched in 2021, the pledge aims to substantially reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. It emphasizes immediate actions to detect, quantify, and mitigate methane emissions across various sectors, including energy, agriculture, and waste management, using innovative technologies and best practices.

The pledge has now 111 country participants who together are responsible for 45% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. The Pledge is a vital component of the global climate agenda, fostering international collaboration and underlining the importance of proactive measures to address methane emissions for a sustainable and resilient future.

The DNA has been appointed as the Kingdom's Focal Point in the global Methane Pledge.

The Global Methane Initiative (GMI) is an international initiative that joins national governments, private sector entities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other interested stakeholders. It launched in 2004 with the objective of reducing methane gas emissions and minimizing challenges to the recovery and use of methane as a clean energy source. It focuses on the following key sectors: oil & gas, biogas and coal mines. The initiative provides the technical assistance necessary for the global deployment of methane-to-energy projects, enabling countries to initiate methane recovery and use projects.

The Initiative has the overarching objectives of reducing informational, institutional and other market barriers to project development through the development of tools and resources, training and capacity building, technology demonstrations and direct project support.

GMI efforts provide a number of important environmental and economic co-benefits such as:

• Reducing GHG emissions in the near term
• Stimulating local economic growth
• Creating new sources of affordable alternative energy
• Improving local air and water quality, with associated public health benefits, and
• Increasing industrial worker safety

Mission Innovation is an international initiative that aims to drive action and investment in research, development, and demonstration in order to make clean energy affordable, appealing, and accessible to all by the end of this decade. This will advance progress toward the Paris Agreement goals and pathways to net zero emissions.

Mission Innovation's foundational elements include:

• Double Governmental Investment in Clean Energy Innovation.
• Private Sector and Business Leadership.
• Implementation.
• Information Sharing.

The Kingdom established a technology roadmap that encompass the following five areas: (i) CO2 capture from stationary sources, (ii) carbon dioxide reduction from mobile sources such as terrestrial and marine transport (iii) industrial applications for polymers, carbon fiber, construction materials, and chemicals, (iv) carbon dioxide storage in saline water aquifers, (v) and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. In addition, the Kingdom is investing in developing and implementing a renewable energy program as well as energy efficiency technologies in areas such as air-conditioning and thermal insulation.

The Kingdom’s determined baseline year is 2015, with a baseline funding amount of SR 281.3 million (USD $75 million). The doubling target-year is 2021 and the doubling target amount is SR 562.5 million (USD $150 million)

The Kingdom is currently active at the national level through specialized science and technology cities, universities, research centers, nationally owned companies as well as the private sector in promoting R&D in these focus areas. Collaboration in these focus areas is encouraged with international research centers to advance innovation in the clean energy technology domain.

The Kingdom's Mission Innovation Portfolio

• Industry & buildings
• Vehicles & other transportation
• Solar
• Wind & Other renewables
• Hydrogen & fuel Cells
• Cleaner fossil energy
• CO2 Capture
• Utilization & storage
• Energy storage and basic energy research

R&D Investment Areas

Carbon management from mobile and stationary sources, CO2 utilization, carbon capture utilization and storage, transport fuels, energy efficiency, energy storage, and renewables (solar and wind). The Kingdom currently holds several roles with regards to Mission Innovation including the following:

• Member of the Mission Innovation Steering Committee
• Member of the Technical Advisory Group
• Co-leads the Carbon Dioxide Removal Mission
• Member of the Clean Hydrogen Mission
• Core coalition member of the Green Powered Future Mission.

The Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) is a Ministerial-level international climate change initiative focused on the development of improved, cost-effective technologies for the separation and capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) for its transport, utilization and long-term safe storage.

CSLF mission is to facilitate the development and deployment of technologies for separation and capture of carbon emissions through collaborations, addressing obstacles and promoting legal, regulatory and financial environments that champion such technologies. The CSLF is currently comprised of 26 members. CSLF member countries represent over 3.5 billion people, or approximately 60% of the world’s population.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) in 2005, to help reinforce its efforts under climate change agreements. The DNA participates in the CSLF meetings as a member of the Saudi delegation.

The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) is a high-level global forum, bringing together key international players, private sector entities and experts to promote efforts, policies and programmes that advance clean energy technology, identifying best practices and making use of lessons learned to accelerate the transition to a global clean energy economy. An annual high-level policy dialogue with energy ministers and global stakeholders takes place as part of the CEM forum, along with other efforts.

CEM contributions go beyond greenhouse gas emission reductions and removals to also improve energy security and access to clean energy, further promoting sustainable economic growth.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. It was founded in 1988 by The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), it currently includes 195 members. The main objective of the IPCC is to supply governments at all levels with scientific data that can be used in climate change policymaking. Notably, the IPCC does not engage in independent research. Instead, thousands of experts generously volunteer as IPCC authors and contribute to assess thousands of published scientific papers to provide a comprehensive summary of the findings of such studies and identify the leading causes and challenges relating to climate change, its impacts, and future risks, as well as how adaptation and mitigation can be used to reduce these risks.

The IPCC periodically delivers comprehensive scientific reports on climate change known as “Assessment Reports”.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF), was established in 2010 and is governed by the GCF Board (comprising 24 members with equal representation from developing and developed countries), it serves as a financial mechanism of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it continues to serve this purpose under the Paris Agreement. The Fund’s assets are administered by the World Bank as a trustee.

The Fund promotes climate action and the achievement of the Paris Agreement long-term goals, by supporting developing countries to address both mitigation and adaptation to climate change, it further supports developing countries’ shift towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilient development pathways.

The DNA is the national focal point of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Green Climate Fund.

The CTCN's facilitates acceleration for transfer of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) for low emission and climate resilient development upon the request of developing countries. The CTCN provides technology solutions, capacity building and advice on policy, legal and regulatory frameworks tailored to the needs of individual countries by harnessing the expertise of a global network of technology companies and institutions.

The CTCN offers technical support to developing countries with the aim of accelerating the transfer of climate technologies, facilitates knowledge sharing and skill acquisition, and promotes collaboration among various climate technology stakeholders like governments, businesses, and research institutions.

The CTCN has played a significant role in the transfer of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) to developing countries. Since its establishment in 2013, it has been engaged in 1,500 activities related to climate technologies in over 150 countries. These projects have helped to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase climate resilience.

Nationally Designated Entities (NDEs):

NDEs are essential to the function of the CTCN since they are the official link to country requests. NDEs facilitate support to their countries from the CTCN by:

• Serve as national focal point on CTCN activities in the country.
• Manage the national submission process to the CTCN and support the articulation and prioritization of requests.
• Identify priority needs in line with national development and climate strategies.

The Designated National Authority (DNA) is the Nationally Designated Entity (NDE) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Benefits to the Kingdom include:

Technical Assistance:

Receive country-driven technical assistance to undertake a bottom-up process for carrying out Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) and prepare a Technology Action Plan (TAP) to support the economic diversification policies and programs of the Kingdom

Capacity-Building:

Identifying capacity building needs at the individual, institutional and organizational levels, as well as engaging in defining the most appropriate types of activities, target groups, scope, and key topics to be addressed. Assistance in defining further capacity building needs could be part of the support, along with identification of the best approaches to ensure sustainability and long-term availability of new capacity.

Low-emission Development Strategies (LEDS)

consistent with the development priorities of the Kingdom

National Adaptation Plans (NAPS)

consistent with the Saudi Vision 2030 and other relevant activities.

The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is a global market-based measure adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2016. Its aim is to address CO₂ emissions from international aviation that are not covered by states’ domestic climate policies. CORSIA is designed to complement technical and operational improvements, as well as the use of sustainable aviation fuels, by requiring airlines to offset emissions growth above 2020 levels. CORSIA is implemented in three phases: a pilot phase (2021-2023), a first phase (2024-2026), and a second phase (2027-2035). For the first two phases (2021-2026), participation is voluntary.

• Technical Advisory Body (TAB): an expert body established under ICAO to support the effective implementation of CORSIA. Its main mandate is to assess emission unit programmes eligibility under CORSIA and provide recommendations to the Council on these eligibility conditions. Since the environmental integrity of offsets is crucial for the scheme’s credibility, the TAB plays a central role in ensuring that only programs meeting ICAO’s Emissions Unit Criteria (EUC) are accepted. The TAB is composed of experts nominated by states and organizations, working in their personal capacity to provide technical, objective, and transparent recommendations.

Saudi Arabia is a volunteer state participant in CORSIA, and holds a seat in the Technical Advisory Body (TAB), represented by the Designated National Authority (DNA).

Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement introduces a new international mechanism for carbon crediting. Often referred to as the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), it is overseen by a Supervisory Body responsible for operationalizing the mechanism by developing and supervising the rules and procedures required. Its functions cover the approval of methodologies, the registration of project activities, the accreditation of independent verification bodies, and the administration of the Article 6.4 Registry. The Supervisory Body operates under the authority of, and reports directly to, the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA). Saudi Arabia, represented by the Designated National Authority, is playing a pivotal role in operationalizing the PACM by holding a seat as Chair in 2024 and Vice Chair in 2025.