Saudi Arabia has not implemented any policies that would substantially bring down its greenhouse gas emissions and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. Previously-announced plans to cut emissions through expanding renewable energy are failing to materialise.
Saudi Arabia is also playing an increasingly disruptive role in international climate negotiations. Most recently at COP29, Saudi Arabia’s interventions aimed at blocking discussion on a transition away from fossil fuels
Trump, in his first term as President dismantled major climate policies and rolled back many more rules governing clean air, water, wildlife and toxic chemicals. This equates to nearly 100 environmental rules officially reversed, revoked or otherwise rolled.
In his second term Trump’s administration has cut funding and taken down the website of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, a 35-year effort to track climate change. He has also issued an executive order aimed at dismantling many of the key actions that have been undertaken at the federal level to address climate change.
So….it will come as no surprise that the USA and Saudi Arabia successfully stopped a global shipping emissions bill by pushing for a one-year adjournment of the talks at an International Maritime Organization meeting. The US had threatened tariffs and penalties against countries that supported the deal, which would have established internationally mandated targets to reduce shipping emissions, including a carbon fee for ships.
The irony of this ‘environmental blackmail’ is that Saudi Arabia and the USA should be at the fore-front of combating climate change, rather than doing everything in their power to destroy all climate change policies/initiatives. In terms of Saudi Arabia – extreme heat, rising sea levels, and altered rainfall patterns exacerbate the country’s existing challenges, particularly its reliance on scarce water resources for agriculture and its vulnerability to desertification, which impacts both livelihoods and health.
The USA has seen increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather, leading to more frequent and costly billion-dollar disasters like wildfires, floods, and stronger hurricanes. This has resulted in rising sea levels, which threaten coastal areas, and has unevenly affected precipitation, causing both drought and heavy rainfall. Overall, these changes pose significant risks to public health, property, and infrastructure across the United States.
