RIYADH: Golf Saudi has signed up to a UN initiative for sporting organizations aimed at achieving ambitious global climate change goals.
The Kingdom’s official golf development body has become the latest member of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, a growing community of organizations, leagues, tours, tournaments, and associated media building commitments toward the Paris Agreement’s net zero targets.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, said: “We are incredibly excited about joining the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework and playing an active part in sport’s contribution to global climate action.
“Since the inception of Golf Saudi, we have sought to collaborate internationally in order to build sustainability into golf’s further development, to contribute actively to Saudi Vision 2030, and also to be part of the sports sector’s path to a low-carbon future.”
The climate change initiative calls on sporting organizations to acknowledge the contribution of the sports sector to climate change and the collective responsibility to commit to climate neutrality in the future.
The target is for sports bodies to display climate leadership by engaging and working together, which in turn will incentivize climate action beyond the sports sector and help other global organizations face up to the threat posed by climate change.
UN global climate action manager, Niclas Svenningsen, said: “The time has come for the sports community to ramp up its ambition on low-carbon transition.
“Within the Sports for Climate Action Framework, signatories are sharing lessons learned, best practices, and emerging tools to help put the sector on the path to climate neutrality. Through their collective efforts and influence, sports organizations have an incredible opportunity to drive and inspire climate action on a global scale.
“We are pleased to welcome Golf Saudi as a signatory and look forward to their contributions on this journey,” he added.
Golf Saudi is also extending its collaboration with the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, an international non-profit organization that for the last 15 years has been dedicated to accelerating sustainability and climate action across the sport.
Jonathan Smith, founder and executive director of the GEO Foundation, said: “We congratulate Golf Saudi on taking the step to join the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, further demonstrating their determination to take meaningful, transparent, and credible steps, aligning with international commitments and targets across sport.
“To that end, we are pleased to continue to support the roll out of the national golf sustainability strategy, ensuring that high standards and significant innovation are built into the development and operations of facilities, the staging of events, and the generation of positive multipliers.
“In parallel, there are a number of important new aspects of research and development underway, widely relevant to golf, such as ecosystem restoration through golf, harnessing renewable energy, comprehensive water resource management, and building circularity into golf’s supply chain,” he added.
Plans are also in the pipeline to build specific actions into the staging of the ladies’ Aramco Team Series, which will see its second event get underway in Spain in just over two weeks’ time.
