Climate change policy of Saudi Arabia in the context of COP 26

Khadija Sporýšová

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This research is aimed to investigate Saudi Arabia’s approach to climate change over an extended period of time and identify its implications for the Kingdom, as well as for the global vision for environmental change, with a particular focus on KSA’s performance at COP26. The data is gathered from a range of secondary sources. The information about the KSA’s climate change regime is analysed in line with the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence. The researcher has adopted an analytical and explorative approach to delve deep into the factors contributing to KSA’s climate regime change and its implications on a wider scale and timeframe. The findings reveal that KSA’s current active climate diplomacy is at a divergence from its longstanding obstructionism. It is also found that KSA’s effort to blend its vision into the global vision for environmental sustainability is rooted in its long-term economic interests tied to economic diversification. These changes in KSA’s attitude towards climate change also hold significant implications for the global agenda since KSA is among the countries with the highest environmental footprint. However, the Kindom’s reluctance to speedy transformation and insistence over a circular carbon strategy surrounds a contentious debate.

Abstract:

This research is aimed to investigate Saudi Arabia’s approach to climate change over an extended period of time and identify its implications for the Kingdom, as well as for the global vision for environmental change, with a particular focus on KSA’s performance at COP26. The data is gathered from a range of secondary sources. The information about the KSA’s climate change regime is analysed in line with the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence. The researcher has adopted an analytical and explorative approach to delve deep into the factors contributing to KSA’s climate regime change and its implications on a wider scale and timeframe. The findings reveal that KSA’s current active climate diplomacy is at a divergence from its longstanding obstructionism. It is also found that KSA’s effort to blend its vision into the global vision for environmental sustainability is rooted in its long-term economic interests tied to economic diversification. These changes in KSA’s attitude towards climate change also hold significant implications for the global agenda since KSA is among the countries with the highest environmental footprint. However, the Kindom’s reluctance to speedy transformation and insistence over a circular carbon strategy surrounds a contentious debate.

Keywords

Economic diversification, COP26, Climate Change, KSA Policy for Climate Change, Global vision for Climate Change

Keywords

COP26, Climate Change, Global vision for Climate Change, KSA Policy for Climate Change, Economic diversification

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 29. 4. 2022

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 1. 6. 2022
• Supervisor: Jan Martin Rolenc
• Reader: Michaela Zemanová

Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze

Master programme:
International and Diplomatic Studies