At 3:00 am, Spanish biologist Carlos Duarte was at the royal palace in Saudi Arabia. He waited until dawn for the most powerful person in the country.
When I finally returned to the hotel and woke up a few hours later, I noticed an urgent message on my smartphone. She was from the royal palace. Scientists and officials, such as Duarte, who gathered to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said they should return now.
Scientists dedicated to solving climate problems serve as top advisors to countries that are uncooperative in solving climate problems-unlikely, but the country of Saudi is full of contradictions. According to Duarte, Saudi Arabia is accepting and funding the advice he has been appealing for.
Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter. Oil is a major cause of global warming, and Saudi Arabia is also a country strongly affected by climate change.
Crown Prince Muhammad has cracked down on dissidents. The Director of National Intelligence of the United States has released a report that the Crown Prince had approved the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 (the Crown Prince has denied involvement). On the other hand, it is also praised for its efforts to change this oppressed Gulf nation, such as the social advancement of women and the acceptance of non-Islamic tourists.
And Saudi oil money is financially supporting Duarte's "blue carbon" initiative. This plan is for the marine protected area, where forests and creatures live, to gradually take in excess carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Experts predict that ecosystem regeneration can remove 300 gigatons of CO2 in the long run. It is equivalent to one-third of the CO2 released into the atmosphere by humankind since the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century.
Regeneration of seagrass beds and seaweed beds is particularly effective, and Duarte estimates that it can store up to 15 times more carbon than rainforests in similar locations.
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