Kuwait Environmental Sustainability Constitutes Developmental Strategic Pillar, Effective Partnerships

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 05th Aug, 2025) Kuwait news Agency Environmental Bulletin – Part of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) environmental file

KUWAIT, 5th August, 2025 (WAM) -- Kuwait is one of the countries that is giving top priorities to the environmental file to become a pivotal and strategic pillar, as part of the country's plans and future programmes.

Over the last two years, Kuwait’s government has intensified its efforts to adopt strategies for environmental sustainability driven by the directives of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The Cabinet is playing a pivotal role in pushing ahead the visions of exploration related to environmental sustainability through closely following the long-term national roadmap for low-carbon development, as a top priority on the agenda of the Cabinet's meetings over the last period.

In this context, Minister of Oil Tariq Al-Roumi and some officials of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) presented last month a visual presentation on this roadmap, which aims at boosting flexibility to face climate change repercussions.

The roadmap contains means of achieving sustainable economic growth by using integrated innovative and technical solutions in circular carbon economy, along with supportive initiatives for environmental innovation and green investment in different sectors.

Kuwait raised the coordination level with China to push ahead with activating memoranda of understanding (MoUs) related to the low-carbon green system for recycling waste, electrical system and developing renewable energy and environmental infrastructure of sewage treatment plants.

The deals are a main pillar of translating the country's ambitious plans toward practical steps for a more sustainable future in harmony with a sustainable living environment as part of the Kuwait 2035 Vision, as a top priority to ensure the continuation and sustainability of Kuwait's environment for generations.

In parallel with this, Kuwait's 2050 low-carbon plan, launched by the EPA in November 2023 in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme and the State's sectors, affirms its commitment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Kuwait is the second Gulf country to present this strategy.

Kuwait is seeking carbon neutrality, net-zero carbon, by 2060, and the state is paying special attention to diversifying energy revenue by enhancing renewable energy, replacing fossil fuel with gas and benefiting from waste for environmental sustainability.

The first report of Kuwait's state of environment, launched by the EPA last year, is a landmark and a turning point to study environmental conditions, embodying fruitful cooperation among different governmental bodies to upgrade the State's environmental conditions.

Prepared in collaboration with the UN, the report focuses on seven key issues: climate change, waste management, water resources, biodiversity, maritime and coal environment and others.

EPA's efforts led to the launch of four strategic projects concerned with preserving the environment, boosting sustainable development in Kuwait, developing control and carrying out the national strategy of full waste management, as well as developing the national strategy to combat desertification.

These projects support Kuwait's efforts to enhance partnerships between the public and private sectors, raise strategic performance efficiency on environmental preservation, and improve national performance indicators in waste management.

Planning for sustainable urban development, Kuwait's Fourth Structural Plan, also known as the 2040 Master Plan, supports green buildings for a better, healthier life for residents.

Concerning legislation, the environment preservation act includes some policies and measures aiming at protecting natural resources and environmental systems through procedures to ensure air pollution prevention or reduce it in order to improve living conditions and guarantee biodiversity.

The law also involves some articles that require specifying and separating fixed pollution sources, and preventing harmful and destructive behaviours, in addition to punishments and violations for those who try to contaminate and harm the environment.

Additionally, Kuwait reiterated, during the recent Sustainable Energy Conference, its commitment to giving top priority to achieving a balanced energy mix, aiming to get 50 percent renewable energy of its electrical power by 2025.

Delivering a keynote speech at the conference, Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Sabeeh Al-Mukhaizeen affirmed adopting well-studied plans and ambitious projects to keep pace with the country’s international commitments and be in harmony with its aspirations for a prosperous and sustainable future.

Kuwait’s renewable energy projects are three paths: long-term, like the Shagaya Renewable Energy Park, short-term, and smaller ones to be implemented by energy conservation codes that force all facilities to produce 10 percent renewable energy out of its total electrical power.

The Shagaya project is being carried out by a partnership between the public and private sectors over two phases: the first one is to produce 1100 MW, and 500 MW in the second phase.

The Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources is proceeding with its plans for a green cover in the country and growing new plants, out of its responsibilities for caring, expanding and developing greening and agriculture.

Environmentally suitable tree planting campaigns in Kuwait, launched by the authority along the northern and southern borders, are continuous, along with increasing green areas at public parks and streets.

The authority endorsed plans for artificial barriers, and re-distributing agricultural areas to control dunes, desertification and reduce pollution through growing plants to bear water scarcity.

Kuwait’s public parks are a main pillar of a green environment; they are different in terms of their areas.

Kuwait permanently underlines its unwavering commitment to the Gulf, regional and international resolutions relating to the environment, while paying attention to strategic and effective collaboration with international organisations concerned with this field.

In this context, Sami Dimassi, UN Environment Programme's Representative and Regional Director for West Asia, said that cooperating with Kuwait shows an obligation to develop strategies and plans of action, keeping pace with urgent needs and meeting future ambitions.

He pointed to progress made by the country in boosting environmental action and achieving sustainable development.

Meanwhile, UN Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator in Kuwait, Ghada Al-Taher, extolled the country’s active role in environmental sustainability and partaking in some initiatives combating pressing environmental issues like desertification, water scarcity and biodiversity loss.

Kuwait ratified the UNFCCC in 1995 and the Kyoto Protocol in 2005, and it is effectively partaking in global climate summits on these deals.

Partaking in the middle East Green Initiative Summit 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Kuwait announced its full commitments to the results of this initiative as a key turning point for the region in climate action and a base of regional collaboration to combat the consequences of climate change.