RIYADH: Saudi Green Initiative has started reaping the results as the Kingdom has been ranked first globally in renewable energy production, according to the latest Green Future Index report. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy announced that the Kingdom has also advanced 10 places in the overall ranking of the Green Future Index to garner the 51st spot — a milestone achievement made just two years after the launch of the SGI by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Green Future Index ranking is published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, and it is widely considered one of the most authentic reports that signal the progress made by countries in terms of sustainability. Saudi Arabia also ranked first in the Arab world, and 20th globally in terms of carbon dioxide emissions reduction. The SGI is considered one of the most effective plans adopted by any country to fight climate change. Under this program, 10 billion trees will be planted in the Kingdom to revive the health of the environment. Since the launch of the SGI, Saudi Arabia has planted 18 million trees within the Kingdom and of those 13 million are mangroves. Under the goals outlined in SGI, Saudi Arabia is also eyeing to achieve the target of placing 30 percent of its land and sea territory under protection by 2030. Regionally, the SGI plans to plant 50 billion trees across the Middle East and restore an area equivalent to 200 million hectares of degraded land, which will in turn reduce global carbon levels by 2.5 percent. Apart from planting trees to ensure sustainability, the SGI is also steadily steering the Kingdom to become a global leader in carbon capture technology and renewable energy production. Earlier in March, a report released by S&P Global revealed that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading the region’s fight against climate change by producing 90 percent of the Gulf’s renewable energy. According to S&P Global, installed solar capacity in the two countries surged from 165 megawatts in 2016 to 3 gigawatts by the end of 2021.