Golf Saudi joins the United Nations climate sport framework

Golf Saudi has continued to demonstrate the strength of its commitment to sustainability, with announcements that will accelerate action and results on a range of priority environmental and climate issues.

By becoming an official signatory of the United Nations Climate Sport Framework, the sport body joins a rapidly growing community of organizations, leagues, tours, tournaments and associated media across sport – creating commitments and pathways to the “net zero” goals of the Paris Agreement.

Yasir O. Al Rumayyan, president of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, finalized the deal which saw the organization officially accepted into the initiative.

“We are extremely excited to join the United Nations Sports Framework for Climate Action and take an active role in the contribution of sport to global climate action,” Al Rumayyan said. “Since the inception of Golf Saudi, we have sought to collaborate internationally to integrate sustainability into the future development of golf; actively contribute to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030; and also to be part of the sports sector’s path towards a low carbon future.

The Sports for Climate Action initiative calls on sports organizations to recognize the contribution of the sports sector to climate change and the collective responsibility to commit to climate neutrality for a safer planet. This can be achieved by sports organizations demonstrating climate leadership by engaging and working together, which in turn will spur climate action beyond the sports sector and help other global organizations cope. the threat posed by climate change.

Commenting on Golf Saudi’s membership in the Framework, Niclas Svenningsen, UN Global Climate Action Officer, said: “Now is the time for the sports community to step up its ambition for the low-emission transition. of carbon. As part of Sport for Climate Action, signatories share 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 lead and inspire climate action on a global scale. We are delighted to welcome Golf Saudi as a signatory and look forward to their contribution to this trip. “

Golf Saudi is also expanding its collaboration with the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, the international non-profit organization that for 15 years has been fully dedicated to accelerating sustainability and climate action in sport.

Jonathan Smith, Founder and Executive Director of the GEO Foundation, said: “First of all, we congratulate Golf Saudi for making the decision to join the United Nations Climate Sport Framework for Action, thereby demonstrating their determination to take meaningful, transparent and credible international commitments and goals in sport.

“To this end, we are pleased to continue to support the role of the National Golf Sustainability Strategy, ensuring that high standards and significant innovation are incorporated into the development and operation of the facilities, organization of events and the generation of positive multipliers. At the same time, there are a number of important new aspects of ongoing research and development, largely relevant to golf, such as ecosystem restoration through golf; exploit renewable energies; overall management of water resources; and integrating circularity into the golf supply chain.

These two important steps continue the momentum initiated by the development of the National Golf Sustainability Strategy in 2020, through which Golf Saudi has defined a wide range of ambitious golf industry policies regarding carbon and climate, ecosystem restoration, circular economy and water management.

Plans are also underway to integrate specific actions into the organization of the Aramco Team Series, which will see its second event kick off in Spain, in just over two weeks. More details on the sustainability action plan are expected to be announced shortly and will cover event locations, staging and legacies. The work around the series being closely aligned and inspired by the Ladies European Tour’s Celebrating the Green initiative.