Symposium on reducing carbon emissions kicks off in Riyadh

RIYADH, The first edition of the symposium on pathways to reduce carbon emissions in petroleum downstream industries kicked off in Riyadh on Tuesday. The symposium is organized by the General Secretariat of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Energy and Japan's Cooperation Center for Petroleum and Sustainable Energy (JCCP). Inaugurating the symposium, Saudi Ministry of Energy official Dr. Khaled Al-Mehaid underscored significance of such a congregation, pointing out that thus far all expectations indicate that oil demand is to last for many decades. Hydrocarbon sources must be consumed properly and in accordance with international regulations, asserted Al-Mehaid, adding that this could be executed via circular economy applications that rely on managing and conserving energy and promoting consumption of renewable energy sources. On his part, JCCP's chief Tsuyoshi Nakai commended the productive relations between Japan and Arab states, s aying that this symposium is a great opportunity for the exchange of perspectives and expertise. OAPEC's Secretary General Jamal Al-Loughani stated that this symposium stems from the organization's keenness on following up with international and regional developments relating to decreasing carbon emissions and arriving at carbon neutrality. He took the time to praise member states for their efforts in achieving climate goals affirming the importance of cooperation between tech companies and research centers to develop solutions and develop low carbon fuel. The symposium aims to explore potential strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions within the refining and petrochemical industries, while also examining the efforts of OAPEC member countries in the field of petroleum downstream industries. Source: Kuwait News Agency