Cop 27: Kuwait pledges net zero emissions by 2060

Kuwait's foreign minister announced on 7 November the emirate's intention to work towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions, making it the fifth Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) country to set a net zero goal.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Cop 27 UN climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Sheikh Salem Abdullah al-Sabah said the Opec country is aiming to reach net zero in 2060, although it was committing to deliver net zero carbon emissions in its critical oil and gas sector a decade earlier, by 2050.

Kuwait today produces just shy of 2.9mn b/d of crude oil, making it the fifth largest producer in Opec, and 47.6mn m³/d of gas. The country is aiming to boost its crude oil capacity to 3.5mn b/d by 2025 and 4mn b/d by 2035, up from current capacity of near 3mn b/d.

The foreign minister did not give any details about how the country was hoping to deliver on these targets, saying only that Kuwait "has executed many projects to preserve the environment and reduce emissions".

With this announcement Kuwait has joined the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman in setting net zero carbon emission targets, leaving just Qatar as the only member of the GCC yet to make a net zero pledge.

By Nader Itayim