Visit by Dr. Karsten Sach, Director General for International, European Policy and Climate Policy in the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

Dr. Karsten Sach, Director General for international, European policy and climate policy in the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety visited Riyadh, where he participated in the G20 Environment Deputies meeting. Ambassador Jörg Ranau accompanied him to bilateral meetings. They met with the Saudi Minister of Energy, H.R.H. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, H.E. Eng. Abdelrahman bin Abdelmohsen Al-Fadhli, for discussions regarding climate policies as well as other international and bilateral issues of mutual interest. Dr. Karsten Sach also met the Assistant Minister for International Financial Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, Abdulaziz Al Rasheed, and the Governor of the Public Investment Fund, H. E. Yassir Al-Rumayyan. During his stay in Riyadh, he furthermore visited the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), where he was received by its President Adam Sieminski. 

On 2 March, Ambassador Jörg Ranau hosted a reception on the occasion of his visit, where Dr. Karsten Sach gave a presentation about European and German Climate Policy followed by an open and lively discussion. In his talk he presented the European Green deal, set out by the European Commission. “At the latest by 2050 we in Europe ought to be climate neutral, and in order to achieve this, we need to act now as many investment and R&D decisions are taken now.” Referring to the Saudi G20 presidency he added, “The year 2020 under the Saudi G20 presidency has to prove that the Paris Climate Agreement is working.”