Earlier this year, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2019 gave a breakdown of 60 different countries' efforts in the fight against climate change over the course of 2018. In it, Morocco was named the fourth-best country, while Saudi Arabia was named the worst. Saudi Arabia ranked at the bottom of the CCPI, scoring 8 out of 100 on the index. However, that doesn't mean the kingdom hasn't been steering its efforts towards more sustainable solutions.

The kingdom is actually working to produce 10 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. However, it has not adopted emission reduction targets, according to the report.

But, several initiatives have materialized in the renewable space. Associate Professor Peng Wang and a team of scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) actually developed a three-stage membrane distillation device that would allow them to harness the heat waste from solar panels. This device could then distill and purify saltwater, producing a high fresh water rate.

Nevertheless, due to the need for some difficult to acquire conditions, Professor Wang said, "it can be used for coastal areas as long as you are not talking about delivering drinking water to a city of over one million people."



Currently, less than 1 percent of Saudi Arabia's energy is renewable and nearly all of the kingdom's domestic power currently comes from crude, refined oil, or natural gas.

