RIYADH: Climate change discussions have grown increasingly emotional and are often overshadowed by “hypocrisy,” according to a top Saudi official.
During a fireside chat at the third Global Cybersecurity Forum, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir emphasized the urgent need to instill a “logical and rational” mindset to resolve climate change issues scientifically and effectively.
“We see a lot of emotions when it comes to climate change discussions and we frankly see a lot of hypocrisy, and that doesn’t serve anyone. We have a problem, we need to fix the problem,” Al-Jubeir said.
He added: “The temperatures are not coming down. The air is not becoming cleaner and no matter how much we argue, we need to roll up our sleeves and work together to solve the problems in a rational and effective manner and we need to do it quickly.”
Al-Jubeir also emphasized the necessity of international cooperation to tackle global challenges like cybersecurity, climate change, and pandemics. He pointed out that no single country can effectively address these issues in isolation, highlighting the importance of cooperation and collective efforts.
“It’s very important that we switch confrontation to cooperation and it’s important that we switch competition from being a zero-sum game to being a sum-sum game where everybody benefits,” he said.
Additionally, he highlighted the strategic relationships Saudi Arabia holds with the US and China, underscoring the benefits of cooperation between the world’s two largest economies.
“Both relations will continue to grow and prosper. The international system is better served when there is cooperation between the two largest economies.”
Furthermore, Al-Jubeir stressed the urgency of keeping pace with rapidly advancing technology.
To effectively address the challenges arising from this rapid change, he said clear definitions must be established, potential risks identified, and swift action taken to address emerging threats.
He highlighted various issues tied to cybercrime, including money laundering, extortion, and even cyberbullying, illustrating the need for coordinated international efforts in addressing these challenges.
A report by cybersecurity firm Group-IB revealed that organizations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE were the most targeted by cyberattacks among GCC countries between mid-2021 and mid-2022.
“The most important thing is agreeing on definitions, agreeing on areas that need to be addressed, coming up with legal mechanisms to counter those areas, (and) exchanging information with regards to how people take advantage of cyber in order to commit crimes and how and what is the most effective way of dealing with it,” Al-Jubeir explained.
He further emphasized that these areas should not be as sensitive for national governments as matters directly related to national security, suggesting that ways forward should be identified.
