Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), announced the launch of the Green Innovators Initiative, aimed at invigorating regional climate action to monitor, promote and document the best practices in the field of environmental sustainability. The Initiative also aims to develop a framework guideline to serve as a basis for anticipating the future and creating an environmental and ecological infrastructure to expedite the transition to a green economy capable of reducing the carbon footprint.

Dr. AlMalik made this statement on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at the Ministerial Forum on Green Good Governance, held at the pavilion of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as part of the activities of the COP29, currently being held in Baku. The Forum saw high-level participation including officials and international experts in the fields of environment protection and climate change.

The DG opened his address by conveying his congratulations to the Republic of Azerbaijan for the resounding success of hosting the COP29, a major forum of human consensus, noting that Baku merits the reputation of a destination for major human gatherings.

He also stated that this high-level forum reflects the shared steadfast commitment to develop and strengthen good green governance, considered the cornerstone of preserving the environment and ensuring a prosperous future for the next generations. He further explained that ICESCO accords great attention to the environment as a key area of its work, and is committed to exerting the necessary work, stemming from a firm belief in the Islamic world’s great potential to actively contribute to the achievement of these noble goals.

Moreover, the Director-General stated that the challenge lies in building an integrated system capable of bringing about real change and achieving the desired environmental outcomes, especially in the Islamic world. He also recalled the alarming percentage of nature reserves in the Islamic world, which does not exceed 12%, a modest percentage compared to the global average of 15%, adding that biodiversity in this region is also under increasing pressure, with about 20% of species threatened with extinction.

Against this backdrop, the Director-General expressed his pride at the approach adopted by ICESCO in this field, which includes the launch of the “ICESCO Program for Greed Sustainable Cities” to promote sustainable urban planning, and the “Network of Environmental Governance Experts”, made of a host of specialists in the fields of the environment and sustainable development. He also highlighted ICESCO’s “Education for Sustainability Initiative”, aimed at integrating the concepts of environmental sustainability in school curricula; “ICESCO Observatory for Green Innovation”, in addition to the Islamic “Platform for Environmental Dialogue, and the “Green Projects Funding”, set to encourage investment in sustainable environmental projects, especially among young people.