Fossil fuel giant Qatar—the world’s top LNG exporter and a known sponsor of extremist and terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, has no free press at home, yet floods London with glossy ad campaigns telling the West how to manage carbon credits and climate change. It’s the height of green hypocrisy: a petrostate profiting from the crisis while pretending to cure it.

If you’ve taken the London Underground lately, you may have seen them — sleek Al Jazeera English ads urging governments to “redouble their efforts to tackle climate change.” The image: a man knee-deep in floodwater, dragging what looks like the remains of a livelihood. The message: urgent, moral, global. The messenger here to save us: Qatar.

I’ve seen similar ads from Saudi Aramco about how we need to invest in clean energy on the back pages of the New York Times as they pump out megatons of oil.

It’s a curious irony — the world’s richest per-capita fossil fuel state paying for climate virtue ads in the West timed with COP30 in Brazil. Qatar, a monarchy built on liquefied natural gas exports and one of the highest per-capita carbon footprints on Earth, is telling London commuters how to save the planet. The country that bankrolls the world’s most polluting industries, limits press freedom, and funds a network forbidden from criticizing its own rulers now positions itself as a moral voice for climate action. You can’t make it up.

The Al Jazeera campaign has plastered slogans across London, part of a broader PR push to soften Qatar’s image ahead of the next round of UN climate talks happening now in Brazil, COP30, a charade of do-gooders where not much gets done. In a just world, no fossil fuel companies should be leading this conversation. Like cigarette companies, they should be banned from buying ads.

In a just world, the billions spent on soft-power PR that comes out of London offices (see our story on how a London firm greenwashes Qatar to ravage a Seychelles island) would go toward real decarbonization and freedom of information.

Until then, Qatar remains a master of doublethink—burning gas by the megaton while selling “sustainability” to a world desperate for clean air. Wake up from your slumber people.

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The Dumat Al-Jandal wind farm with a capacity of 400MW, stands as a pioneering endeavor in Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy landscape in an ancient land. It’s Saudi Arabia’s first wind farm. At 400MW, it is the largest wind farm in the Middle East, displacing almost one million tonnes of CO2 annually.

Developed by a consortium led by EDF Renewables (51%) and Masdar (49%), with the client being Saudi Aramco this project not only marks the kingdom’s inaugural utility-scale wind power initiative but also ranks among the largest wind farms in the Middle East.

EDF Renewables (formerly EDF Renouvelables) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the French utility EDF Group, specializing in renewable energy production.

With an estimated investment totaling $500 million USD, construction started in August 2019 following the consortium’s attainment of financial closure in June 2019. The installation of the first turbines began in August 2020.

In August 2021, the initial phase of the wind farm successfully connected to the grid, marking the commencement of power generation, with full-scale commercial operations that started in 2022.

While the project’s primary aim is to harness wind energy for sustainable electricity generation, comprehensive environmental assessments have been integral to its development. Prior to construction, thorough evaluations were conducted to assess potential impacts on archaeology, avian and terrestrial fauna, and flora in the region.

These assessments aimed to mitigate any adverse effects and ensure the preservation of cultural heritage and biodiversity.

Three of the target species recorded within the development site are listed as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN (2017); Egyptian vulture (six individuals), saker falcon (one individual) and steppe eagle (75 individuals, including constant effort survey records). Refined collision risk modelling predicted 0.77 collisions per year for steppe eagle, which is equivalent to a collision every 1.3 years. For Egyptian vulture and saker 0.10 and 0.01 collisions per year were predicted. No reports of danger to wildlife have been made since the wind farm started operating.

Situated in the Al Jouf region of north-western Saudi Arabia, approximately 900km north of Riyadh, the wind farm’s location atop a plateau offers optimal wind resources for efficient energy production. However, this region is also home to a diverse range of wildlife and ecosystems, necessitating careful consideration of environmental factors throughout the project’s lifecycle.

Read related: Saudi’s slow train through nature

Key findings from environmental assessments highlighted the presence of archaeological sites of historical significance, as well as habitats supporting various species of birds, plants, and animals. To safeguard these assets, measures such as site delineation, monitoring, and mitigation strategies were implemented during construction and operational phases.

The wind farm’s core components include 99 units of Vestas’ V150-4.2MW wind turbines, each positioned to minimize disturbance to local ecosystems. Additionally, transmission infrastructure, including a 380kV overhead power line and associated equipment, was strategically designed to minimize environmental impact while ensuring efficient power transmission.

As the Dumat Al-Jandal wind farm emerges as a testament to sustainable development, it underscores the importance of integrating environmental considerations into renewable energy projects. By prioritizing environmental stewardship alongside energy production, this pioneering initiative sets a precedent for responsible development in the renewable energy sector.

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The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has chosen Saudi Arabia to host World Environment Day 2024 which will center on the theme of “land restoration.” Saudi Arabia has an incredible vision for mangrove reforestation and it is starting to open up archeology from the past to foreigners and international research institutions, but as it looks to tourism from the West Saudi Arabia is very misguided about new community building seen with Neom projects which are completely out of line with sustainable development goals. It’s like they took some great sales teams from Europe on the most “eco” ideas they could find on paper and multiplied everything by a trillion.

But putting Saudi Arabia in the center of the discussion, if only for an event like World Environment Day, will open the nation to criticism and balance from environmentalists around the world. It may be Saudi territory, but nature and the world should belong to every human/

According to UNEP, the event will “accelerate action on the restoration of landscapes and ecosystems.”

World Environment Day, established by UNEP in 1972 is celebrated annually on June 5, and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is supported by many non-governmental organizations, businesses, government entities, and represents the primary United Nations outreach day supporting the environment. It is also called Eco Day, Environment Day, WED (world environment day).

Over the past five decades, the Day has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach. Tens of millions of people participate online and through in-person activities, events and actions around the world. 2024 will mark the 30^th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, from 2 to 13 December 2024.

According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of the world’s population and threatening roughly half of global GDP, $44 trillionUSD. The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 per cent since 2000 – without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.

Land restoration is a key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, which is critical to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

If I look at the track record of Saudi Arabia with its production and manipulation of cost of fossil fuels by Saudi Aramco and its apparent lack of awareness for sustainable development at all of Neom‘s projects like The Line and a desert ski-hill for a planet on fire, it would make more sense to choose a country like Israel to show the world how to combat desertification: not by buying the latest in desalination technologies, but by inventing and implementing new technologies.

Israel also has an efficient mode of watering crops, using drip irrigation, a process the country invented decades ago. These facts matched with advances in agriculture and reforestation would make Israel an obvious choice. But the world is still kowtowing to the highest bidder. So big oil money wins the game, again.

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Company A produces millions of plastic cola bottles a day. Water bottles too, and plastic wrap to hold a six-pack of these cola and water bottles together. Company A is told by consumer watchdogs and eco-organizations that enough is enough – the planet can’t hold cheap plastic waste any longer. Landfills can’t carry plastic; plastics are degrading our health and ecosystems badly, and what is consumed in a few minutes lasts hundreds and thousands of years in landfill, or at the bottom of the sea. See flip-flops in the Seychelles.

Company A decides to find a way a great solution and a way to rebrand its bad reputation and goes to companies like McKinsey to help them persuade governments and consumers that plastics aren’t so bad because they are being “recycled, you, know… chemically.” While it sounds good on paper, chemical recycling in plastics, says environmental watchdog group Gaia a terrible idea: “Our position isn’t that one is worse than the other, they’re both equally bad!”

GAIA (or the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives), based in Berkeley says “the Emperor has no clothes: chemical recycling has long been touted by industry as a miracle solution, but when one looks closely these claims simply do not hold up,” says Neil Tangri, Science and Policy Director at GAIA.

“Thanks to the rigorous efforts of the scientific community and thorough investigations by media and environmental groups, the tide is turning.”

Why is chemical recycling so bad?

We reached out to GAIA to understand the problem with plastics recycling today in the United States, and the world. Consider that 2 from the 5 worst companies are ExxonMobil and Dow, American companies. And Claire Arkin from GAIA clarifies, “What industry calls ‘chemical recycling’ is largely incineration of plastics, the “recycling” word is misleading,” she says. 

Arkin explains to Green Prophet: “The force at play here that is most dangerous is the fact that the plastics industry is ramping up plastic production exponentially in the coming years, which our planet simply cannot support without spiralling into climate catastrophe and exceeding planetary boundaries for toxic chemicals.

“Chemical recycling not only enables further plastic production, but it causes significant climate and toxic emissions.”

Is chemical recycling in plastics worse than producing new plastics? “We are definitely not saying that it’s worse than producing virgin plastic, but that one begets the other– industry is claiming that chemical “recycling” is a silver bullet solution to plastic waste, which enables them to continue with business-as-usual of ramping up plastic production,” Arkin tells Green Prophet.

“For example, the American Chemistry Council says it will invest over $4 billion in “advanced recycling.” Meanwhile, the ACC is also investing over 35 times that–$164 billion– in new infrastructure to make more plastic. It’s a bit of a bait and switch. What the world really needs is a significant decrease in virgin plastic production, not the promotion of these false technologies under the guise of “recycling.” 

Why chemical recycling in plastics is so bad

Recent independent investigations have found: 

• Processing 1kg of plastic using chemical “recycling” requires nearly 7x the amount of fossil fuels needed to make a kg of virgin plastic. Read about Exxon’s chemical recycling initiatives here.

• If a refinery turned waste into a fuel (what most “chemical recycling” facilities actually do) the air emissions would be so toxic that 1 out of 4 people exposed to it over a lifetime could get cancer. And what’s considered “bio” in biofuels is simply not true. It’s plastic.

• According to US government research, “chemical recycling” requires a significant amount of energy and emits greenhouse gasses and chemicals like benzene.

• According to Dow Chemical’s very own study, “chemical recycling” caused more climate emissions than landfilling or burning plastic. 

• Shell, Unilever, and Dow Chemical all have documented “chemical recycling” failures. 

The top 5 plastics producing companies in the world

According to the NGO, No Plastic Waste, there are 100 companies producing 90 per cent of all single-use plastic waste generated globally. You can get the whole list here. But who tops the list? America’s ExonMobil, Dow, and China’s Sinopec, Thailand’s Indorama Ventures, and Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Aramco. If your parents or grandparents work for these companies, it’s time to start a conversation.

Of approximately 300 polymer producers operating globally, this small fraction hold the fate of the world’s plastic crisis in their hands. Among these companies located in the region we report on in the Middle East is Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s richest companies now building NEOM with billions of oil and plastics dollars. 

What’s happening globally to stop chemical recycling?

On May 12 an international meeting took place to handle guidelines for plastic waste. The Parties to the Basel Convention adopted most of the text of updated technical guidelines for environmentally-sound plastic waste management. Despite intensive lobbying from the petrochemicals industry in the four years of negotiations to recognize what they call  “chemical” or “advanced” “recycling,” as a solution to the plastics crisis,  all that was obtained in the guidelines was mostly lip service, reports GAIA.

Advanced chemical recycling, GAIA reiterates, create more hazardous waste and pollution, massive carbon emissions, and enable further exponential plastic production, breaching our planetary boundaries. The petrochemicals industry needs to be told this is nowhere near a silver bullet solution. Business models based on cheap plastics need to adapt. The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was created to protect against abusive trade and mismanagement of hazardous waste.

Its technical guidelines are intended to assist Parties manage wastes in an environmentally-sound manner, taking all practical steps to protect human health and the environment. Virtually all of the guidelines text on chemical recycling was moved to an appendix after countries failed to find evidence that chemical recycling is environmentally sound.

The updated guidelines also include a new section on prevention, in a much-needed shift from the previous outdated version. “Four years of petrochemical industry lobbying and all they could get was half-baked, flimsy, bracketed, appended and fundamentally non-approved text on so-called ‘chemical recycling’. I say ‘so-called’ because it is really a mismatched bundle of dubious and dirty technologies marketed as a solution to justify continued overproduction of plastics,” says Sirine Rached, GAIA plastics policy coordinator. 

“But governments are finally awakening to the reality that these technologies are neither innovative nor safe, and that more toxic and carbon emissions are the last thing we need when it comes to dealing with plastic waste,” she added.   

Upcoming UN-endorsed plastics treaty negotiations will take place May 29 to June 2 in Paris, where industry groups like CEFLEX  (links to PDF and an industry group representing petrochemical majors like Dow, Chevron, and BASF), and the Plastics Industry Association and the US Chamber of Commerce have all provided written submissions endorsing chemical recycling.

Some governments around the world have even called for an outright ban on “chemical recycling” in the future plastics treaty, as referenced in an official document outlining options for future treaty obligations and control measures, prepared by the  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Secretariat ahead of the Paris negotiations.

Gaia notes that “private consulting firms like McKinsey have continued to tout chemical “recycling” in reports [even highlighting opportunities!] provided to Member States to influence their decision-making, and there is reason to believe that such efforts will intensify in upcoming plastics treaty negotiations,” they write.“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Tangri, “but the fact that chemical ‘recycling’ was relegated to an insignificant bracket in Geneva is a promising start.” 

More about GAIA

GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries aiming to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution.

They envision a just, zero waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped. Consider jumping on board with them if you want to take action locally.

How you can act locally

• Endorse and visit Zero Waste shops that promote the circular economy.
• Avoid buying single use plastics and one-time use plastic products.
• Hold cities and governments responsible for plastic tax.
• Join eco groups and lobby alongside GAIA so the world has a better future.
• Have a talk with mom or dad or a family member who works with a plastics producer

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With owning the most valuable company in the world, Saudi ARAMCO citing gains and profits of $161 billion USD last year (driving oil prices up 46% from the Ukraine-Russian war), Saudi Arabia leaks news that its government may consider adding a 4-day work week as the norm. This follows the United Arab Emirates which launched a 4.5 day workweek in January, 2022.

“The extended weekend comes as part of the UAE government’s efforts to boost work-life balance and enhance social wellbeing, while increasing performance to advance the UAE’s economic competitiveness,” said UAE state news agency WAM.

The Saudi announcement came in response to an inquiry on Twitter to the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development which noted (in Arabic) that it’s considering the move to a 3-day weekend as well. According to the Arabic daily newspaper Al Madina, the Saudi ministry is taking a deep dive looking into its current current labor market, one we should note which is fraught with human rights violations (plenty of African housemaid videos on Youtube), and it will make a decision from there.

With Saudi Arabia’s growth of mega-projects as part of the Saudi Vision 2030, projects like Neom, The Line, Trojena ski hills in the desert, and a new Kabaa in Riyadh called the Mukaab, Saudi Arabia is processing hard the reasons why and how anyone from the outside world will want to work and live there. To fulfill its mission of being a technological superstar it’s going to have to create a few million Saudi tech geeks  and lure hundreds of thousands of skilled and educated foreigners into the labor force. 

What motivates people to work beyond money? Making an impact on the world, enjoying your workplace and being able to spend a considerable amount of valuable time off work in leisure, play, hobbies and hanging out with the family. The 4-day work week is a more sustainable solution for the planet. And studies and pilots in Europe suggest people can do as much in 32 hours as they can spreading it out over 40+.

We do hope to see however that these 4-day workweeks trickle down to household staff, which complain of being held hostage and working unreasonable hours.  Construction workers are exploited as well, Human Rights Watch reports, as Saudi works to create a brighter future for its people and the world. 

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Emirates might be the world’s sexiest airline (though we don’t suggest joining the Mile High club on a journey to Dubai) but Saudia but be the most eco-sexiest so far. The airline we have never heard of, the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has operated the world’s longest net positive flight in May this year.

On its maiden net-positive voyage in from Jeddah to Madrid, Saudia claims it offset a total of 346 tonnes of carbon emissions for commercial passenger flight SV227, making the flight flight net-positive. This means that the passengers of this flight help offset more greenhouse gases than their travel created. 

Operating with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the flight time was 5 hours and 55 minutes. It departed from King Abdulaziz International airport in Saudi Arabia at 1030 hrs and arrived at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas airport at 1535 local time.

The most “eco” way to fly is not flying at all, and the next step is creating greener fuels, more direct flights, but we should still praise airlines looking to go the extra mile despite so many challenges Covid has thrown at the airline industry. 

How do you make a flight next positive?

The most creative way would be an airplane that sucks greenhouse gases from the atmosphere as it flies. As that’s not a realistic solution, Saudi turned to CarbonClick and aviation consultancy SimpliFlying.

CarbonClick will use proceeds from the flight to generate clean wind electricity for communities in India. From the offsets bought, wind turbines can be powered for 26 days, generating clean energy for the local population.  

The project is building wind power in India, displacing an equivalent amount of carbon-intense electricity which would otherwise rely on dirty fossil fuels for cooking, like coal. The contribution by Saudi to this project will supply clean energy to the grid, providing sustainable electricity to families living in Bhuj, in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

CarbonClick has also provided a landing page for guests on all Saudi flights allowing them to voluntarily offset the carbon emission of their travel. Guests who visit this page will be able to calculate the CO2 impact of their flight and make a contribution towards climate-friendly travel, receiving a verified receipt to fully-traceable carbon offsets.

American college students going to Colorado College, however, don’t appreciate the easy-fix idea of buying carbon credits to achieve carbon neutrality. Read this story we covered on the student body demanding more from their campus, including solar power on campus to offset their studies. 

But we can’t discount the efforts: This flight is SAUDIA’s entry into The Sustainable Flight Challenge, an initiative by SkyTeam, one of the world’s three major airline alliances. All SkyTeam airlines are being challenged to go above and beyond by finding the most sustainable way to operate one single flight in their existing networks.

SkyTeam is one of the world’s three major airline alliances. Founded in June 2000, SkyTeam was the last of the three alliances to be formed, the first two being Star Alliance and Oneworld, respectively. Its annual passenger count is 630 million, the second largest of the three major alliances.

The 20 airlines that are members of SkyTeam include Aeroflot, KLM, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines, and XiamenAir. 

Carbon demands now from the millennial generation make it complicated for any business to face a world where they can do better. But in Saudi Arabia’s case future flights may end in the use of novel clean technolgies such as cleanly-produced hydrogen fuel. 

Let me explain: Despite Saudi Arabia’s often misinterpreted ideas of how modernity and sustainability should go together (see Neom on the Red Sea) which is paid for by big oil money thanks to Saudi Aramco (the wealthiest company in the world); and Saudi’s undiplomatic response to journalists they don’t like; and the lavish spending habits of its ruling family and Prince, Saudi Arabia is also taking on risks where other companies and countries wouldn’t dare. Its investment into solar desalination early on, and commitment to unproven hydrogen fuel are just a couple of many examples. 

“The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 will see 100 million visits to Saudi Arabia by the end of the decade,” said Saudi CEO Ibrahim Koshy. “A cornerstone of that vision is for the Kingdom to be a leader in sustainable and even regenerative tourism. 

Regenerative is usually applied to agriculture, an approach that includes permaculture, animal systems and human needs into the picture. Since women in Saudi Arabia are not yet to travel aboard without a man’s permission we leave the level of Saudi’s “regenerative tourism” concept to your imagination. Saudi Arabia does have an ambitious plan to plant a million mangroves. (See: In Saudi, it looks like behind every thriving mangrove, there’s a strong woman.)

The flight will also see the world’s first in-flight sustainability lab, where passengers contribute ideas on how air travel can become ‘greener’, led by SimpliFlying.

“Aviation is a difficult sector to decarbonize. New, more sustainable technologies are emerging, but those advances can be easily outpaced by industry growth,” says Michelle Noordermeer, Chief Operating Officer at CarbonClick. “SAUDIA is setting a huge example by showing what can be done now, carbon offsetting, and using quality carbon credits as a powerful way to remove carbon and neutralize the impacts of radiative forcing.”

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Middle East Records Some of the Highest Global SO2 Emissions 

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air– CREA and Greenpeace India released their report about Ranking the World’s Sulphur Dioxide Emissions Hotspots 2019-2020, which revealed the emissions of this toxic gas resulting annually from anthropogenic activities in the energy, oil, gas and  smelting sectors.

Despite the general decrease in SO₂ emissions around the world, the Middle East is still one of the worst polluted regions, specifically emissions around the Gulf region which did not witness any significant change between 2018 and 2019. 

Ahmad El Droubi, Senior Campaigner – Greenpeace MENA said: ”We issue this kind of report as we believe that the measurement and tracking of air quality should be a priority. Sulfur dioxide is a colourless air pollutant that is invisible to the human eye, widespread and hazardous to human health. Breathing SO₂ increases the risk of health conditions including stroke, heart disease, asthma, lung cancer and premature death.”

For this CREA/Greenpeace report, researchers used satellite data and a global catalogue of SO₂ emissions sources from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to detect emissions hotspots. The data was analysed to identify source industries and emissions trends.

“Despite the global drop in emissions by 47.25% since 2005, the Middle East and North Africa region recorded a decrease of only 8.5% in the same period. And the report did not find any significant change between the years 2018 and 2019, and that the Gulf remains one of the most polluted regions with SO₂ and is a major hotspot of global emissions.”

The report revealed that Saudi Arabia recorded the highest levels of sulfur dioxide emissions in the Middle East and North Africa in 2019, followed by Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq and Morocco.

The UAE and Iraq witnessed a decrease in the emissions levels between the years 2018 and 2019, however this change was within the range of annual variability. The levels of emissions of this gas in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait did not record any significant change in the same period. Morocco recorded an increase of 15% in the levels of emissions of sulfur dioxide between 2018 and 2019.

The Norilsk smelter site in Russia was the biggest source of anthropogenic SO2 emissions in the world in 2019, the Rabigh oil and gas hotspot in Saudi Arabia ranked second. It is pictured above.

Dangers of sulfur dioxide

SO2 is a toxic gas responsible for the smell of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activity and is produced as a by-product of copper extraction and the burning of fossil fuels contaminated with sulfur compounds.

Sulfur dioxide causes a range of harmful effects on the lungs, as the EPA’s most recent review of the science concluded: Wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness and other problems, especially during exercise or physical activity. Exposure to SO2 likely makes Covid infections worse or more dangerous.

While sulfur dioxide isn’t a direct greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide or methane, it is considered an indirect greenhouse gas. Sulfur dioxide is regarded as an indirect greenhouse gas because, when coupled with elemental carbon, it forms aerosols.

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Whether you love the idea or not, ever since the first oil refinery opened in Baku in 1837, oil, or ‘black gold’ as it is known, has been one of the world’s most valuable and versatile commodities. Crude oil is used for the production of so many everyday essentials, from fuels like diesel and petrol to many types of plastic and even the production of clothing and furniture.

The price of oil increases in line with demand, therefore when demand for oil and petroleum based products is high the value may rise as consumption increases.

The United Arab Emirates announced in February this year that it is planning to pump further investment into petrochemical and refining projects in India. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Abhu Dabi National Oil Co^. and Minister of State for UAE is aiming to develop a strategic partnership between the two countries and is planning to store more crude oil in India’s reserves. Wall Street is predicting a recovery in oil prices this year too so how do investors capitalise on this market growth, while minimising exposure to risk? There are several routes to investing in oil.

1. Buy oil

You could buy barrels of oil to store and sell on in future, however for the majority of investors this is not practical. Oil storage and handling is not easy, as it is toxic and highly flammable. Most people would not have the right facilities to store it and would have to pay somebody to do this for them, which could cancel out the return on investment.

1. Futures Contracts investment

You can buy a futures contract in crude oil, meaning you don’t own the oil physically, but if you buy a contract and the price of oil increases in the future, you will make money, and if the value drops, you will lose out.

1. Buy stocks in oil companies

You may consider purchasing stocks in oil production companies, or those that sell crude oil or transport it. Investors need to understand the markets though, as depending on which companies you invest in, some companies will rise in line with the price of oil, and others could actually fall. For example, refined oil products such as fuel depend on oil for production. If the price of oil increases, but the price of petrol doesn’t, this squeezes their profits, and drives their value down not up.

1. Invest in ETFs (Exchange Trading Funds)

These funds enable you to invest in a particular commodity, such as oil, and some will expose investors to the rise and fall of oil’s value. Their performance can be tricky to predict, so it is important to understand how they operate, and be aware of potential losses. The United States Oil Fund is the most well-known Oil ETF, but there are many others so it’s important to do some homework before investing.

The IEA (Institute of Economic Affairs) predicts that global demand for oil will not peak until around 2040, as growing economies such as China and India increase their demand for crude oil. With this in mind, those who want to invest in oil might not want to leave it too long. The potential gains could be significant, and much like oil itself, the market can be volatile, so do your research thoroughly before investing.

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In a recent report, the world’s largest exporter of crude oil warned that Saudi Arabia’s local demand is so high,  exports could fall to an “unacceptably low level,” Bloomberg reports.

Largely unmotivated to consume energy wisely after years of subsidies, local Saudis could burn enough of their own oil to trigger a significant slowing of the Kingdom’s good years of fabulous riches and fast cars as export revenue shrinks.

By decree from the King in 2010, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KaCare) was established in part to spur an alternative energy movement – not because of any overwhelming urge to reduce carbon emissions or preserve nature, but because it became clear that one day oil will cease to gush out of Saudi’s fields.

More like it will slow to a trickle when combined with local population growth and surging demand. Maybe taking a note out of the United Arab Emirates’ page, Saudi announced in 2012 that it would invest $109 billion in solar by 2032. But as Bloomberg notes, progress is slow.

Related: Don’t be fooled by Saudi Aramco’s LEED Platinum project

Too slow, apparently.

“The government solar plan is moving very slow, and we are hearing about it for some time, but it’s not maturing as fast as it should,” Gasem al-Shaikh, head of energy unit at Saudi Binladin Group, told Bloomberg in an interview. “The country can’t wait. We are burning more liquids every year, and that’s why Saudi Aramco now is taking the lead.”

The theory goes that after years of dealing with western countries, Saudi Aramco is well-poised to flush out the logistics of incorporating more renewables into their energy mix.

But the company also expressed a desire to implement these changes with caution – they specifically noted that both Germany and Spain suffered for exercising less restraint and therefore ending up with “an uncontrolled boom in solar panel installations.”

:: Bloomberg News ; oil platform image via Saudi Aramco

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Don’t get me wrong, Saudi Aramco’s Dhahran tower is more environmentally responsible than a lot of similar buildings. It is partially solar-powered and boasts a suite of smart programs that control energy performance, indoor air quality and lighting.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) gave the tower LEED Platinum, the highest possible award and a first for commercial buildings in the Kingdom, according to Arab News.

The government-backed company is gushing with pride.

“It is with pleasure that I recognize Saudi Aramco’s community services because of excellence in environmental stewardship and as a result achieving the highest certification as awarded by the leaders in energy and environmental design,” Saudi Aramco President and CEO Khalid A. Al-Falih told the paper.

The tower received 80 out of a possible 94 points, scoring particularly high in the energy and atmosphere category, and is now being touted as a sterling example of sustainable building. Surely we understand sustainability to be something holistic?

Overall, the oil industry has done considerable environmental harm – not only at extraction points, but because burning oil releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that are responsible for climate change – one of the single most pressing environmental issue of our time.

Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves, at more than 260 billion barrels, and largest daily oil production, according to Wikipedia. Worth $10 trillion, it is also considered the world’s most valuable company by the Financial Times.

All of the gains achieved by a few solar panels could never undo the collective harm for which Saudi Aramco is responsible. Don’t be fooled by LEED awards – they can be deceiving.

While it is kind of cute that Saudi Aramco invested a few extra pennies to construct a building that will use up less of their export commodity, namely the fossil fuels that power conventional mechanical and lighting systems, there’s no sense in perpetuating the myth that this company is in any way a steward of the environment.

Not until they, along with Shell, Exxon and other fossil fuel giants, exchange all of their drilling equipment for solar panels and wind turbines, which is what it will take to forestall the worst that climate change has in store, will there be real cause for celebration.

:: Arab News

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