Muscat – World needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent, in order to limit global warming by 1.5°C by 2030, a top UN official said at the first edition of the Oman Conference on Environmental Sustainability, on Monday.

Sami Dimassi, representative of the UN Environment Programme and Director of the UN West Asia Office, said that climate change and air pollution are two sides of the same coin, which necessitates coherent actions.

Dimassi added that based on science, the planet is facing crises in three areas: climate, biodiversity and waste pollution.

Inaugurated under the patronage of H H Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham bin Tarik al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, the three-day conference includes several activities that focus on air pollution and climate change.

Dr Abdullah Ali al Omari, chairman of the Environment Authority, head of the committee organising the conference, said in his opening statement that Oman was and still leads among the countries that accord attention to environmental sustainability and biodiversity.

Oman established the first institution concerned with the environment in 1970s and enacted the first legislation to preserve the environment in 1976. The sultanate also established the first natural reserve for mangroves during the same time and has established 26 natural reserves.

“Several environmental programmes have been implemented in the waste management and recycling sector, and policies have been enacted to reduce the use of single-use plastics. The sultanate has also begun to rely on natural resources to produce renewable energy to achieve the target of 40 per cent of the total energy produced by 2040,” said Omari.

Omari reiterated that the conference stems from a deep-rooted belief in the importance of research and its role in reaching effective solutions to tackle various issues and challenges.

He pointed out that the conference comes at a time when climate change and air quality issues are at the top of the agenda of various political, environmental and economic events at the international level.

Omari said that the conference aims to discuss integrated management, best practices, international experiences and environmental legislations in fields related to air quality and climate change. The event also highlights the latest technologies, innovations and 4IR tools used in detecting and reducing air pollution and alleviating its social, health and environmental effects.