Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 6 January 2022 – Islamic Development Bank President and Chairman of IsDB Group, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, participated in the SDGs Dialogue Meeting on climate change, held virtually on Thursday 6^th January, and attended by a large audience of IsDB Group leadership and staff.

Addressing the meeting, H.E. Dr. Al Jasser commended the efforts of the colleagues who participated in the preparation of the informative presentation and the fruitful views of staff members who participated in the discussions. “This is a very important discussion. It is as a new kid on the block in the global economic discussions, and we cannot be oblivious to its impact either on our economies, our modus operandi, or our ability to help our member countries move on the development path,” Dr. Al Jasser stated.

The IsDB President then called for being pragmatic in this issue noting: “We accept the concepts of environmental protection, climate change, the impact of fossil fuel, etc. But we can’t achieve this overnight. So, we have to do this pragmatically and manage our expectations globally and within our member countries in a reasonable way.” He added: “There are areas where we can advise our borrowers and our membership at large on climate-friendly options.”

One of the major questions raised during the dialogue was: "What is at stake if we do not address climate change and help member countries drive a green economic growth"? The participants stressed that human livelihoods, the food systems, water systems, and energy systems are at stake in addition to transport and mobility, urban centers (especially in coastal communities), natural ecosystems as well as job opportunities. They underlined that failure to address this significant issue increases the likely risks and exposures of IsDB Group’s assets and investments in member countries and has the potential to erode the developmental gains and strides that have been made over the years.

The importance of the topic, presented by Dr. Rami Ahmed, attracted a wide participation of the IsDB Group staff who discussed the issue from different perspectives and put forward several initiatives and proposals which are expected to help raise awareness on the Group’s work in this important field of development.