Climate Change and Environment Protection

The Kingdom of Bahrain is deeply committed to environmental protection and combatting climate change. The Government of Bahrain addresses these matters in a comprehensive manner by incorporating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its national development agenda and by implementing projects, laws and policies that preserve and protect the environment. Notably, key government strategies have a deep alignment with SDGs. Sustainability, for example, is a key guiding principle under Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030.

The Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) is the primary body mandated to develop Bahrain’s strategy for the environment and follow up on the implementation of this strategy with relevant ministries, agencies and institutions. The SCE’s mandate also includes protecting the Kingdom’s natural habitat and human environment, ensuring the sustainability of its components, and preserving and developing its resources for future generations.

The following sections briefly summarize some of the recent efforts undertaken by the SCE in this regard.

Bahrain's Environmental Commitment

Bahrain is continuously strengthening laws and regulations on environmental protection by enacting modified and new Orders. The scope of these laws includes (but is not limited to): the management of hazardous chemicals and waste; the management of ozone depleting chemicals; the management of healthcare waste, electric and electronic waste; the ban of single use plastic bags; the ban of plastic waste import; the regulation of the refrigeration sector; updating emission standards; the regulation of air and marine monitoring; and the declaration of additional nature protected areas.

Moreover, a new on the environment, namely, Law 7 of 2022 on the Environment (PDF, 296KB, 40 pages, Arabic only), has been ratified and issued to replace its predecessor. The Law covers a range of matters related to environmental protection, including biodiversity, the marine and terrestrial environment, air quality, environmental disasters, waste management, pollution, and radiation.

The Kingdom of Bahrain’s environmental commitment is reinforced by signing and ratifying various international agreements and conventions. This active participation reflects the Kingdom’s dedication to shared responsibilities in addressing environmental challenges and highlights its proactive role in the pursuit of sustainable development on the global stage.

Bahrain’s Climate Action

The SCE is mandated to manage climate change issues, and includes a Climate Change and Sustainable Development Directorate that leads and mobilizes efforts related to climate action. The Climate Change and Sustainable Development Directorate is also the focal point to relevant international conventions, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In 2021, the Kingdom announced a long-term goal of reaching net-zero by 2060. Complementing this long-term goal, several near-term targets were also announced for 2035, including:

• A 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
• Doubling the renewable energy target under the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (PDF, 4.4MB, 76 pages) from 10% to 20%
• Doubling the number of trees (from the existing 1.8 million)
• Quadrupling of mangrove coverage (from the existing 400,000)

Notably, these targets take a holistic approach to climate action, addressing both adaptation (i.e. adapting to climate change impacts) and mitigation (i.e. preventing or reducing greenhouse gas emissions).

The SCE has been actively facilitating the development of greenhouse gas reduction plans across various sectors. This involves continuous outreach and collaboration with local emitters – including more than 10 entities in the private sector and 3 entities in the public sector. Collectively, these emitters make up the majority of the Kingdom’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Several projects and initiatives relating to climate mitigation and adaptation are underway. Notable projects and initiatives include:

• A National Energy Strategy to facilitate the energy transition in the Kingdom in line with the 2060 net zero target has been developed, focusing on optimized energy demand, diversifying the power mix and implementing a decarbonization strategy aligned with Bahrain’s commitments to a low-carbon future.
• Afforestation and mangrove-planting initiatives with yearly targets in line with 2035 goals.
• The National Adaptation Investment Plan (“NAIP”), which identifies and details key actions to increase the Kingdom’s resilience to climate change impacts. The NAIP conceptualized actionable projects focused on the Kingdom’s most vulnerable sectors (namely, water, agriculture, ecosystem services and biodiversity, and urban development). To facilitate project implementation, the NAIP also identifies potential funding sources for these projects.
• The Coastal Resilience Strategy, that developed a digital model of Bahrain’s terrain and assessed different sea level rise scenarios up until 2100. An action plan to protect Bahrain’s coastline was established, encompassing more than 190 proposed actions, to be implemented in five-year intervals until 2040.

For additional information on Bahrain’s environmental efforts, please explore the following links:

• United Nations Environment Program (UN Environment)
• Bahrain’s Voluntary National Review on the Implementation of SDGs
• Bahrain National Environment Strategy
• Climate Action in Bahrain
• The Supreme Council for Environment
• Progress in the Area of Sustainable Development to Protect the Environment and Natural Resources
• Environment Protection Decrees and Decisions
• Conferences and Agreements
• NSSA - Kingdom of Bahrain Space Vision and Mission