Charting Saudi Arabia's course to net zero emissions: The crucial role of energy efficiency.

The evaluation of the role of energy efficiency in addressing climate change is paramount, given the concerns about the ongoing global warming. This study delves into the impact of energy efficiency on carbon intensity within Saudi Arabia' decarbonization and examines its potential contributions to the nation's ambitious net-zero emissions target. Analyzing a time series of data from 1971 to 2020 and employing a quantile regression model, our findings underscore the critical significance of energy efficiency in mitigating GHG emissions, emphasizing the necessity of harnessing this tool to expedite the decarbonization process. Notably, the model remains robust, even when accounting for variations in the proxy used to measure energy efficiency, affirming its effectiveness in combatting environmental degradation in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, our findings reveal that energy efficiency exerts a more substantial influence on carbon intensity within the twenty-fifth to seventy-fifth quantiles, compared to the tenth and ninetieth quantiles. Recognizing these distinct effects across carbon intensity quantiles is imperative when shaping Saudi Arabia's decarbonization objectives. In an extension of our analysis, we project carbon intensity trends through 2060 under a scenario where energy efficiency experiences enhancement. The results indicate that energy efficiency improvements could contribute to up to one-fifth of Saudi Arabia's decarbonization efforts by 2060. The findings underscore the pivotal role of energy efficiency in fostering climate stability and crafting a more promising future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]