Saudi Aramco is accelerating its sustainability strategy with a long-term goal to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 across wholly owned operated assets. The company is combining emissions reduction, renewable energy, carbon capture, artificial intelligence, biodiversity protection, and supply chain localization to support its lower-carbon growth plan.
In 2025, Aramco reported Scope 1 emissions of 58.0 million metric tons of CO₂e and Scope 2 emissions of 14.0 million metric tons of CO₂e, while upstream carbon intensity stood at 10.0 kg CO₂e per barrel of oil equivalent. Methane intensity remained at 0.04 percent, and routine flaring intensity was kept below 1.0 percent.
Since its inception, our Sustainability Fund has committed $639 million, including $139 million in 2025 alone, to support innovation across the energy transition, Aramco Chairman Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan said.
The company has set interim targets, first reducing upstream carbon intensity to 8.6 kg CO2e/boe or lower by 2030 and achieving a 15 percent reduction by 2035 compared to 2018 baseline. “We also aim to mitigate 52 million metric tons of CO2e annually by 2035,” Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser said.
The company, under the leadership of Ziad T. Al-Murshed, Chair of Sustainability Steering Committee at Aramco, aims to reduce upstream carbon intensity to 8.6 kg CO₂e/boe or lower by 2030, achieve a 15 percent reduction by 2035 from its 2018 baseline, and mitigate 52 million metric tons of CO₂e annually by 2035.
Renewable energy is becoming a key part of Aramco’s transition plan. The company completed transactions for major solar and wind projects totaling 16.4 GW of gross capacity, expected to begin operations between 2027 and 2028.
Aramco is also targeting 15 GW of equity renewable energy capacity by 2030, with 1.28 GW already in operation. Its renewable push includes solar photovoltaic projects such as Al-Ghat and Shaden, onshore wind projects, and a megawatt-hour-scale iron vanadium flow battery designed to support solar power in harsh desert conditions.
Aramco is also scaling investment in climate technology. Its Sustainability Fund has committed US$639 million since inception, including US$139 million in 2025, across more than 40 sustainability-focused startups.
Aramco Ventures has around US$7.5 billion in allocated capital, while technology investments generated US$5.3 billion in technology realized value in 2025. The company also spent US$1.5 billion on R&D, including US$585 million on sustainability-related R&D, and supports a US$100 million decade-long sustainability and energy transition research initiative at KAUST.
Carbon capture remains central to Aramco’s decarbonization roadmap. The company is developing the Jubail Carbon Capture and Storage Hub, planned to capture and store up to 9 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2030. It also acquired a 50 percent stake in Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases Company in 2025 to support lower-carbon hydrogen development.
Artificial intelligence is another major lever. Aramco has deployed nearly 500 AI use cases, with around 50 percent of 2025 technology realized value linked to AI. These tools support methane mitigation, fuel reduction, well integrity, safety, and operational efficiency.
Beyond climate, Aramco invested US$541 million in social initiatives, planted 165,000 native trees during the year, reached 4.8 million trees planted since 2020, managed 35 protected areas covering 2,097 square kilometers, monitored 904 protected species, and achieved a Net Positive Impact score of 96.5 percent.
Operationally, Aramco maintained 99.9 percent supply reliability, supplied 0.5 GW to the Saudi national grid, produced 11.4 bscfd of gas, and raised its gas capacity growth target from 60 percent to about 80 percent by 2030 versus 2021 levels. The company also achieved 70 percent localization under iktva in 2025, with a target of 75 percent by 2030.
SHAFANA FAZAL