LONDON: Leaders of the Middle East emphasized their commitment to step up investment in renewables when they met in Riyadh earlier this week. But the real message that came out of the inaugural Middle East Green Initiative is that the transition to a net-zero future must be gradual and must not damage regional economic growth. The economies of the Gulf states, of course, rely heavily on oil income. But it wasn’t just the heads of oil-producing countries making the case for realism as the world seeks to combat global warming.