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What should Jordan do?

  • Establish an effective mechanism to revise and implement Jordan’s NDC.
  • Introduce climate responsive building techniques and elements to reduce the effect of heat and reduce demand on energy for cooling. S
  • upport the adoption of Best Available Technology (BAT) and Best Environmental Practices (BEP) in the industrial processes.
  • Increase renewable targets and ambitions to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
  • Divest from oil shale ventures and divert investments to renewables.
  • Develop a green nationwide transportation and public transportation system.
  • Develop an integrated water strategy that stresses wastewater recycling to avoid resorting to and being locked in heavy desalination investments.
  • Build a just and resilient recovery plan that considers increasing water scarcity and tight financial resources.

What you need to know about Jordan?

  • The conditional NDC target is aiming at reducing Jordan’s GHGs emissions by 26% by 2030, whilst the unconditional target is 5% by 2030 compared to a business-as-usual scenario levels.
  • The role of the energy sector and subsectors as the leading emitter of GHGs is expected to increase in the future from 73% of total emissions in the year 2006 to 83% in the year 2040.
  • Electricity generation and transport are the leading emitters and their share from energy sector total emissions is around 40% Jordan, which imports more than 95% of its energy, has the world’s eighth largest reserves of oil shale, according to the World Energy Council.
  • Jordan’s oil shale program has been in the works since 2008, recent high oil prices prompted the government to accelerate the development of its reserves with the help of Estonia’s company Enefit.
  • Current wastewater treatment plants need to be regularly upgraded to account for the population increase and thus to the increase in water consumption.
  • No specific budget line for climate currently exists in the national budget.
  • The Ministry of Environment (MoE) is the focal point to the UNFCCC and has been participating in international climate change discussions as a state committed to contribute to the global efforts to reduce GHG emissions.
  • Financially supported by GEF, and assisted in management by the UNDP, the MoE has executed work regarding the completion of the national communication reports.
  • The MoE has also established multi-stakeholder structures and bodies (e.g. National Council for the Environment) to involve relevant stakeholders into the national CC strategy and in 2013 established a special directorate for CC in the Ministry.
  • The National Committee on Climate Change is mandated to monitor the progress in the implementation of the Climate Change Policy on the national level.
  • The Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the Jordan Meteorology Department are key in sharing information on historical data of climate indices.
  • Growing in number and scope, environmental NGOs in Jordan are striving to become a model in civil society participation, collaborative governance, and social impact

Recent developments, threats and levers for action

Recent developments

  • Jordan updated its NDC in October 2021 to reduce GHG emission by 31% (against a BAU scenario), up from the previous 14% reduction target.
  • In 2018, Karak International Oil as well as the Saudi Arabian Corporation for Oil Shale 40-year rights to exploit two oil shale reserves.
  • In 2019, the Government of Jordan developed and validated its NDC Action Plan.
  • 5 new sectoral working groups were developed in 2020 to review NDCs actions.
  • The establishment of a university network for climate scientists started in 2020.

Strengths

  • Small country with high average education.
  • Relatively strong environmental activism within civil society.

Opportunities

  • Developing a renewable sector: the country has enviable resources that it’s not tapping into, despite the potential for job creation.
  • The country’s capital Amman is a member of C40.

Weaknesses

  • One of the world’s lowest rates of water availability per capita
  • Serious vulnerability and impacts results from climate modeling and projections analyses
  • No funding for cllimate action in the national budget.

Threats

  • Food security at risk as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • The rapid growth in economic activities, population and successive influxes of refugees over the last decade have imposed additional demands on energy resources.
  • Challenges in meeting the increasing energy demands.
  • Plans to increase energy independence by using share oil, in addition to renewables.

About Climate Diplomacy Snapshots

The data is clear. Accelerated and enhanced action is needed now to build resilience and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. As they seek to address the ongoing health, economic and social impacts of COVID-19, governments should seize opportunities to invest in a recovery that will build social, economic and climate resilience on the long-term. The Climate Diplomacy Snapshots aim to provide the climate community with a clear overview of what each country should do, on climate and recovery, to pursue these joint objectives and keep the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C. Each has been prepared with the help of national experts, and will be regularly updated. The snapshots aim to support climate advocacy in the lead up to COP27.

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