Jordan’s Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: A Role Model for Other Developing Nations

Jordan, like other developing countries, is facing serious climate change-related challenges. The country is battling a series of extremely severe climate challenges, such as rising temperatures, lack of precipitation, increased droughts, and water shortages. Moreover, Jordan is still heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports, has limited natural resources, and has an extremely limited water supply. To address these climate challenges, in 2019 the Asian nation enacted a climate change bylaw to establish a climate change institutional and regulatory framework, developing its first MRV system to track emissions in sectors such as energy, transportation, and agriculture, calculate emissions and reductions, and link the results to its NDC.

Jordan is a leading example to other developing nations in the fight against climate change. The country has developed an end-to-end digital infrastructure to monitor and support the process of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction based on the recommendations of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. According to the World Bank, Jordan is the first developing country in the world to have built digital infrastructures that include monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems that link greenhouse gas emissions and emission reduction data to national or international registries. The MRV and GHG systems will monitor emissions across several sectors, including energy, transportation, and agriculture. The MRV system now includes 22 ministries and agencies.

Carbon markets are considered critical components in the fight against climate change. They assist nations in mobilising resources and lowering the costs of implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – climate action plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts that signatories of the Paris Agreement are required to submit – allowing countries and businesses to seamlessly transition to a low-carbon economy. Tradings in carbon credits are projected to cut the costs related to implementing NDCs by more than half – with savings up to US$250 billion by 2030.

Jordan’s transition to a low-carbon economy entails reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is becoming more urgent as the global effects of climate change worsen rapidly. The MRV system assists in tracking and reporting the nation’s progress in reducing climate change impacts across all sectors, including transportation, energy, and agriculture. The system works on four levels – project or program, ministries or agencies, sectoral, and national levels. According to Celina Varouqa, a Jordanian computer and technology expert, “The digital revolution significantly contributes to climate action and is an integral part of addressing environmental challenges. The project combines the environmental and digital sectors, which the Kingdom has historically taken meaningful commitments in”.

Jordan contributes only 0.04% of total global CO2 emissions, far less than other developing nations such as Brazil (0.96%), Nigeria (0.23%), Kuwait (0.17%), Turkey (0.64%), Saudi Arabia (0.96%), and Chile (0.17%).

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is becoming more urgent as the global effects of climate change worsen rapidly. Carbon markets are considered critical components in the fight against climate change. They assist nations in mobilising resources and lowering the costs of implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – climate action plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts that signatories of the Paris Agreement are required to submit – allowing countries and businesses to seamlessly transition to a low-carbon economy. Tradings in carbon credits are projected to cut the costs related to implementing NDCs by more than half – with savings up to US$250 billion by 2030.

Jordan’s pioneering efforts in the climate space have been recognized by the World Bank. Harikumar Gadde, a senior climate change specialist at the World Bank, said, “Jordan is a pioneer in the climate space”. Jordan’s transition to a low-carbon economy is a lesson for other developing nations to follow. The country’s digital infrastructure and MRV system are examples of how technology can be leveraged to address environmental challenges. Jordan’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and its efforts to establish a climate change institutional and regulatory framework are commendable. The country’s efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy are a testament to the fact that every nation can contribute to the fight against climate change.

Source: Jordan's Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: A Lesson for Other Developing Nations | Earth.Org