Jordan

As detailed in Jordan’s third report to the UNFCCC (submitted in December 2014), the country stands to disproportionately suffer from climate change in the future, especially with regards to drought and water scarcity. Jordan faces severe water scarcity (it receives 145 m³ per capita, per year). The government has stressed the need to adapt to threatened water scarcity, especially in the agriculture sector. The Minister of Environment has declared water scarcity as “the single most important constraint to country growth and development”.

In 2013 Jordan launched its National Climate Change Policy for 2013-2020, claiming it as a first of its kind in the Middle East. Jordan considers itself a leader in climate change, having presented the first UNFCCC report of all the non-Annex 1 countries that are party to the treaty.

The plan has three long-term goals:

• To achieve a pro-active, climate risk resilient Jordan; remaining a low-carbon growing economy with sustainable water and agricultural resources, healthy ecosystems and climate resilient communities
• To build adaptive capacity of communities and institutions, including social issues related to gender and vulnerable groups, increasing resiliency of ecosystems to climate change, especially as it relates to water resources and agriculture; taking full advantage of any mitigation opportunities
• To prioritise both mitigation and adaptation to climate change, but with emphasis on adaptation, given Jordan’s relatively low carbon-emitting economy and vulnerability to water shortages as a result of climate change

In addition to the National Climate Change Policy, written by the Ministry of Environment and endorsed by the Council of Ministers, other ministries, including the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health, are revising current strategic plans or drafting new strategic plans that incorporate and/or strengthen climate change objectives.

Strategic plans developed by ministries and in some cases, such as the National Climate Chance Policy, considered and endorsed by the Council of Ministers, have been the choice policy tool to confront climate change to date. Only two pieces of legislation, both related to renewable energy or energy efficiency, respond directly to climate change. Given the authority of the executive branch, the Council of Ministers and their respected ministries, strategic ministerial plans carry considerable weight despite lacking the juridical aspect of parliamentary legislation.

Energy demand

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources estimates that energy demand will reach 16.8m toe by 2020, and increase by 50% increase from current levels in 50 years’ time. This represents a stress on the economy because Jordan imports nearly all of its energy (96% as of 2007), namely oil and natural gas. But based on recent energy efficiency measures, energy consumption could be reduced by 20% solely by introducing more efficient means of extraction, supply and consumption.

The General Energy Law regulates energy efficiency for some electronic devices to increase efficiency at the consumer level. The government is also phasing out electricity subsidies that artificially lowered the cost paid by households for their energy. By 2008, it is reported that most subsidies had been eliminated or reduced, incentivising users to curtail wasteful consumption.

Energy supply

Jordan sees significant opportunities to increase energy efficiency and overcome a number of supply-side barriers. According to the second UNFCCC report barriers to efficiency are: (1) lack of knowledge among energy users of the benefits of energy efficiency, (2) lack of expertise to develop energy efficiency projects, (3) high initial implementation cost, (4) lack of suitable financing mechanisms, as banks lack experience and awareness in energy efficiency and need assistance on risk analysis and mitigation to achieve bankability, and (5) lack of consistent institutional frameworks.

Much of the savings projected will be achieved by increasing the amount of natural gas imported from Egypt and possibly Iraq and Saudi Arabia; but the government has also introduced legislation to increase national production and consumption of energy from renewable sources (defined as solar, wind, biofuels, geothermal and hydropower). The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Law (2010) establishes the legal framework to open land to renewable energy extraction as well as a fund to finance such projects.

The law was developed with reference to the Master Strategy of the Energy Sector, approved by the Council of Ministers in 2004 and updated in 2007. The plan set the goal of raising renewable energy to 20% of total energy consumed (from 1% of the total in 2007). Additionally, it detailed obstacles to achieving national energy objectives. One obstacle to increasing renewable energy production was the high cost of investment and lack of large tracts of the land necessary for many types of renewable technologies. Such challenges have been addressed by establishing funds to encourage investment and the legal means to allocate state-owned lands and to buy privately-owned lands.

As of 2012, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources had approved 34 renewable energy investments by international and local companies, 22 in solar power and 12 in wind power for a total of 1,000 MW production. 

Energy Demand

Most legislation concerning energy efficiency and emissions reductions has focussed on the supply side. However the government has initiated a Demand Side Management programme to make consumption more efficient. One project highlighted in Jordan’s Third UNFCCC National Communication is the Variable Speed Drive Project. With USD65m in financing over five years, the project incentivises voluntary upgrades of motors in heavy equipment to control speed and reduce energy consumption. The Third Communication also list a number of proposed projects, from home insulation to using more efficient street lamps; however there is no stated timeframe for their implementation.

REDD + and LULUCF

The Ministry of Agriculture is reportedly revising its National Strategy of Agriculture for 2013-2020. It should take into account the National Climate Change Policy. Specifically, the revised plan shall focus on the agricultural sector’s resilience to climate change.

Adaptation

In the 2014 National Communication to the UNFCCC, a new vulnerability assessment is presented within a sophisticated framework of risk and capacity for resilience. Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change is presented in seven sectors – water, agriculture, biodiversity, coastal areas, urban areas, health sector, and local communities – with a set of policy recommendations for each sector.