Amman, Jordan, March 5, 2024 – His Excellency Dr. Muawieh Al-Radaideh, the Minister of Environment, chaired the first 2024 meeting of the National Climate Change Committee. The committee, comprising several secretaries-general from relevant government institutions, convened to discuss the outcomes of COP28 held in Dubai in Q4 2023 and to discuss updates on the ongoing readiness project led by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
Al-Radaideh underscored the critical importance of addressing climate change for Jordan and the world, highlighting its profound future implications. He emphasized the opportunities associated with climate change, such as climate finance, green growth, and clean technological innovation. The Minister also stressed that despite Jordan’s status as a low carbon emitter, the country has demonstrated its leadership role in climate mitigation efforts, serving as a regional exemplar. The meeting highlighted the Jordanian delegation’s role at COP28, particularly King Abdullah II’s leadership and the international recognition of Jordan’s initiatives, including the Jordanian Climate – Refugee Nexus Initiative.
The meeting, attended by several secretaries-general from relevant ministries, as well as the Director of the Climate Change Directorate at the MoEnv, Engineer Bilal Al-Shaqareen, and the directorate’s staff, included a dialogue session to discuss the relevance of COP28 outcomes to various sectors in Jordan. Looking ahead, the National Climate Change Committee Meeting intends to continue monitoring progress on climate initiatives and fostering collaboration with GGGI and other partners.
Furthermore, the GGGI played a pivotal role in facilitating the organization and logistics of the National Climate Change Committee meetings. With GCF readiness support, GGGI has been instrumental in coordinating these gatherings, handling invitations, and arranging venues, thus strengthening MoENV’s engagement with stakeholders and accelerating climate action.
The NCCC took place in concurrence with the GCF’s 38th board meeting, where Jordan’s Cities and Villages Development Bank (CVDB) was approved to be Jordan’s first GCF accredited entity. CVDB is the first financial institution to secure this accreditation. That was the crowning achievement of GGGI Jordan support to CVDB and MoEnv over the past five years and under the GCF’s readiness financing. Dr. Amgad Elmahdi, the Regional Manager for MENA Region at GCF, and Krystle Cooper, the Deputy Country Representative at GGGI Jordan, have announced the news to the Committee. This development was welcomed by the Minister and Engineer Belal who considered this a great opportunity for pipeline climate projects development. As Krystle Cooper rightfully stated, “I am so proud of the work, dedication, and leadership of CVDB staff and management which led to it becoming the first DAE in the Middle East. In a region that has been adversely impacted by climate change, its accreditation to the GCF will support Jordan in accessing much needed climate finance for national priority projects as well as foster partnerships with private sector that unlock transformative climate actions, particularly in the adaptation space.”