SwitchMed in Jordan

United Nations 2 years ago

The Jordanian Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP) was developed under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment in Jordan under the EU funded SwitchMed programme, with advisory services and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme. The Plan is part of Jordan’s efforts to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The SCP-NAP (SDG 12.1) addresses three priority areas: (i) Agriculture/food production, (ii) Transport, and (iii) Waste management sectors and was developed in Jordan through a multi-stakeholder nationally driven process with over 300 participants. Switch to Circular Economy: Under SwitchMed II, a short document "How Jordan is switching to a Circular Economy" was prepared to present an overview on how the country is implementing activities/policies/programs on SCP and Circular Economy. In this document you will see 10 success stories inspired by the work of SwitchMed in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They show how what began in workshops developed into plans that created a ripple that flowed out around the country. This short publication shows that opportunities for countries from sustainable consumption and production are rich and varied. The Switch to SCP is off and running. SwitchMed is proud to have supported Jordan in its work to build a society where people and planet thrive and prosper together.   Jordan has developed comprehensive plans to mainstream SCP at all levels of society. The country developed a National Green Growth road map and action plan which has been endorsed by the national Cabinet. During the coronavirus pandemic, Jordan has worked to study the environmental impact on resources, air quality and waste generation. Many campaigns educated citizens on the best disposal options for hazardous and medical waste to limit the spread of the virus. Green Jordan is one of the most important axes and objectives of the economic modernization vision 2033, which was announced under the auspices of His Majesty. This vision aims to unleash all potentials in Jordan towards sustainable economic development, by focusing on the principle of sustainability and green transformation. Significant work has also been done on plastic waste reduction, and on reducing plastic in marine litter, and this resulted in the Plastic Shopping Bags Bylaw No. (45) for the year 2017, which aims at reducing the amount of single-use plastic bags used by consumers around the country. SCP-NAP demonstration projects: The implementing partners - Ministry of Environment and EDAMA (Association for Energy, Water and Environment) coordinated two projects: Improving solid waste management in the Aqaba hotel industry and developing a national solid waste management training program. Turning the waste into an asset in the Aqaba hotel industry: The purpose of the project was to pilot the institutionalization of solid waste management concepts and practices in the hotel industry in Aqaba to reduce the amounts of waste generated while adopting sustainable solid waste management practices. The relevant hotel staff’s capacity was built to support in the sustainability of the project. To ensure the replication of the project in other touristic areas in Jordan and the expansion of the project, EDAMA selected the pilot hotels who have branches in other areas like Petra and Dead Sea: (i) InterContinental Aqaba Resort; (ii) Movenpick Aqaba; (iii) Double Tree by Hilton; and (iv) Kempinski Aqaba. Empowerment of Women: A special focus was put on increasing empowerment of women by incorporating the local community in recycling/up-cycling activities. Several up-cycling training sessions for CBOs were held targeting women living in Aqaba city and the surrounding areas. The participants were trained on how to produce crafts from waste. These workshops achieved four main goals: (i) women empowerment, (ii) local community support, (iii) sharing of new approaches for solid waste management on waste up-cycling and (iv) provide a potential source of income for women and their families.   Eco-innovation in SMEs: Co-financed by SAICM Quick Start Programme and UNEP it aimed at promoting non-chemical alternatives or less hazardous alternatives in the Jordanian industry, through the implementation of UNEP’s eco-Innovation approach in SMEs. It improved capacities of SMEs to reduce risks of use of chemicals and move towards the replacement of chemicals in products and processes by less hazardous ones and to develop economically viable products and processes that are sustainable and less hazardous on the long term. For detailed project information please download the factsheets of the demo projects.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 6 hours ago



Policy shifts and corporate commitments are redefining sustainable construction as global focus intensifies toward COP30 in Belém. The UK Government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan marks a decisive step in aligning the built environment with net zero carbon targets. For the first time, it introduces enforceable mechanisms linking planning approvals and building standards to measurable reductions in embodied carbon. This move places whole life carbon assessment and life cycle cost analysis at the centre of sustainable building design, steering project teams toward low carbon design principles and eco-design for buildings that elevate environmental sustainability in construction.

Developers are recalibrating specifications to address the carbon footprint of construction, prioritising low embodied carbon materials and renewable building materials suited to net zero whole life carbon performance. The broader integration of circular economy thinking, including end-of-life reuse in construction and circular construction strategies, is encouraging a shift from traditional linear models to approaches that improve building lifecycle performance and resource efficiency in construction. Certification frameworks such as BREEAM and the forthcoming BREEAM v7 are reinforcing measurable sustainability outcomes through more transparent lifecycle assessment metrics and robust environmental product declarations (EPDs).

Across Europe, debate over proposed amendments to sustainability disclosure laws has exposed tensions between economic growth and transparent reporting of the environmental impact of construction. Any move that weakens accountability could undermine progress on decarbonising the built environment, affecting the credibility of green building materials and products used worldwide. Companies active in the construction supply chain are increasingly aware that circular economy in construction principles and sustainable material specification are both commercial imperatives and ethical obligations.

Corporate actors are now expected not only to achieve carbon footprint reduction in their portfolios but also to advocate for resilient policy frameworks that support net zero carbon buildings and low carbon construction materials. Within this context, eco-friendly construction and sustainable building practices are evolving from compliance goals to essential market differentiators. Ethical sourcing of materials, influenced by global resource pressures, is pushing sustainable design and green construction forward as defining methods for a climate-resilient future.

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