Download AlGhad Newspaper, Saturday 07 Nov

AlGhad Newspaper, Saturday 07 Nov, 2009
European Union calls on Jordan not to “stand hand-folded” with regards
to climate change.
Ambassadors of Sweden and the European Union in Jordan consider that
the interest in environmental matters requires a political decision.
The European Union calls for exclusion of linkage between environmental
protection and financial costs.
The Developing Countries aim success to Copenhagen and Oil Countries
fear the affect on their economic returns.
The European Union considers that interest in environmental affairs in the Arab World
needs a political decision, demanding at the same time the exclusion of linkage between
environment protection and the requirements for implementing specialized projects in
this field from financial costs that might be too expensive currently.
It also considers that the benefits of the implementation of the environment friendly
projects far outweigh the costs, and if done will significantly benefit on the local
communities and the Arab countries alike.
Therefore, the Union urges Jordan to not remain idly to the phenomenon of climate
change until the completion of projects to counteract this phenomenon such as the
alternative energy project which requires five years or more.
In an interview to “ALGHAD” with the Swedish Ambassador to Jordan Ms. Charlotta
Sparre, whose country holds the current EU presidency, and the Ambassador of the
European Union in Amman Mr. Patrick Renauld , The Union considered that Jordan
should take steps and practical solutions although simple by continuing the awareness
campaigns, especially with regards to cars usage, as spreading awareness among the
members of the local community and within the different age groups ensures the
establishment of the next generation who is able to assume its responsibilities by being a
partner with the government and the private sector in preserving the environment.
Despite the frequent talk about the high cost needed by several projects related to private
environment and climate change, the EU calls Jordan to “condone this dilemma,
especially that the future returns of such projects will be exponentially on the various
economic, social and environmental aspects”.
The EU has provided Jordan a grant of up to 10 million Euro to establish a center for
research on alternative energy as one solution to deal with climate change which requires
high cost that the developing countries can not provide by its own.
The Center will start its work in mid November “the current” , which will work to
provide the youngsters with skills and experience that qualify them to use the alternative
energy and spread it in the Kingdom.
The Ambassador of Sweden, Ms. Charlotta Sparre, said to “AlGhad” that Sweden and the
EU are very worried about the negative effects of climate change therefore they set very
ambitious targets with binding mechanisms to guarantee a unilateral 20% greenhouse gas
emission reduction by 2020 and preparedness to increase this to a 30% reduction in the
context of a fair and ambitious global agreement in Copenhagen.
The Ambassador of Sweden pointed out the need for other developed countries to
commit themselves for similar reductions, and for developing countries to contribute
adequately according to the responsibilities and capabilities of each of them, and said that
this would guarantee achieving further progress in the way of reducing harmful gas
emissions.
She showed that the main objective that the EU seeks to achieve is to reach a resolution
with the other parties to conclude a global convention on climate change that can into
force in 2013.
The future’s convention, supposedly to be signed during Copenhagen Conference that
will be held in Denmark next month, is to cover all world’s countries as well as ensure
the possibility of achieving the goal of the two degrees “reducing gas emission in the
world to just two degrees” that was set by the EU itself and to promote the sustainable
development and increase the technological cooperation between the world’s countries.
Sparre said that “to address the consequences of the serious challenges of climate change
requires concerted efforts at the global level by governments and the private sector and
society as a whole”, adding that “the partnership between Jordan and the EU is a model
for strategic cooperation in the field of environment”.
The partnership between the EU and Jordan is represented in helping the Ministry of
Environment on developing strategies and policies in the areas of climate change, water,
and alternatives energy, according to the EU Ambassador in Amman, Mr. Patrick
Renauld.
Mr. Renauld pointed that the EU provided a grant to Jordan of up to 10 million Euros to
establish a center for research on alternative energy as one solution to deal with climate
change which requires high cost could that the developing countries are not able to cover
by its own.
The Center will start its work in mid November “the current” , which will work to
provide the youngsters with skills and experience that qualify them to use the alternative
energy and spread it in the Kingdom, according to Renauld.
The EU Ambassador considered that the importance of youth lies in the existence of
constructive thinking and new creative ideas they can provide in the environmental
economic field which is considered the fundamental supporter in facing the climate
change phenomena.
And one of the important things that should be used in the field of alternative energy, is
providing guidance to the community’s members on the necessity of, for example, turn
off the electricity when leaving or if staying in one room at home, according to Sparre.
Sparre pointing that “recycling and use of water in the areas of irrigated agriculture is one
of the solutions in facing water shortages caused by climate change”.
But Sparre stressed that the partnership between the government and the private sector is
considered “to create and support the alternative energy programs in Jordan”, And she
said “Jordan should not remain “hand folded” to the phenomenon of climate change until
the completion of projects that counteract this phenomenon such as the alternative energy
project which requires five years or more, but Jordan has to take steps and solutions even
if simple through continued awareness campaigns especially with regards to cars
exhausts”.
The small solutions help Jordan and other countries to reduce the impact of climate
change and its negative impact which will enable them to put the future’s prevention
steps and not treatment, according to Renauld.
According to Sparre’s point of view, launching the concept of green taxes used by
countries around the world in one of the steps that can be taken in Jordan currently if the
abilities are provided to find alternatives for the local community.
One of those alternatives is equipping a public transport network that is usable by the
public instead of driving their private vehicles which will reduce the traffic jams and gas
emissions which are affecting the climate change phenomena, according to Sparre.
Renauld considered that the green taxes idea could be applicable in several countries and
in differed way that suits them.
Among the suggestions provided by Sparre , that Jordan worked on launching them, the
idea of Eco-cities, as they represent a step toward finding areas of nature devoid of any
future environmental issues.
Despite the frequent talk about the high cost that the private environmental projects
related to climate change require, Sparre considered that Jordan should aim to overcome
this dilemma especially when the earning of such future projects will be exponentially on
the various economic, social and environmental aspects”.
Sparre gave an example of such projects through launching the idea of using the “solar
heaters” where the cost shouldn’t be taken into consideration in comparison with the
future outcome.
Renauld endorsed Sparre’s point of view, that the outcome which will be gained when
“implementing clean environmental projects” will increase the certainty that pollution
and environmental problems will not have a significant presence as it is now”.
But in the beginning individuals behaviors must be changed in order to spread the
benefits, according to Renauld, who pointed out that opening projects and environmental
programs will create more jobs that will support the local economy in resources and
energies of highly qualified.
Renauld talked about the EU’s role in providing private funds to support the developing
countries which are affected by the climate change phenomena through establishing
different environmental projects and programs .
Regarding the interaction of the Arab countries with the Copenhagen agreement which
will be signed on in Denmark next month, December, Sparre pointed out that there are
different interests of the regional states in this regard, not least between the oil-producing
countries and non-oil-producing countries.
She also cleared that the developing countries and other stakeholders affected by the
phenomenon of climate change such as Jordan are striving for the success of the
conference and push for the signing of the convention which will contribute to reducing
gas emission and control of the future’s rates.
However, the oil-producing countries such as the Gulf States have their own concerns
and interests that “might reflect on its position from the agreement and the conference
due to the fact that they do not want their oil trade to be affected or the economic
revenues from oil to derive”.
Renauld considered that the climate change and the environmental respect “will not be a
subject of great interest to the Arab countries unless it falls within the political area which
is the focus of great interest”.
Renauld hopes to the success of the Copenhagen Conference and the signature on the
Agreement which will distribute the responsibility of reducing the gas emissions on the
world’s countries equally.
It is reported that Jordan had signed the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, which emphasized the need to take actions to address climate change,
also joined in 2003 the Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force in 2005 and was made to
specify the targets for the reduction of the emission for developed countries.