Generations For Peace marks five years of net zero carbon emissions amid global concerns

AMMAN — In a “remarkable” milestone for environmental sustainability, Generations For Peace (GFP), a non-governmental organisation with headquarters in Jordan, is celebrating five years of maintaining a net zero carbon footprint. 

Amid escalating global concerns over increasing greenhouse gas emissions, GFP’s commitment to sustaining a Net-Zero Carbon footprint remains unwavering, the organisation said in a statement to The Jordan Times.

“GFP’s commitment comes as the world grapples with the alarming growth of greenhouse gas emissions; experts are calling on institutions to take urgent and substantive actions to curb their carbon footprint,” the statement said.  

A report published in January by Emission Index signifies an alarming rate of annual greenhouse gas emissions increase in Jordan. 

“Jordan, responsible for a mere 0.08 per cent of global emissions, has seen a concerning compound annual growth rate [CAGR] of 2.4 per cent in its annual emissions since 1990, currently ranking as the 109th largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally,” said the index.

According to the index, the primary contributor to Jordan’s emissions in 2019 was the energy sector, responsible for 64.6 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Following closely were industrial processes and waste, contributing 16.4 per cent and 15.7 per cent, respectively.

Amid these challenges, GFP’s president, Mohanned Arabiat said that the organisation has led by example, adopting proactive measures, and investing in sustainable practices and programmes that can significantly contribute to the fight against climate change. 

“We have implemented various measures, including a strict zero-single-use-plastic policy, installed electric chargers for our employees to promote the shift to electric cars, and invested in energy-saving inverters. GFP’s net carbon emissions, amounting to 61.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide, were effectively neutralised through strategic investments in a Global Portfolio of verified carbon reduction projects,” explained Arabiat.

He further elaborated on the various programmes and partnerships that GFP has established over the past three years. “We have prioritised climate literacy training for our journalists and produced a web series ‘Dawsheh’ and ‘Mawj’ podcast episodes led by youth about climate change. We participated in hosting Jordan’s first-ever Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and supported youth participants to represent Jordan at COP27 in Egypt and COP28 in the UAE. In partnership with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Youth, and UNICEF-Jordan, we launched ‘SAWN’, Jordan’s first Youth Climate Action Programme.”