Jordan invited to attend P4G climate summit in Seoul

AMMAN — Under the title “Inclusive Green Recovery towards Carbon Neutrality”, the Republic of Korea will virtually host the 2021 P4G Summit in Seoul at the end of May following the inaugural summit that was held in Copenhagen in 2018.

According to South Korean Ambassador in Jordan Lee Jae-wan, the summit will work to unite the global resolve to achieve carbon neutrality, especially in the post-COVID world.

P4G, (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) is a global initiative launched in 2017 to respond to the Paris Agreement on climate change, and achieve the United Nations’ SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Unlike traditional intergovernmental initiatives, P4G has a specific consultation process focused on public-private partnerships. This initiative brings together government, industry and civil society to develop market-based, commercially viable, and action-oriented solutions, according to a statement from the South Korean embassy.

Jordan has been invited to participate in the summit mainly composed of Leaders’ Session, Leaders’ Dialogue and Thematic Sessions.

Thematic Sessions will discuss the five main P4G areas of interest: Water, energy, food and agriculture, city and circular economy.

“The summit will also adopt the Seoul Declaration which embodies the discussion outcomes and reflect our collective will to deal with climate change and achieve the SDGs,” Lee said.

“The P4G Seoul Summit in 2021 is extremely important, as the international community faces mounting economic, social and security challenges as a result of COVID-19 and climate change. Green recovery is one of the most effective options to address these issues efficiently. It has the potential to reshape our economy and society, as well as serve as a turning point in our journey to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals,” Lee said.

“Like Jordan, South Korea has been effectively fighting against the pandemic and has also been very keen on fulfilling our promises to climate action. The Korean Government submitted its ambitious NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution), and the LEDS (long-term low greenhouse gas Emission Development Strategy) in December 2020. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in also announced that the Republic of Korea would achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” the ambassador said.

Seo Kiwon, first secretary, indicated that PG4 includes 12 countries from each continent.

“Jordan is not a member of P4G, but it is the first country in this region to announce its national climate change policy in 2013, and it is also a member of the GGI (Global Green Growth Institute), as a result, Jordan has been invited to the P4G summit as one of the major countries in confronting climate change and environmental challenges,” Seo said.

The Smart Farm Technology developed by South Korea, is one of the alternatives to the food security crisis caused by climate change, he said.

“One of the advantages of the Smart Farm Technology is that it has higher productivity and uses fewer water resources,” Seo added.

The Jordan-Korea Smart Farm Technology webinar will be held by the Korea business centre of the Korean embassy and the Jordan National Agricultural Research Centre in June.

“Since Jordan’s agricultural sector is a major industry in the Jordanian economy, the demand for Smart Farm Technology to improve productivity and secure competitiveness in the agricultural sector is expected to increase soon,” Seo said.

Hyo Jin Kim, country director of KOICA (the Korea International Cooperation Agency) Jordan Office, said that as Jordan suffers from water scarcity, KOICA is trying to enhance cooperation with Jordan, particularly in the water sector.

KOICA had previously concentrated on assisting Jordan in the education and health sectors, Kim said. “We also hope to make a greater contribution in other areas, such as energy, agriculture, and others,” Kim said.

According to Kim, KOICA has provided $100 million in grant to Jordan since 1991, and $500 million in loans.

Touching on trade exchange, the ambassador pointed that the volume of Korea-Jordan trade “has been reduced for the past five to six years, due to the instability in the surrounding countries and the pandemic crisis.”

“We are working on fixing trade exchange between Jordan and Korea step by step,” Lee said.

The ambassador highlighted the importance of “inclusive recovery” where nobody is left behind. “Our priority is to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. We try to stimulate and improve the green industry, while enhancing employment rates and much more,” the ambassador noted.