Princess Sumaya participates in Circular Economy conference

Princess Sumaya’s statement came during the first Nationwide conference on circular economy, “Unleashing the Power of Circularity: Jordan’s Opportunity to boost employment and growth”, organised by the RSS and Global Circular Economy Club – Amman, in partnership with the Jordan Strategy Forum (JSF) and in collaboration with the GIZ-implemented “Green Action in Enterprises”.

During the first day, the Princess emphasised the importance of Circular Economy transition, as a way to address issues such as poverty, unemployment, climate crises, natural resource depletion and other global challenges.

She also highlighted the need to innovate intelligent strategies that eliminate waste and relieve the burden of waste management.

The Princess further explained how the circular transition can help achieving sustainable economic growth without badly impacting the environment and contributing the overall wellbeing of our nation. 

Mu’wiya Radaideh, minister of Environment, pinpointed that the objectives of this conference align with the economic modernisation vision launched by His Majesty King Abdullah II and aligns with the transition to a greener economy in Jordan.

Sharif Faris Sharaf, chairman of the Administrative Board of the JSF, emphasised that the event raises awareness about the importance of applying environmental, social and governance standards in private sector companies. 

The Engineer Omar Saleh, Circular Economy expert and main coordinator of the conference, stressed the importance of achieving economic growth that helps increase resilience in value chains, hence enabling local communities to endure climate shocks. Circular economy stands in contrast to linear economy that relies on consumption and waste.

The conference included a panel discussion with keynote speakers to discuss the expected positive impacts of the circular economy on various sectors such as water, energy and food.

Almoayied Assayed, director of the Water, Environment, and Climate Change Centre at the RSS, took part in the discussion to explain circular economy concepts in the water sector. Furthermore, Ivonne Bojoh, CEO of the Circular Economy Foundation in Amsterdam, explained how Circular Economy contributes to food security.

The conference concluded with interactive sessions on enabling tools to ensure a just Circular transition in Jordan in addition to the associated challenges to be encountered.