Amman joins C40 CITIES climate group

DEAD SEA — Amman was announced on Sunday as a member of the C40 CITIES Climate Leadership Group, a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change.

The membership, which was announced on the sidelines of the Eco-Cities Forum being held on the shores of the Dead Sea, comes in recognition of the measures the capital has adopted for improving the city's environment, infrastructure and public transport, officials and organisers said on Sunday.

The capital “indeed deserves this global status”, Amman Mayor Akel Biltaji said, highlighting the synergies Amman shares with C40 CITIES through five main priorities: environment and health; infrastructure and transport; zoning and land use; socio-economic development; and identity.

“All with the aim of creating a human city that is liveable, diverse, welcoming and prosperous,” Biltaji said, referring to the goals of the Greater Amman Municipality’s (GAM) programme.

Sanjay Sridhar, C40 Regional Director for South and West Asia, said GAM received an invitation to join C40 CITIES network, which is leading the way in sustainability and demonstrating a clear and practical commitment to addressing the energy and environmental challenges facing mega-cities.

Sridhar highlighted the critical role world cities experiencing growth and migration can play through effective policies and sustainable strategies to combat energy, mobility and environmental challenges.

By joining the network, Amman will benefit from an extensive network of knowledge and have access to a vast wealth of experiences in other cities in order to effectively develop and implement solutions to combat local challenges, according to the officials.

The capital will be able to learn from best practices in cities with similar settings that can be adapted to its unique characteristics as well as an extensive database of documents and tools. 

In addition, GAM employees will be able to participate in training and development events as well as interact with experts from other cities and organisations, the officials said.