Amman sole Mideast city on Carbon Disclosure Project’s A-Level list

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) is the only city in the Middle East to earn A-Level in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

The fifth annual cities A-List, published by the CDP, a non-profit organisation, runs an environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions. The list recognises cities that have received the highest score for their transparency and bold action to mitigate and adapt to climate change.  

Amman Mayor Yousef Al Shawarbeh said that joining the list of leading cities and reaching the A list in the CDP came as a result of the measures and strategies taken by the city with regard to climate change mitigation efforts, according to a GAM statement.

“We are proud to be the first Arab and Middle Eastern city to receive this classification,” Shawarbeh added.

Only 12 per cent, which totals 122 cities across the globe have been named as leaders in environmental action and transparency in 2022 by the CDP. 

A-List cities report more than three times as many mitigation and adaptation actions as non-A List cities, according to the report.

“Eighty per cent of cities face climate hazards, from drought to floods,” the CDP added.

Moreover, droughts and floods are expected to be more intense and frequent by 2025 for 25 per cent of cities, the report observed. “The need for strong climate action is urgent,” said the CDP stressed.

To score an A, cities must have a city-wide emissions inventory and have published a climate action plan, according to the CDP website. 

The organisation added that the scoring criteria for emissions reduction targets have been strengthened in a move towards aligning with science-based climate targets. 

Another criterion is to include a long-term (by 2050) net-zero target or a mid-term target that is aligned with a fair share of limiting global warming to 1.5˚C. An A List city must also complete a climate risk and vulnerability assessment and have a climate adaptation plan to demonstrate how it will tackle climate hazards, according to the report.

“It’s a clear sign that serious and meaningful climate action is being taken here in Amman,” Nidal Amayreh, a Jordanian, told The Jordan Times.

Amayreh added that he hopes this will pass on to other governorates as well.