Amman: The Association of Banks in Jordan on Tuesday held the fourth Green Finance Forum 2026, focusing on public-private dialogue as a tool to channel financing toward green projects, strengthen climate resilience, and accelerate Jordan's sustainable economic transition.
According to Jordan News Agency, the forum was held under the patronage of Central Bank of Jordan Governor Adel Sharkas and attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Walid Masri, ministers, bankers, and representatives of international institutions. The event examined ways to develop bankable green projects, expand sustainable finance, and mobilize public and private investment.
Masri emphasized the role of municipalities and local administrations as key partners in sustainable development, citing their impact on creating local economies and enhancing the quality of life through greener and more resilient communities. He noted significant progress in securing climate finance, with the Cities and Villages Development Bank completing accreditation requirements with the Green Climate Fund, and projects worth about $200 million advancing through the fund's approval process.
Investment opportunities in waste management were highlighted, including a "Zero Waste" project in northern Jordan aimed at significantly reducing landfill waste and a private-sector project for waste management at the Azraq landfill. Masri stressed the need to turn financing into sustainable investments that create jobs and strengthen the economy, building on successful public-private partnerships in the energy and water sectors.
Representing the Central Bank governor, Ziad Ghanma stated that sustainability and the green transition have become central to economic policymaking and investment decisions. He highlighted the bank's Green Finance Strategy 2023-2028, developed with the World Bank and relevant stakeholders, as a framework for expanding green finance and managing climate-related risks across the financial sector.
Ghanma also mentioned the issuance of climate-risk management and disclosure guidelines and the launch of the Jordan National Green Taxonomy, developed by the Central Bank and Ministry of Environment with World Bank support and adopted by the Cabinet in February. The taxonomy establishes criteria for identifying green projects and sustainable economic activities, helping direct financing, improve transparency, and attract investment.
Association of Banks Chairperson Bassem Salem noted that the green transition is integral to economic growth, competitiveness, energy, water, and food security, and resource efficiency. He stressed that public-private dialogue should translate national priorities into partnerships, projects, and investments with tangible economic impact.
Association Director General Maher Mahrouq said the association began examining green finance in the banking sector in 2022 and established a Green Finance Committee to develop partnerships and policy frameworks. He stated that the forum, launched in 2023, now aims to strengthen public-private dialogue, establish the national green rating as a common reference, and expand partnerships to develop bankable projects.
The forum featured a keynote address by U.N. Special Envoy on Financing for Sustainable Development Mahmoud Mohieldin on green dialogue between the public and private sectors amid geopolitical changes and ways to build economic resilience and finance the sustainable transition.
The first session focused on sustainability as a driver of economic resilience, covering renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, the circular economy, water and food security, green industries, and energy diversification. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Saleh Kharabsheh noted that renewable sources currently account for about 27% of Jordan's electricity generation, with the National Energy Strategy targeting 40% and potentially 50% by 2035.
Kharabsheh also highlighted plans for green hydrogen production and the expansion of gas production at the al-Risha field, while noting the potential to supply natural gas to industrial facilities at lower costs than diesel and heavy fuel oil. Environment Minister Ayman Suleiman emphasized Jordan's commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 31% by 2030, with renewable energy, gas, green hydrogen, and electric vehicles playing roles in achieving this target.
The second session examined the Jordan National Green Taxonomy and its role in creating a common framework for government, banks, investors, and businesses to identify eligible green projects, guide financing, attract investment, and integrate environmental, social, and governance risks into project assessment and monitoring.
The third session addressed the financing requirements of the green transition, focusing on the roles of government and the private sector, risk sharing, and the use of policies, incentives, guarantees, and other risk-mitigation mechanisms to make green projects bankable. Participants also discussed financial tools to support sustainable projects, including green and sustainability-linked finance, blended finance, guarantees, green funds, bonds, sukuk, and concessional financing.