AMMAN — The Association of Banks in Jordan (ABJ) held the fourth edition of its Green Finance Forum 2026, bringing together government officials, bankers, development institutions, investors and private-sector representatives to discuss ways to accelerate Jordan’s green transition and mobilise finance for sustainable projects.

 

Held under the patronage of Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) Governor Adel Sharkas, the forum focused on public-private dialogue as a mechanism for developing bankable green projects, implementing Jordan’s National Green Taxonomy, managing climate risks and attracting domestic and international capital.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Waleed Masri said the government’s role should extend beyond identifying national priorities to converting them into projects that can be financed and implemented, particularly those capable of creating jobs.

 

He said unemployment remains Jordan’s biggest economic challenge, stressing the need to transform financing into productive and sustainable investment that supports both the national and local economies.

 

Masri also highlighted opportunities in waste management, including a "zero waste" project in northern Jordan and a private-sector project at the Al Azraq landfill.

 

He said the Cities and Villages Development Bank had completed the requirements to become Jordan’s first national entity accredited by the Green Climate Fund, while projects worth around $200 million had progressed through some stages of the fund’s approval process.

 

CBJ Executive Director Ziad Ghnama said sustainability and the green transition had become central to building more resilient economies.

 

He highlighted the CBJ’s Green Finance Strategy 2023-2028, climate-risk management and disclosure requirements, and the National Green Taxonomy, which was approved by the Cabinet in February 2026.

 

The taxonomy establishes common criteria for identifying environmentally sustainable activities and is intended to direct finance towards priority sectors, including renewable energy, energy and water efficiency, sustainable buildings, waste management and low-carbon transport.

 

ABJ Chairman Basem Al Salem said the green transition should be viewed as part of Jordan’s economic future rather than solely as an environmental agenda.

 

He stressed that dialogue among the government, banks, businesses and international institutions should ultimately lead to partnerships, projects and investments with a measurable economic impact.

 

ABJ Director General Maher Mahrouq said the association’s green-finance work had evolved over four years, from assessing the banking sector’s readiness and building awareness in 2022 to developing green financial products, strengthening partnerships and supporting the creation of bankable projects.

 

During a session on economic resilience, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Saleh Kharabsheh said renewable sources currently account for around 27 per cent of Jordan’s electricity generation.

 

The government aims to raise the share to 40 per cent, with an optimistic scenario targeting 50 per cent by 2035, he said.

 

Kharabsheh said Jordan could approach energy self-sufficiency within five years and become a producer and exporter of green energy within a decade.

 

He also said an investment agreement had been signed for a green hydrogen project expected to begin operations in 2030.

 

Environment Minister Ayman Suleiman said Jordan was committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 31 per cent by 2030, with renewable energy, gas, green hydrogen and electric vehicles contributing to the target.

 

Former Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif highlighted the economic cost of inefficiencies in the water and energy sectors, noting that the water sector consumes around 15 per cent of Jordan’s electricity while water losses stand at 40-45 per cent.

 

He urged banks to view such challenges as investment opportunities that could improve the competitiveness of the economy.

 

Jordan Kuwait Bank CEO Haitham Bataikhi said green projects offered attractive investment opportunities, noting estimates that Jordan has at least $10 billion in potential green and renewable energy projects.

 

The forum concluded with calls to strengthen public-private dialogue, expand the pipeline of bankable green projects, implement the National Green Taxonomy, improve climate-risk management and mobilise green finance to accelerate Jordan’s sustainable economic transition.