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Ammon News - The US Embassy in Jordan, in its capacity as Chairman of the Eco-Capitals Forum (ECF), declared the city of Amman the first environmental capital in the Middle East.

The announcement was made during the launching ceremony of the ECF, which was held in Amman and attended by US Ambassador Yael Lambert, ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions from around the world.

Launched in the Al Hussein Cultural Center under the patronage of Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) Director of the City of Amman, Ahmad Malkawi, the ECF aims to boost and organize diplomatic missions and international organizations' efforts to support the environment sector by promoting sustainability and greening initiatives in Jordan, reducing global warming and the carbon footprint in Amman, and combating climate change effects.

GAM’s partnership with diplomatic missions in the ECF constitutes an opportunity to make the city of Amman the first environmental capital in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the fifth in the world after Washington, Bangkok, Paris and Rome, through joint work and cooperation with the diplomatic community and international organizations.

Malkawi welcomed joint work with the diplomatic community and unified efforts to protect the environment in Amman.

He called for strengthening strategies related to sustainability and green practices, which would address challenges facing Amman, most notably climate change.

He said that the GAM seeks to reach a sustainable city through the Amman Green City Action Plan, which was prepared to complement the Amman Resilience Strategy and the climate change plan, in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030.

For her part, the US Ambassador said that holding this forum underscores the importance of the diplomatic missions' role in finding solutions to environmental challenges, helping capitals achieve sustainability goals and promoting greening efforts.

The ECF launch included the signing of a sustainability pledge by Amman, with embassies and diplomatic bodies, which constitiute an agreement stipulating the participants’ commitment to protecting public health and the natural environment in the city, promoting energy efficiency, encouraging recycling, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to adopting other greening initiatives such as cleaning parks, planting trees, and creating more green spaces to make Amman the most sustainable city in Jordan.

The United States, in its capacity as ECF Chairman committed to the pledge, along with embassies of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, and Ukraine.

The ECF is a global initiative first launched in 2010 in Washington, D.C., led by US embassies, in partnership with diplomatic organizations and international networks, with the aim of addressing global environmental challenges and supporting sustainability goals in host capitals.

Petra