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Jordan hosts Green Forward (meso level) conference 2025 to advance the green and circular economy
On 5 August 2025, Green Forward officially launched its meso-level support programme for Jordanian Business Support Organisations (BSOs) with an international conference in Amman, Jordan.
Funded by the European Union and implemented by SPARK at the meso level, in partnership with the Jordan Chamber of Industry – JCI and its Center of Energy and Environmental Sustainability In the Industry – CEESI, the event marked the start of Green Forward’s mission in Jordan to empower BSOs as key enablers of the country’s transition towards a green and circular economy.
Held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Muawieh Radaideh, Minister of Environment, the conference brought together more than 130 participants from government, industry and international organisations. The programme included opening remarks from JCI Chairman Eng. Fathi Al Jaghbier, SPARK’s Regional Programme Manager Afef Ajengui, and Eng. Omar Abu Eid, Energy, Environment & Climate Change Programme Manager at the Delegation of the European Union to Jordan, followed by a keynote address from the Jordanian Minister of Environment, and concluded with a presentation on the Green Forward programme’s meso level intervention in Jordan by Eng. Maen Ayash, Project Manager & Director of CEESI – JCI.
The event also marked the announcement of 11 selected Jordanian BSOs that will benefit from the programme (3 Green BSOs and 8 BSOs looking to join the green transition), presented by Ms. Rawan Alghurair, Project Administration Officer at CEESI – JCI. It also featured the announcement of 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to be signed between the 11 Jordanian BSO beneficiaries and key national stakeholders. These steps laid the foundation for stronger cooperation in industrial innovation, sustainability, and green and circular economy growth.
The conference also included a presentation on Jordan’s green sector and circular economy challenges by sustainability expert Eng. Ahmad Qatarneh.
Building on this, the afternoon featured a panel discussion on “Green Finance & Circular Economy Opportunities in Jordan”, moderated by SPARK’s Regional Programme Coordinator Ms. Randa Awad. The session brought together experts and practitioners from across sectors, including Eng. Heba Zaabalawi, Head of the Solid Waste Department at the Ministry of Environment; Ms. Jude Dahdal, Head of Sustainability and ESG at Bank al Etihad and member of the Green Finance Committee at the Association of Banks in Jordan; Mr. Omar Al-Shoushani, President of the Federation of Environmental Associations; and Eng. Layan Al-Salhi, Senior Consultant in Strategy and Organisational Transformation at GB Advisory. The discussion underscored how coordinated action across policy, finance and industry can unlock investment in circular practices and accelerate Jordan’s green transition.
Earlier in the day, the Jordan Chamber of Industry – JCI and its Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability in Industry – CEESI convened the first capacity-building workshop featuring an interactive session designed to deepen engagement with local 11 BSOs and explore practical pathways for green transition support. Ms. Naheel Al Waked, JCI Project Coordinator, presented an overview of Green Forward’s activities, highlighting key initiatives in stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and regional collaboration. This was followed by an expert presentation from Eng. Ibrahim Faza, Green Innovation & Entrepreneurship Specialist, who shared insights into sustainable production and innovation strategies. The session concluded with thematic working groups where BSOs identified sectoral challenges, assessed their technical support needs, and developed actionable recommendations to inform future programming and capacity-building priorities within the GreenForward framework.
Green Forward’s strategic outputs in Jordan
Green Forward will deliver a comprehensive set of activities to strengthen Jordan’s green and circular economy. As part of this effort, the programme will convene both national and international events that bring together diverse actors across the ecosystem to exchange knowledge, showcase innovation and forge lasting partnerships. To encourage peer learning and collaboration, 06 workshops and roundtables will also be organised, complemented by smaller peer pod meetings to sustain cooperation between events.
Central to the programme is building the capacity of Jordan’s Business Support Organisations. 08 BSOs that are currently transitioning towards green practices will benefit from tailored mentoring and coaching programmes, while 03 advanced green BSOs will take part in the Green Business Training Academy, a regional training initiative that brings together BSOs from across the Southern Neighbourhood to share expertise. In parallel, a practical sustainability and circularity toolkit will be developed and tested with 30 SMEs already working on green initiatives, providing them with actionable tools to measure and improve their practices.
Green Forward in Jordan will also extend beyond training and networking. An awareness campaign will highlight the opportunities and impact of the green and circular economy, reaching new audiences and encouraging greater participation in sustainable practices. To strengthen collaboration at a systemic level, the programme will establish a working group of 24 public and private stakeholders including the 3 green BSOs. This group will meet annually to review progress, validate outcomes, and ultimately formulate a policy recommendation to help embed green and circular principles into Jordan’s industrial strategies.
Moving forward
The Green Forward conference and workshop together demonstrated the value of building strong partnerships between Jordanian BSOs, and government and private sector actors in Jordan. The programme is laying the foundation for a resilient and innovative green and circular economy in Jordan, while contributing to a wider regional transition across the Southern Neighbourhood by equipping BSOs with the tools, skills and networks needed to lead change.
More insights and key takeaways from the Green Forward panel discussion will soon be shared on our social media channels.
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Green Forward is a European Union-funded initiative implemented by a consortium of partners working across three complementary levels:
- Expertise France (at the macro level): leads the development of enabling green policies, legislation, and standards in close collaboration with national authorities and regional stakeholders.
- SPARK (at the Meso level): focuses on strengthening the capacity of Business Support Organisations (BSOs) to act as effective ecosystem enablers.
- UNIDO (at the micro level): supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through targeted technical assistance, promoting the adoption of circular economy practices and improving access to green finance.
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