Jordan acceded to the Kyoto Protocol in 2003 and in 2005 it came into force, setting emissions targets for the developed countries and creating flexible mechanisms that allow payments for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions to developing countries.

Although Jordan is not contributing more than 0.1 % to the global total of GHGs , it’s facing the effects of climate change, as presented in the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Precipitation (rain, snow and mist) is expected to decrease by 20%, with an increase in temperature of 2.5 C.

Jordan is really concerned about the adverse effects of climate change, including sea level rise and desertification. These threaten sustainable development, livelihoods and the very existence of many developing countries.

Jordan is a country which is and will continue to be severely impacted by climate change. Acknowledging the seriousness of this crisis, especially for developing countries, Jordan has called for the climate issue to be dealt with in the context of development, and strongly emphasizes the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”. It believes that developed countries should take all necessary actions to fulfill their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and should assist developing countries to cope with the climate crisis.

Jordan also supports the central role of the UN on climate change and has warned that any special events or initiatives (individual, national, regional or multilateral) should complement ongoing negotiations under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Jordan’s position in the international forum for negotiation on climate change is that the UNFCCC and the Protocol are the only track to be followed to reach an agreement.

Effective mitigation is the key way to resolve climate change, by reducing GHG concentrations in the atmosphere. Jordan is convinced that all efforts to address climate change will remain fruitless, unless developed countries have a specific responsibility to make deeper cuts in emissions in accordance with the commitments made under the Protocol.

Jordan’s view is that the IPCC, acting as the technical arm of the UNFCCC, needs full support to maintain its work.

The World Conservation Union’s  (IUCN) Red List of threatened species has shown for years that we are losing many creatures. The latest update shows that 17,291 species out of a total of 47,677 which were assessed are threatened with extinction.

The results confirm that 21% of all known mammals, 30% of amphibians, 12% of birds and 32% of gymnosperms (a group of plants) are threatened with extinction in the wild, bringing into sharp focus the continuing decline of Earth’s biodiversity and humanity’s impacts on the environment.

The Red List shows clear evidence that biodiversity loss is increasing despite all the individual and corporate attempts to sustain it. This means the problem cannot be solved by environmentalists alone, but needs efforts from everyone.

The negative impacts of irresponsible action  reach to regions which appear  far away from human influence, such as deserts and arid lands. These contain a high number of rare species; the main threat for them is habitat degradation. The dama gazelle, for example, which lives in the Sahara desert, has suffered an 80% crash in numbers over the past 10 years.

Polar bears appear to be one of the animals most affected by global warming in the Arctic, and fresh water species suffered some of the most dramatic declines: 56% of 252 kinds of fish around the Mediterranean are threatened with extinction.

Larger fresh water species at risk include one of Africa’s best known aquatic icons, the hippopotamus, listed as threatened for the first time because of a catastrophic decline in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The pressures from urbanization, mass tourism and intensive agriculture have pushed more and more native species in the Mediterranean region, one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots with nearly 25,000 species of plant, towards extinction.

The structure of world ecosystems is changing rapidly and Earth’s surface is being transformed, while forests continue to deteriorate.  All of these are alerts to wake up us humans. Instead of arguing, it’s time to make the right deal for climate action, unless we too want to be on the Red List.