Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said yesterday that although the Kingdom is accountable for around 0.1 per cent of total global greenhouse gases, the country is impacted by the effects of the phenomenon.

He made the remarks during the “Way to Copenhagen” conference, which brought together environment experts, officials and NGOs from different countries to exchange views on the best means to tackle climate change.

Stressing that in the next few decades the country will witness a 2.5°C increase in temperatures, Irani said Jordan is concerned with the adverse effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, floods as well as desertification.

The one-day conference aimed to raise awareness on the issue and clarifying Arab countries’ stance on the phenomenon ahead of December’s UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

A deal is expected to be reached at the December conference in the Danish capital with a view of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25-40 per cent by 2020 and by 80-95 per cent by 2050.

Swedish Ambassador in Amman Charlotta Sparre, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, said the EU is deeply concerned with the negative effects of climate change.

Addressing attendees, the Swedish envoy in Jordan said the EU has listed climate change as a “top priority” and has set ambitious climate reduction targets, with binding mechanisms already in place guaranteeing a unilateral 20 per cent greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2020.

During the event, organised by the ministry in cooperation with the Swedish embassy, the European Commission and the Jordan Europe Business Association, Sparre underscored the need for a concerted global effort by governments, the private sector and society as a whole.

Climate change is a concept referring to the variation in the Earth’s global climate or in regional climates over time. It describes changes in the variability or average state of the atmosphere over timescales ranging from decades to millions of years.

The region, home to dry and arid climates, is one of the most vulnerable regions to the impact of climate change.

Arab states face several threats due to increased drought and desertification, scarcity of water resources, increased salinity of groundwater, and the spread of pest epidemics and diseases caused by the phenomenon, according to previous declarations by the Arab Environment Ministers Council.