by Hana Namrouqa | Aug 29, 2013 | 22:56

AMMAN — A total of 72.9 per cent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Kingdom are generated by the energy sector, with carbon dioxide constituting 83.58 per cent of the sector’s emissions, according to a report released on Thursday.

The report categorised the waste sector as the second contributor to GHG emissions, accounting for 10.6 per cent, while industrial processes are responsible for 8.9 per cent, followed by agriculture (4.6 per cent) and land use conversion and forestry (3 per cent).

The Kingdom’s Third National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) indicated that the largest contributor to emissions in the energy sector in 2006, was the energy industries sub-sector, which accounted for 37.9 per cent of energy emissions, followed by the transport sector (22.5 per cent).

In the industrial processes category, the carbon dioxide emissions originated mainly from cement production, accounting for 91 per cent of the sector’s emissions in 2006. In addition, cement production was also the second largest source of non-methane volatile organic compounds.

The report, whose figures are still preliminary, showed that emissions from agricultural activities in 2006 were composed of methane and nitrous oxide.

Meanwhile, the waste sector’s emissions originated from the disposal of domestic solid waste, accounting for 98.6 per cent of the sector’s GHG emissions, while wastewater handling accounted for 1.4 per cent.

The findings of the report, which will be officially released in mid-2014, will guide the government in prioritising sectors which need projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and come up with means to adapt with climate change effects, Environment Ministry Secretary General Ahmad Qatarneh said at a workshop to announce results of the report.

The Kingdom prepares a national communication report every four years with the aim of identifying the amount and sources of greenhouse gases in Jordan, Third National Communication Project Manager Batir Wardam said.

http://jordantimes.com/energy-sector-main-generator-of-greenhouse-gases—-report