لخّصلي

The urban concentration of Jordan's economic activity is emissions-intensive for various reasons but has also benefited from agglomeration economies in terms of stimulating job creation.c. Tourism is the country's leading export sector with a significant contribution to GDP; however, its structure has created fewer overall jobs, particularly inclusive ones, relative to competitor countries.As a dynamic emerging market, renewable energy installation services and energy efficiency upgrades will increasingly require a higher mix of occupations, such as service and market sales workers and professionals, similar to those observed in countries more advanced in the green energy transition process (IRENA 2017a and 2017b).93 In the near term, growing demand for renewable energy installation services and energy efficiency upgrades will offer opportunities for micro firms and independent contractors to enter or expand their operations in response to growing demand.Increasing urbanization reduces the transportation demand and can increase agglomeration effects.92 Investing in transport sector efficiency through expanded public transportation, better road infrastructure, and interurban truck transport connectivity can reduce transport costs for firms and workers.Whereas construction skills feature prominently in renewable energy installation activities and energy efficiency building upgrades, they are largely comprised of moderate skill levels.The rising temperatures and reduced water availability mean some crops will no longer be viable without significant adaptation, which in turn may displace farm workers, which are some of the most vulnerable groups.However, some of Jordan's agriculture products could be replaced to enhance its untapped export potential.91 While national food security is important, the sector holds limited potential to create new high-quality jobs unless strategic technological and crop-mix changes are introduced.Transport sector workers are disproportionately male Jordanians, with similar education levels to construction, wholesale, and retail sectors, although transport wages tend to be higher.This conclusion is consistent with IRENA and ILO (2021) global estimates that over four-fifths of new jobs generated under an energy sustainability scenario will require a secondary education or less.because they run primarily on oil and natural gas (Aguilar-Restrepo et al. 2021).

The urban concentration of Jordan’s economic activity is emissions-intensive for various reasons but has also benefited from agglomeration economies in terms of stimulating job creation. Urban development depends on inefficient road transport. Road transport services create roughly ten direct and indirect jobs for every US$1 million invested but generate nearly 200 tCO2-eq. because they run primarily on oil and natural gas (Aguilar-Restrepo et al. 2021). Transport sector workers are disproportionately male Jordanians, with similar education levels to construction, wholesale, and retail sectors, although transport wages tend to be higher. The sector absorbs 5 percent of employed workers, and nearly a third are self-employed. The level of informality is relatively high.
Whereas construction skills feature prominently in renewable energy installation activities and energy efficiency building upgrades, they are largely comprised of moderate skill levels. This conclusion is consistent with IRENA and ILO (2021) global estimates that over four-fifths of new jobs generated under an energy sustainability scenario will require a secondary education or less. The moderate skill and low construction sector wages limit the sector’s attractiveness to Jordanian workers. Aguilar-Restrepo et al. (2021) estimate that 16 direct and indirect jobs would be generated by a $1 million investment in construction, although this high return is partly a function of the sector’s low productivity.
This comparative ranking exercise highlights trade-offs between job creation potential and emissions impact in several key sectors. While some sectors perform well in terms of employment, and others perform well in terms of GHG emissions, none perform particularly well in both dimensions. There are therefore opportunities to help the Jordanian economy decouple growth from emissions, moving it further along its green economic transformation path.
a. There are opportunities for low-emissions job creation in food processing, further enhancing the job multiplier effect along the value chain. There is room for upgrading the sector’s skill content, shifting toward more specialty products, to generate more attractive work opportunities.
b. The crop sector shows mixed prospects, reflected in its low employment multiplier and relatively low emissions intensity. The rising temperatures and reduced water availability mean some crops will no longer be viable without significant adaptation, which in turn may displace farm workers, which are some of the most vulnerable groups. However, some of Jordan’s agriculture products could be replaced to enhance its
untapped export potential.91 While national food security is important, the sector holds limited potential to create new high-quality jobs unless strategic technological and crop-mix changes are introduced.
c. Tourism is the country’s leading export sector with a significant contribution to GDP; however, its structure has created fewer overall jobs, particularly inclusive ones, relative to competitor countries. Its emissions are also higher than comparators.
d. Smarter urbanization and more efficient transport services could bring about significant emissions reduction. Increasing urbanization reduces the transportation demand and can increase agglomeration effects.92 Investing in transport sector efficiency through expanded public transportation, better road infrastructure, and interurban truck transport connectivity can reduce transport costs for firms and workers. Direct job creation during the construction, operation and maintenance of road infrastructure investment will likely be concentrated in less skilled occupations.
e. Renewable energy and energy efficiency investments are central to the Government’s climate commitments, and they are already generating jobs. Yet the potential benefit to Jordan’s economy is under what it would be if more Jordanians worked in the sector. As a dynamic emerging market, renewable energy installation services and energy efficiency upgrades will increasingly require a higher mix of occupations, such as service and market sales workers and professionals, similar to those observed in countries more advanced in the green energy transition process (IRENA 2017a and 2017b).93 In the near term, growing demand for renewable energy installation services and energy efficiency upgrades will offer opportunities for micro firms and independent contractors to enter or expand their operations in response to growing demand. This is expected to create new market opportunities for existing and new construction design and services firms that could absorb some of Jordan’s underutilized human capital