Senior Advisor - EBRD / Consultant - Environment, Climate Change & Sustainability
Independent
Total years of experience :17 years, 2 Months
Based in Amman, Jordan / operating remotely as needed 10/2019 - present
On behalf of a range of clients in the public, private and international sectors, delivery of diverse assignments related to environment, sustainability and innovation in Jordan and the region. This includes:
• Senior Advisor to the EBRD for the National Center for Innovation (NCI) project funded by the MENA Transition Fund with implementation support by EBRD
• Senior Sustainable Development and Climate Finance Expert - short-term assignment in support of UNDP Jordan in preparation of proposal and concept note for projects totally USD 11 M to be submitted to the UN’s SDG Fund Facility. The proposed projects focus on strengthening Jordan’s financial and planning ecosystem for climate budget tracking, as a precursor to an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF), as well as building national capacities in the public and private sector to unlock impact investing in Jordan.
• Advisor to SINTEF/Norway on the Solar Fueled Electric Mobility project funded by UN DESA for the organization of a regional conference on Sustainable Transport in Jordan
• Ad-hoc advisory to the Ministry of Environment in advancing the strategy of the Jordan Environment Fund, and building on international partnerships
• Senior Expert presenting Jordan’s experience with e-mobility on panel at the regional conference organized by CEDARE/FES on “Future of E-mobility and Urban Planning in Egypt: EV Developments in the Context of Sustainable Cities” in Cairo, November 2019
• Selected among 2019 cohort of Mowgli Mentoring program in Jordan / October 2019
• Member of myStartup / Injaz Green Committee providing guidance on integrating sustainability in myStartup’s own operations as well as building a community of “green” startups
• Mentorship support to the 14 startups enrolled in the Cewas Middle East / myStartup program for “green” entrepreneurship
• Mentorship support to startups enrolled in the UNDP / Heart of Amman program, with a focus on teams addressing environmental challenges in Amman
• Member, National Taskforce “ESCWA UNDA project on upscaling EE in the buildings sector” in Jordan
• Reporting to HE Minister of Environment (MoEnv) & the JEF Board of Directors (including Secretary General (SG) of MoEnv, SG of Ministry of Planning & International Cooperation (MoPIC), SG of Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR), President of Jordan Chamber of Industry, Dean of Engineering - German Jordan University, Chairman of Northern Cement Company)
• Led the participatory update of the fund’s strategy securing support for hiring a national consultant from GIZ, and launch of implementation
• Led the update of JEF’s bylaw to further align it with updated strategy and international best practice, achieving cabinet approval in 9/2019, where changes included diversification of the fund’s financial instruments, inclusion of municipalities in its pool of beneficiaries, and improved financial autonomy
• Led the contracting process of over USD 2.2 M distributed across 7 contracts; including a large-scale forestation project of 60, 000 trees using treated wastewater in Karak, Tafila and Ajloun, three waste recycling projects in Amman, Maan and Mafraq governorates, projects focused on building capacity of teachers in 30 schools in Mafraq and Zarqa on sustainable education, as well as development of the first-of-a-kind Sustainable Operations Guideline through practical implementation in 16 organizations across Jordan (including offices of MoEnv, MEMR, UNDP, Police in Amman)
• With support from UNDP, provided oversight and support for implementation of phase of a sustainable part at the Deer Sanctuary in Dibeen
• Secured support from the Jordan Kuwait Bank for establishment of a sustainable eco-park in Naour
• Initiated discussions with the EBRD regarding establishment of a Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) in Jordan as a blended finance mechanism to support green investments for local MSMEs with potential support from JEF and other donors
• Embedded institutional strengthening and further capitalization of JEF within MoEnv’s NDC Action Plan, resulting in commitment by Government of the Netherlands / NDC Partnership to dedicate an embedded advisor to JEF for 6 months to support with diversification of revenues and financial instruments
• Develop and monitor annual fund budget and action plan
• Lead delivery of monthly Board Meetings, report on progress/impact of funded activities
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership development (NGOs, private sector, public sector, international organization)
• Fundraising and accreditation to international funds
• Regulatory, policy and systems development
• Contract negotiations with beneficiaries
• Led communication and media relations
• Concept note and proposal development for international funds
• Oversee funding award process (criteria development, coordination with committees)
• Take part in national committees (including National Sustainable Parks Initiative)
• Represent fund in national, regional and international fora (e.g. UNFCCC COP24, Green Banks Initiative with RMI)
• Reporting to HE Minister of Environment (MoEnv) & the JEF Board of Directors (including Secretary General (SG) of MoEnv, SG of Ministry of Planning & International Cooperation (MoPIC), SG of Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR), President of Jordan Chamber of Industry, Dean of Engineering - German Jordan University, Chairman of Northern Cement Company)
• Led the participatory update of the fund’s strategy securing support for hiring a national consultant from GIZ, and launch of implementation
• Led the update of JEF’s bylaw to further align it with updated strategy and international best practice, achieving cabinet approval in 9/2019, where changes included diversification of the fund’s financial instruments, inclusion of municipalities in its pool of beneficiaries, and improved financial autonomy
• Led the contracting process of over USD 2.2 M distributed across 7 contracts; including a large-scale forestation project of 60, 000 trees using treated wastewater in Karak, Tafila and Ajloun, three waste recycling projects in Amman, Maan and Mafraq governorates, projects focused on building capacity of teachers in 30 schools in Mafraq and Zarqa on sustainable education, as well as development of the first-of-a-kind Sustainable Operations Guideline through practical implementation in 16 organizations across Jordan (including offices of MoEnv, MEMR, UNDP, Police in Amman)
• With support from UNDP, provided oversight and support for implementation of phase of a sustainable part at the Deer Sanctuary in Dibeen
• Secured support from the Jordan Kuwait Bank for establishment of a sustainable eco-park in Naour
• Initiated discussions with the EBRD regarding establishment of a Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) in Jordan as a blended finance mechanism to support green investments for local MSMEs with potential support from JEF and other donors
• Embedded institutional strengthening and further capitalization of JEF within MoEnv’s NDC Action Plan, resulting in commitment by Government of the Netherlands / NDC Partnership to dedicate an embedded advisor to JEF for 6 months to support with diversification of revenues and financial instruments
• Develop and monitor annual fund budget and action plan
• Lead delivery of monthly Board Meetings, report on progress/impact of funded activities
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership development (NGOs, private sector, public sector, international organization)
• Fundraising and accreditation to international funds
• Regulatory, policy and systems development
• Contract negotiations with beneficiaries
• Led communication and media relations
• Concept note and proposal development for international funds
• Oversee funding award process (criteria development, coordination with committees)
• Take part in national committees (including National Sustainable Parks Initiative)
• Represent fund in national, regional and international fora (e.g. UNFCCC COP24, Green Banks Initiative with RMI)
Provide staregic and specialized consulting services to public and private sector organisations in advancing sustainability and low carbon development plans.
Competencies:
Strategy and corporate innovation
Development of concept notes and (climate finance)
Technical assistance and consulting
Business development and proposal writing
Building partnerships and alliances
Knowledge management and sharing
Capacity building and training
Public & Private stakeholder engagement
Leadership and team building
IFI experience (USAID, WB, EU, EBRD, AFD)
Monitoring and evaluation
Areas of expertise:
Low Carbon / Emission Development
Project Development and Management
Climate Change Policy
Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions
Green / Climate Finance (GCF)
Social Responsibility (ISO 26000)
Sustainability Advisory / Reporting (GRI)
Clean Energy (RE & EE)
Water efficiency and reuse
GHG Inventories
Green buildings/rating systems (LEED)
As the Innovation Lead, tasked with developing new business lines and markets, while at the same time developing internal processes to improve quality and efficiency of delivery of sustainability advisory services to clients in the region (KSA, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Jordan). Reporting to the CEO, as Head of Advisory also in charge of managing a team of 7 advisors and analysts across the region in the timely delivery of projects to leading organizations in the energy, telecom, banking, industrial, civil society, and services sectors. Led delivery of a range of sustainability consultancy services to clients, including but not limited to the preparation of sustainability strategies, sustainability reports (aligned with national priorities and international standards like GRI), CSR strategies, implementation plans, SROI analysis, and total impact assessments.
As the Clean Technology (CT) Sector Development Director, led the CT team and spearheaded JCP’s initiatives to maximize Jordan’s growth potential in the following key clean tech subsectors: energy efficiency, renewable energy (wind, solar thermal, solar photovoltaics) and waste. This involved continuous engagement with public and private sector stakeholders, including business associations, to address key tradeoffs and issues in clean tech supply and demand. Led the design, development, and implementation of a portfolio of activities for the clean tech sector in collaboration with the clean tech team and across JCP’s clusters and components (Access to Finance, Workforce Development, Sector Enabling Environment and Innovation).This was undertaken through a number of mechanisms in line with USAID procedures including grants to beneficiaries, Technical Assistance (TA) to key public sector partners from the Government of Jordan (ministries and regulatory bodies in energy and environment), mobilization of short/long term consultants, subcontracts to specialized contractors (through competitive RFP processes) and in-kind support through our team’s own technical resources. Our objective has been to facilitate needed regulatory reform, unlock substantial investments in clean tech, increase Jordan’s exposure to global markets, improve the ability of businesses to innovate, and respond quickly to changing market demand. Tangible impacts from some of the flagship initiatives in clean tech:
• Interventions to support the growth of an electric vehicles (EV) market through awareness raising and development of the country’s first regulation for private / commercial EV charging activity
• Technical assistance enabling transformative projects such as the 6 MW solar smart solar campus at the King Hussein Business Park (high visibility business hub in Jordan)
• Laying the concept for the region’s first Eco Industrial Zone
• Identification of investment opportunities in waste in the Dead Sea Development Zone and Irbid
• Capacity building for female professionals in energy management and renewable energy
• Development of export strategy for National Energy Research Center’s (NERC) Clean Tech lab testing services
• Support to JREEEF in development of clean tech awareness campaigns (for LED, PV and SWH)
• Support to Jordan Green Building Council (JGBC) in developing Jordan’s first Solid Waste Center of Excellence and Training of Trainer Programs
• Continuous collaboration with the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR), the Electricity & Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) and business associations like EDAMA in developing the policy and regulatory framework related to RE & EE in Jordan (e.g. Wheeling / pooling guidelines, Direct Proposals, energy laws), paving the way for substantial investments and jobs
• Support in knowledge sharing and communicating lessons learned
* Head of Sustainability - Develop new business line to deliver sustainability services to new and existing clients; provide technical leadership and project management for sustainability projects relating to renewable energy / energy efficiency solutions, water efficiency, climate change, green finance and green building design / certification.
• Business Development - Bid Manager for locally and internationally funded water, wastewater & environmental projects in Jordan and the Region, Pursuit of Business Opportunities, Client Relations, Preparation and Updating of Marketing Strategy and Material
• Environmental Engineer/ Member of EIA Team: Environmental, Social & Health Impact Assessments, Environmental Management Plans, Data Analysis and Environmental Business Development
• Office “Environmental Champion”: office carbon footprint calculation and ensuring sustainable, environmental practices, e.g. recycling & CSR
- Assisted in organizing the “Regional Workshop on Adaptation Strategies to Protect Health Under Climate Change and Variability in Water Stressed Countries” (December 2006) and subsequent preparation of the summary report
-Follow up on the Children’s Environmental Health Initiative in the region and expanding CEHA’s knowledge database
-Finalized and prepared for publishing literature reviews on Unintentional Childhood Injuries and the issue of Household Energy and Indoor Air Pollution
-Laid the groundwork for a regional review on climate change and health, and set up a climate change database
• Writer & Web Editor: Contributed writings on health & environmental topics like nutrition, pre-teen psychological development, obesity, gifted children and recycling
• Responsible for monthly updates of the magazine’s web content
• Writer & Web Editor: Contributed writings on health & environmental topics like nutrition, pre-teen psychological development, obesity, gifted children and recycling
• Responsible for monthly updates of the magazine’s web content
-GPA 3.65 -Thesis Title: Design and Experimentation in Sustainable Water Supply and Treatment (co-authored), -Recipient of the 2005 Annie’s Homegrown Environmental Studies $1000 Scholarship for an essay on personal environmental achievements and aspirations
-GPA: 3.3 -Honors & Awards: Honourable Mention Co-recipient of the Perkins Prize for Interracial Understanding and Harmon for co-organizing the Daniel Pearl Music day at Cornell University, aimed at uniting people of various backgrounds through music International Women’s Day Certificate of Achievement awarded based on a nomination by residential advisor for personal efforts to increase inter-cultural awareness
-GPA: Tawjihi scientific stream (Jordanian High School Certificate)93.4/100, GCE equivalency: 95/100 Graduated top 10% of class and delivered the graduation speech - Honors & Awards: 9th rank nationally in the DELF certificate for the French language, Jordan Grade 8 Certificate in Piano from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music