Contributed by Omar Alsaleh, Senior Circular Economy Expert at RSS & Circular Economy Club (CEC) Amman Founder; Global GreenChem Programme Project Lead & National Focal Point
The Jordan National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) at the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) is a leader in hazardous chemical management and major risk assessments. RSS has been the national technical executor and primary facilitator of the “Global Greenchem Innovation and Network Programme,” a significant national project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in partnership with Yale University and UNIDO. This initiative promotes circularity at the national level by applying systematic and design thinking approaches to develop safer chemicals and phase out hazardous substances, including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). RSS is spearheading efforts to eliminate specific chemicals of concern by supporting industries in adopting green chemistry alternatives and raising national awareness through capacity-building programs.
Here are some of the perspectives that I bring to my work with RSS, Circular Economy Club, and the Global GreenChem Project:
✍ Sustainability is a multidisciplinary three-dimensional approach that ensures new developments operate within the safe capacity of our planet regarding the environmental, social, and economic aspects without compromising the future generation's needs. We cannot operate unless we meet the legislation and compliance requirements, but we also cannot sustain unless we meet the social demand for health, well-being, and access to clean resources (water, energy, food). The human, social, and natural capital top the list of 5 capitals that establish any development.
💥 No project can be truly sustainable unless not only technical capacities are enhanced but also a new culture is instilled and embedded into the worker's daily responsibilities across the organization and other beneficiary stakeholders. There should be management of change that the project and society have to go through, and every change takes time, but once the right foundation and sustainability performance commitments are set as part of the company’s wider objectives and across all levels, i.e., processes along with its detailed work step the change will happen.
🤝 Every worker shall feel responsible for performing their task at the highest professional standard with sustainability being at the top benchmark for evaluation. Thus, raising awareness and building capacities about best sustainable practices is a critical sustainability enabler. Once the sustainability gap is bridged between the workers and what’s on paper, then comes the continuous review, update, and improvement of the project sustainability KPIs.
🤳 Extending these values to the public through transparency and reporting will create demand for sustainability. An inclusive plan will make sure the least shift of impacts occurs!
💡 Sustainability is more than a system; it’s a way of life 💡
