Quarterly Progress Report April 1 - June 30, 2019 This quarterly progress report describes the activities progress during April 1 to June 30, 2019 Deliverables Description: 1.1 A clean source of energy is provided for the selected schools 1.1.1 As the project managed to recover the delay that happened due to the need for schools roof inspection, and to replace the schools that their buildings have less safety with stronger buildings, the project is currently following the smooth progress of the three contractors on ground. The contractors were given July 15 as a deadline to handover all their schools. By June 30, more than (81) schools out of (100) have been equipped with PV systems, heating/cooling systems, LED lighting. The maintenance for the (100) schools have been completed. The remaining (19) schools will be completed by July 15, 2019. 1.1.2 The project have utilized the savings to equip five additional schools that have PV Systems through one of PAF previous projects with heating/cooling systems especially the ones in Jordan Valley in order to improve the learning environment there. 1.1.3 As the (105) schools will be completed and handed over by July 15, 2019, this will directly benefit more than 48,351 Jordanian and Syrian students of which are 20,662 boys and 27,689 girls, 39,496 are Jordanian students while 8,855 are Syrians. 1.1.4 In order to celebrate this success, a public event took place in one of the completed schools in North Shouneh on April 29, 2019 under the patronage of HRH Princess Alia Al-Hussien and the Netherlands Embassy. The event gathered the community leaders, relevant stakeholders, local authorities, VTC trainees, teachers and students and local CBOs. The event included clarifying the project achievements and the graduation of the VTC trainees in Al-Mashareh Center. Moreover, there was announcements for the different activities completed in Shouneh Women CBO which is one of the CBOs supported by the project and marketing for their honey products. 1.2 Improve learning environment at the selected schools: 1.2.1 The Eco-Schools program has been completed in the remaining schools and covered the targeted 100 schools. An international certified body is teaching students how to be active in changing others actions by rationalizing energy use through following best practices. Focal points and teachers from each school were selected, with assistance from the Royal Marine Conservation Society (JREDS). Focal points and teachers will remain in constant communication with the project team and they have participated in a training to gain further knowledge on climate change, energy challenges in Jordan, best practices and tools for rationing energy use and reducing costs and CO2 emissions as well as how to organize and implement team building activities between students from different backgrounds to ensure social cohesion and interaction. The project has conducted the post survey for the schools to measure the progress and achievements and completed the final evaluation. (46) Schools out of (100) have won the international eco-schools certification and a celebration event to honor these schools has been conducted on April 17, 2019. 1.2.2 The Virtual Reality educational screening was rolled out to the (100) schools. It was developed in parallel with the Eco-schools program to create a live experience for students about RE/EE and to teach them about the environment and energy in an engaging approach. These measures have fully engaged students and introduced them to best practices on energy saving and promoted green culture. Students participated in an interactive virtual reality video that takes viewers on a dream like journey through space to better understand the operation of PV systems demonstrating how energy is generated and saved. So far (3,127) students experienced the video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jHP5YmgZXs&feature=youtu.be 1.2.3 To further support the awareness among students that are younger in age, an interactive song has been developed and will be broadcasted on famous children channels to reach out to the largest possible number of children. 1.2.4 A website was developed through a specialized media company in order to map out the location of schools that are currently receiving funds and/or assistance related to environment or renewable energy and by whom in order to ensure no overlapping of schools or donors prioritizing similar projects. The 100 selected schools have also been marked on Google Maps for future reference. The project team is cooperating with other Donors to allocate the schools that they supported on the google map. The website is launched here. http://solarjordanschools.com/ 1.3 Awareness Workshops In Communities: 1.3.1 The project managed to complete the (100) awareness workshops for the communities surrounding the selected schools. Thematic topics address social cohesion and best practices on renewable energy that target Syrian and Jordanian women who will in turn spread awareness to their respective communities. In 2018, the project managed to conduct 100 workshops in Ramtha, Irbid, Mafraq and North Shouneh (50 days on social cohesion and 50 days on energy awareness). Evaluating the pre and post surveys demonstrated the knowledge gained and the new positive attitude of 3,974 people of which are: 3,182 women and 792 men (2,854 Jordanians and 1,120 Syrians). 1.4 The role of women-led CBO’s in empowering women, reducing poverty and promoting the green culture in the surrounding communities 1.4.1 Forged partnership with five women CBO’s were established; in Mafraq, Ramtha, Sareeh/Irbid and the Jordan Valley, to develop their organizational and service minded skills for their communities. Women and youth employment is embedded within the activities through small income generating projects and the introduction of RE&EE technologies in close partnership of the private sector. 1.4.2 The progress of the activities in these CBOs is going very well benefiting the local communities while employing more than (15) local youth. Awareness and audit activities have reached out to more than 1,500 citizens who encouraged the people to have revolving funds to purchase RE&EE systems for their houses in order to reduce their electricity bills and reduce CO2 emissions by mainly using PV systems and solar heaters. So far, more than 120 families have benefited from the provided services such as solar heaters, PV systems, AC’s that save energy as well as other systems that have reduced their energy bills. 1.4.3 The equipped two RE/EE exhibitions have proved a successful business model where the exhibition will be able to sustain after the project completion. 1.4.4 Forged cooperation and support with other projects that are funded by the Dutch Ministry such as the hydroponic agriculture that is implemented by Eco-Consult Company. Our project has provided one of our CBO’s with off-grid PV system for the Hydroponic unit provided by Eco-Consult to reduce their energy bill by 100% from JOD 300.0 to Zero. 1.4.5 Another PV system was provided to Mafraq CBO that has a small plastic house that plant organic products. 1.5 Vocational Training Centers (VTC’s) 1.5.1 The six months training course for the (120) youth was completed successfully and the trainees passed the needed certification exams and received a ‘skilled’ level diploma. An official graduation took place during a public event on April 29, 2019 under the patronage of HRH Princess Alia Al-Hussien. 1.5.2 The equipped VTCs should be able to sustain after the project completion as it is equipped with all needed PV systems, tools and training materials, and the new certified green job became well known in their area. So, after the project completion, this certification will be opened for the youth with certain fees like the other certifications in the VTC centers. 1.5.3 The Employment Application is completed and launched. It will be a platform that connects the trained youth and possible employers. This application will be open to all in order to facilitate job opportunities. 1.6 Lobbying and Advocacy There were three paths followed in order to benefit the project and the relevant initiatives on the long run First Path: Carbon Trade mechanisms 1. A desktop review was conducted about carbon trading in general revealing the history and the fact that the 2008 global crisis has caused a slowdown in industrial development, causing industrial nations to slow-down their economic activity, and the resulting carbon emissions, which reduced their need to buy carbon credits, and caused a considerable reduction in carbon unit prices. This reduction has been consistent until the present day. 2. A meeting with His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Saif, former minister of Planning and International Cooperation, former minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, current CEO of the Jordan Strategy Forum. The meeting revolved around the history of carbon trading in Jordan, especially for the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), which reported to Dr. Saif when he was minister of Energy. The summary of the discussion is that NEPCO did sell its carbon credits attained from renewable energy projects (solar and wind) with acceptable revenues, but the current prices have become too low and NEPCO is considering alternative trading methods to try and maximize value. 3. A meeting was conducted with, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment, to discuss potential alternative mechanisms for carbon trading. His Excellency was very supportive of the initiative and confirmed the Government intent to identify ways to maximize its potential revenues from carbon credits related to mitigation projects such as those in the renewable energy space. The meeting resulted in the setting-up of another meeting with Eng. Bilal Shaqareen, Director of the Climate Change Directorate at the Ministry of Environment. 4. A meeting with climate change department revealed that the Government has been researching potential trading mechanisms and has been in contact with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat to allow them to introduce such new measures. Mr. Shaqareen highlighted the pros and cons of such approach including a potential upside in revenue by trading special cards that would be charged with carbon credit over time and sold to the highest bidder, and cons including a possibility that such mechanism may not allow Jordan to get its due credits towards achieving its sustainable development targets. The full report will include a deep analysis of the possible approaches and will result in a recommendation based on these options. Eng. Shaqareen also indicated that any such platform has to get the approval of the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) as the central authority regulating such transactions. 5. A meeting with the CBJ was conducted to discuss the Government’s appetite for using such unconventional mechanisms and the potential risk of missing out of credit allocation as per Mr. Shaqareen’s comments. 6. A meeting was conducted with the NEPCO leadership and carbon specialists, which concluded the required meetings and data gathering component of this engagement. 7. Based on the above meetings and gathered data a detailed report clarifying the positon of Jordan in regard to Carbon Trade and environmental foot prints at global and national level was prepared and presented to the decision makers mainly Ministry of Environment based on their request. Also, it presented the position of the carbon trade mechanisms and recommendations. 8. The detailed report main sections are: Paris agreement, Evaluation of Carbon Trade, Main schemes of Carbon Trade, Case of Jordan, Jordan’s foot prints, Jordan’s GHG Inventory, Energy Planning, Mitigation Scenarios, proposed new Carbon Trade Mechanisms and recommendations. The project is following currently with Ministry of Environment the actions that they are taking based on the delivered report. Second Path: Trust Fund for saved electricity bills and sold surplus 1. On the other hand, we have discussed with the Directorate of Administrative and Financial Affairs the possibility of establishing a fund to invest the electricity savings resulting from schools using solar energy, and the establishment of an independent fund specifically for this purpose requires a technical and legal study. These meetings have revealed that no trust fund shall be established except under a system issued by the Council of Ministers which requires the political will of the competent minister. 2. Meet with relevant parliamentary committees: (Education Committee, Rural and Badia Committee, Environment Committee, Energy Committee) to find a new mechanism in cooperation with the electricity companies, the Ministry of Education, the Authority for Energy and Minerals and the Renewable Energy Fund to benefit from the surplus to support schools in poor and marginalized areas. 3. Discuss the alternatives to the proposed fund: such as Fils Rural Fund: The possibility of calculating surplus amounts and the need to balance them as money for rural villas and then load the cost of energy bill for poor schools at the expense of rural villages. 4. Also. The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF) is another option: To invest money in favor of the Fund so that it can continue to provide solar 5. The final results were as follow: - Ministry of Education has informed us that they have established recently a trust fund within the Ministry in order to deposit the saved electrify bills and use them to cover the maintenance activities for rural and remote schools. - In regard to the money resulted from selling the produced surplus energy, the est option was JREEEF as it is an existing fund and mechanism within the Ministry and there is no need to establish new scheme associated with needed laws and legislations. JREEEF is already supporting schools with RE/EE systems and the transferred money will be used to continue these efforts. Currently, there discussions between the project and JREEEF president to facilitate this solution. Third Path: Prime Ministry 1. HRH Princess Alia has met with the former Minister of Education who became now the Prime Minister in order to discuss the possibility of establishing a Trust fund for the saved electricity bills for schools and the sold surplus energy to be used to support the schools located in rural and remote areas. The minster at that time welcomed the idea, but her moved to his new position as Prime Minister shortly 2. So, PAF has sent an official letter to the Prime Minister emphasizing again the importance of the above previously discussed proposals. Are the target group engaged in the implementation of the project? Yes, Intensively. Please elaborate: - The intensive awareness workshops for the local communities surrounding the schools had mobilized the community to be part of the project activities and they are actively inquiring on educational courses to get better understanding on available technology and means of energy savings. - Introduce the revolving fund model at CBO’s to ease the economic burden: participating associations engaged in managing fund creation and operation. Once active, community members are sensitized on process and began applying for interest-free loans to finance renewable energy technologies at homes, shops and farms with confidence in the investment made and revenue on the longer term. - Renewable energy showrooms are established and illustrate RE technologies: shops display renewable energy products that the community members can purchase through an interest-free payment system, they have started utilizing the educational material in the shops to learn more on RE and EE. - CBO energy audit teams: recruited focal points and volunteers trained and tasked with energy audits are actively promoting the audit exercise, sensitizing community and illustrating saved electricity bill amounts after installing RE technology. - Community members gain confidence in RE concept and accrued savings, community members approached CBO’s to request audits at their homes and businesses and started apply for revolving fund loans. - RE&EE education and certification: youth in communities enrol in training module at the local vocational training centres to qualify for future green jobs. Due to the introduction of practical and theoretical training some post-graduate students are also enrolled. - Eco-school programs: students and teachers are enthusiastically participating in responsible energy practices and are holding science fairs and organizing events to celebrate achievements. As a result, schools falling out of the targeted lists in communities are expressing interest in participating in similar activities. - Parents-teachers councils were created in targeted schools to organize additional awareness sessions in communities while environment clubs were created and became part of the school system. - The remedial classes for students who dropped-out of school and their support in enrolment after the three month period of classes have ended. - The close cooperation with relevant stakeholders such as the VTC’s, Parliament, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment.