According to the National Climate Change Policy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (2013-2020), the overall energy intensity (energy per unit of GDP) in Jordan is relatively higher in contrast to the majority of countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), due to the relative low and end-use energy efficiency. Cost-effective saving opportunities exists in all major energy-consuming industries, especially in buildings.

There is ample room for demandside management and energy efficiency initiatives. Energy efficiency refers to the capability of consuming less energy to perform the same task – that is, eliminating energy waste. It provides a variety of benefits which include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering energy and total costs on a household and industry-wide level, and reducing demand for energy imports. Although renewable energy technologies often help to meet these goals, improving energy efficiency is the cheapest and most immediate way to reduce the demand and use of fossil fuels.

Energy efficiency and energy savings ought to be considered as an essential target in the national energy strategy of Jordan. The National Energy Strategy 2007-2020 set the goal of improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE) Law provides the legal and regulatory framework for the exploitation of renewable energy sources in Jordan to reduce its use of fossil fuels, improve energy efficiency, and stimulate private sector investment. Enabling energy efficient measures has been described in the Jordan Energy Efficiency Roadmap 2010, to be implemented through a 3-year National Energy Efficiency Action Plans. The roadmap defines high-level policy measures and instruments, develops an administrative and legal framework, and calls for a monitoring and reporting mechanism for progress against energy efficiency targets.

A framework was adopted by law in 2012, including auditing, labeling of appliances, Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and smart metering requirements. Moreover, solar energy is progressively increasing in attraction in Jordan. According to the Sustainable Energy Mix and Policy Framework for Jordan published by the Royal Scientific Society in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the average amount of solar radiation over the course of a year varies between 5 and 7 kWh/m2/day, being one of the highest values in the world. Catering towards the application of solar energy, solar water heaters will gradually become obligatory in large buildings. Present building codes in Jordan include energy efficiency standards, however enforcement is sometimes lacking. Programs to encourage green building codes and standards in Jordan are ongoing, but few buildings have complied so far.

Climate-related strategic objectives in energy efficiency include:

Primary challenges to increasing energy efficiency in Jordan remain, including: poor enforcement of current legislation and regulations, lack of awareness by energy consumers of the benefits of energy efficiency, lack of products available in the local market, lack of cooperation between stakeholders in the development of energy efficiency projects, lack of financing mechanisms for households, and high upfront implementation costs. It goes without saying that in most cases, energy efficiency provides a low-cost solution to achieve a sustainable energy future while reducing GHG emissions, which have been linked to increased climate change impacts. Meeting global energy demands and increasing energy security, while reducing the environmental effects of energy use, requires using the energy we have much more efficiently.