Climate Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, Subject of Important Press Conference Held at CyI
Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East (EMME) region will be the main focus of the 2nd International Conference organized by The Cyprus Institute, on October 13-14, 2021, in Aphrodite Hills in Paphos. The Conference is held whithin the framework of the Initiative undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus to address the evolving Climate Crisis in our region.
This was announced today at a Press Conference held at The Cyprus Institute by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr Costas Kadis, the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Mr Kyriakos Kokkinos and CyI President, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Cyprus on Climate Change and Presidential Special Envoy for Climate Change, Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas.
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr Costas Kadis, noted that Climate Change is the biggest challenge of the 21st century, and, in fact, its effects are expected to be particularly intense for Cyprus and the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Within this framework, the Cypriot Government is coordinating the Initiative for the creation of a joint Regional Action Plan for Climate Change.
The scientific actions of the Initiative, including the drafting of conclusions and proposals for tackling Climate Change and the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the EMME region, will be presented and discussed at the 2nd International Conference entitled “Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East” to be held on 13-14 October 2021, Dr Kadis noted.
In his greeting, the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Mr Kyriakos Kokkinos, said that the Cypriot Government remains fully committed to achieving the goals of the Initiative and recognizes that science, innovation, and the development and promotion of innovative technologies is important for finding, developing and carrying out timely and effective solutions to the great challenges facing humanity.
“Especially in matters of tackling Climate Change, we support and applaud the actions of The Cyprus Institute, emphasizing the important effort it coordinates within the context of the Initiative of the Cypriot Government. We eagerly await the report on the scientific findings and proposals that will be presented at the forthcoming Conference, so that we can further disseminate and promote them at a regional level and for establishing a common regional strategy”, he stated.
In his address, Prof. Costas Papanicolas, highlighted that the need to plan and implement immediate actions to address the Climate Crisis, has become imperative. “Cyprus in particular, and the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East have been identified as highly sensitive regions and are expected to be affected more strongly than other parts of the world”, he noted.
Prof. Papanicolas stressed that the assignment of The Cyprus Institute as coordinator of the scientific actions of the Climate Change Initiative is both an honor and a huge responsibility for the Institution. It is encouraging and important that over the last 24 months, more than 250 scientists and experts, mainly from our region, have actively contributed to the creation of proposals for tackling Climate Change, and these results will be announced and discussed at the upcoming International Conference.
The 2nd International Climate Change Conference will be addressed by H.E. Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus, H.E. Dr Laurent Fabius, President of the French Constitutional Council and Former Prime Minister of France, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, H.R.H. Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, and Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. In addition to the Cypriot ministers and officials, a number of policy makers will attend, such as Mr Mohamad Abdel Aty, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt, Mr George Kremlis, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Greece on Energy, Climate, Environment and Circular Economy, and H.E. Mr Gideon Behar, Ambassador and Special Envoy for Climate Change and Sustainability of Israel.
During the Conference, scientific findings will be presented, as well as proposals for measures and actions that can be taken, thus laying the foundations for the establishment of a common regional strategy for tackling Climate Change in the EMME region. The Conference is also co-organised by the delegation of the European Commission in Cyprus, as well as the Center for Excellence in Climate and Atmospheric Research (EMME-CARE).
For more info regarding the Conference, please visit: climatechange2021.org
