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As the world’s attention is
squarely focused on our deliberations here in Sharm el Sheikh, given the
gravity of the decisions to be reached for the future of our planet, I take
the opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to the Government of the
Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting and steering the work of COP27.
This is an implementation
Summit and an African COP concentrating on the climate-related challenges of
this continent.
I am delighted that this COP is
hosted by our strategic partner, Egypt, and I would like to assure H.E the
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, my dear friend Abdel Fatah al Sisi,
of my Delegation’s full support in this noble endeavor.
Numerous scientific reports,
including the latest IPCC report, send out the clear and stark message that
only the most drastic cuts in carbon emissions would help prevent an
environmental disaster from rising temperature.
We must rise to these
challenges, acting collectively, decisively and with greater urgency and
ambition so can we avoid the worst consequences of a rapidly warming planet.
Cyprus is a Mediterranean
island state, located in a region that is already experiencing the impact of
climate change. Prolonged periods of drought, increased temperatures, have
been threatening our forests and ecosystems, affecting people and
livelihoods, demanding an urgent national response.
We started the implementation
of our National Adaptation Strategy back in 2017 and are currently in the
process of updating this Strategy with the aim to advance from the current
modalities of incremental adjustment to a planned and systematic approach
that can better address the multiple, complex and interlinked climate change
risks and impacts.
Notwithstanding the size of our
country and our small carbon footprint, we are committed in contributing to
carbon emissions reduction.
We have, collectively within
the EU framework and with the other Member States, submitted a significantly
enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution in 2020, with a commitment of
reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to
levels in 1990.
The EU and its Member Sates
remain steadfast in their commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by
2050, through a legally binding climate law.
Both ambition and
implementation are essential, in this critical decade, to ensure the
credibility of the Paris Agreement and reach the goal of climate neutrality
in a sustainable way.
At national level we revisited
and revised our national policies to make them fit for purpose, to achieve
the more ambitious targets for 2030 and started implementation of our
long-term strategy towards climate neutrality by 2050.
We look forward to the adoption
of a comprehensive Sharm el-Sheikh outcome, which will ensure an ambitious
global response to climate change.
Building on the Glasgow Climate
Pact, we welcome the establishment of a Mitigation Work Programme that aims
at enhancing accountability and encouraging ambition and implementation.
We will engage, within the EU
framework, in the two-year Glasgow–Sharm-el-Sheikh work Programme on the
Global Goal on Adaptation, to enhance adaptive capacity and resilience and
reduce vulnerabilities in order to protect people, livelihoods and
ecosystems.
In recognition of the significant
impact of climate change specifically on our region, necessitating
collaborative action for addressing its negative consequences, we launched
the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative in 2018.
The Initiative led to the development
of a Regional Action Plan consisting of regionally appropriate policies and
measures, based on the scientific findings of our region’s top scientists
brought together by the Initiative, to develop solutions to our shared
problems that will be practical, achievable and have enduring benefits for
our citizens.
We now call upon the Heads of
State of the region to participate in a Summit tomorrow, where a political
Declaration will be adopted, expressing support to the Initiative and
willingness to utilize policies and measures included in the Action Plan.
I would like to end by
acknowledging also the role of youth: young people’s voices have been
instrumental in galvanizing action for a more ambitious climate agenda. We
are hearing these voices, this clear message demanding action so as to be
able to look to the future with optimism.
Let us respond, let us all walk
the road towards climate neutrality, towards a future of green, sustainable,
resilient economies and societies.
(RM/MV/SCH)
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