The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, during his remarks on Wednesday at the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya. The President highlighted the consequences of climate change for Cyprus and highlighted the Nicosia Initiative on Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, with the participation of partner countries from the wider region.
“The Republic of Cyprus, a sovereign, equal, and independent member state of the United Nations, comes to Antalya with a clear message: the climate crisis requires political leadership, collective responsibility, and, above all, decisive action,” the President emphasized.
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He also noted that collective efforts are still insufficient to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, adding that we must accelerate the reduction of emissions, promote the transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy capacity, and double energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
He called on countries to move beyond declarations and focus on implementing commitments, making investments, securing adequate climate finance, and ensuring a just transition.
“For Cyprus, an island in the Eastern Mediterranean, the consequences of climate change—water scarcity, extreme temperatures, desertification, and widespread wildfires—are already a reality. Adaptation and resilience are immediate national priorities,” he said.
He also noted that during Cyprus’s recent Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in the first half of this year, Nicosia placed particular emphasis on promoting the implementation of the Union’s common climate commitments and remains committed to continuing this effort.
“Climate change transcends politics and knows no borders. Addressing it, therefore, presents a significant opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation. Cyprus attaches strategic importance to deepening cooperation throughout the Middle East and the Gulf, in the areas of water management, renewable energy, and civil protection,” he said.
In this context, he presented Nicosia’s initiatives through the Initiative on Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, which brings together ten partner countries from the broader region. As he noted, the initiative brings together governments and more than 200 scientific experts from the region. “Together, we are working to strengthen our collective capacity for adaptation, mitigation, and resilience, through practical cross-border actions and regional early warning systems,” he said.
In addition, he referred to the Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station, a joint initiative with Jordan, which was launched earlier this year with the support of the European Commission, describing it as “yet another tangible manifestation of our commitment to regional cooperation.”
As he noted, the station bridges European civil protection resources with regional capabilities and hosts specialized firefighting crews in Cyprus, thereby strengthening the collective capacity for rapid response and the suppression of large fires throughout the region.
President Christodoulides noted that the success of COP31 must be judged based on the effectiveness of actions on the ground, while emphasizing that the climate crisis knows no borders. He stated that countries’ response must not be divided and called on everyone to act together to ensure a safer future for all.
Following his remarks, President Christodoulides departed from Antalya for Dublin, where he will participate in the European Political Community (EPC) Summit and the informal European Council meeting on November 12 and 13, respectively.
Source: CNA
