Bi-communal Committee to Tackle Climate Change and Pollution

The bi-communal Environment Technical Committee is expected to implement the decisions of President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, prioritising efforts to tackle climate change, pollution and emergencies.

According to Haravgi, the committee’s Greek Cypriot Co-Chair, Michalis Loizidis, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that they planned to map environmentally vulnerable areas across the island, with particular attention to desertification and the loss of vegetation.

Explaining that a joint monitoring mechanism would be established to monitor air pollution and that decisions would be taken on measures to combat it, Loizidis said particular importance would be attached to microplastics and waste management, while also examining opportunities for energy assessments.

Loizidis said the bi-communal committee would also examine emergency response plans for fires, floods, oil pollution, and human, animal and plant diseases. He added that scientists, other technical committees and the United Nations would also take part in the work to ensure that risks across the entire island could be addressed immediately and in a coordinated manner.