Focus on climate change at the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)
On 13 March, representatives of governments, international organisations and the scientific community convened at the UfM headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, to set the ground for the publication of an important assessment report on the impact of climate change in the Mediterranean region. The assessment driven by the network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC), will offer a comprehensive analysis of the potential impacts of climate change on ecosystems and populations in the region. The outline of the report was shared and discussed at the meeting in order to explore new ideas and receive feedback. It is anticipated that the final report will be published in November 2018 and presented at the 24th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24).
The UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Change gathered on 14 - 15 March to review the progress made in the implementation of the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Climate Change adopted in May 2014 in Athens. The aim of the meeting was to advance the regional agenda on environment and climate change for the next years and support all UfM Member States in the implementation of the Paris Agreement through their nationally determined contributions. Discussions focused on the topics prioritised by the Declaration, namely depollution and pollution prevention, including the H2020 initiative for a Cleaner Mediterranean. Additionally, the meeting set the path towards the post 2020 UfM agenda to take action against the upcoming environmental and climate-related challenges.
At the science-policy interface, UfM Member States welcomed the willingness of the scientists gathered within the MedECC network to contribute to the vulnerability assessment of the Mediterranean region. Given the cross-sectoral nature of the MedECC project and its strong environmental dimension, any possible UfM contribution to the MedCC activities shall be elaborated in an inclusive way, by involving the Environment and Climate Change representatives of the UfM Member States.
Resources: Presentations - Morning 14/O3 | Presentations – Afternoon 14/03 | Presentations – Morning 15/03 | UFM Press Release