The first investment announced at the COP23 for the Luxembourg – European Investment Bank (EIB) Climate Finance Platform (LCFP). An EUR 5 million investment will support energy efficiency and renewable energy development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The investment will channel funds through the Green for Growth Fund (GGF), in order to leverage private funding, and thereby increase the anticipated impact in the region.

Nature-based solutions may provide up to 37% of the emission reductions needed by 2030 to keep global temperature increases under 2°C. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that over the next decade, with concerted global action on land use, nature can be a significant part of the climate solution.

Spanish action for multi – stakeholder engagement and EU-supported private sector initiatives in Lebanon and Morocco. Drawing on the expertise gained in the promotion of public private partnerships to boost climate action, a dedicated side event will be held during the forthcoming COP23 in Bonn, Germany.

Concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere have surged to a record high. According to the last greenhouse gas bulletin produced by the World Meteorological Organization(WMO), CO2 levels increased 50% higher than the average of the past 10 years.This is largely due to a combination of human activities and the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon.

The European Union (EU) launches its External Investment Plan (EIP). As announced by the European Commission's President Juncker in his last State of the Union speech, the External Investment Plan (EIP) aims at mobilising a large volume of investments, especially from the private sector, to fulfil economic and social development in partner countries in Africa and the European Neighbourhood.

The European Union (EU) experience in the Enlargement and Neighbourhood countries. Innovative approaches endorsed by the EU to enhance Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) will be showcased at a dedicated side event to be held during the forthcoming COP23 in Bonn, Germany.

The Energy Climate Business Forum organised by the Union for the Mediterranan (UfM) was held in Cairo, Egypt, on 18th October. The aim of the event was to enhance regional cooperation on energy and climate action and a more active involvement of the private sector in the Euro-Mediterranean energy transition.

National Adaptation Plans (NAP) largely to be elaborated in the region. To date, Palestine is the only country in the Midde East and North Africa (MENA) region to have deposited an official document at NAP Central. This is UNFCCC’s platform where developing countries are invited to forward their national adaptation plans, and other relevant outputs and outcomes related to the process to formulate and implement NAPs.

Defining expectations for the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). An informal meeting in preparation of the forthcoming COP was held in Rabat, Morocco, from 7-8 September 2017.

Catalysing the development of innovative startups and green finance. The first national “Green start–ups meet investors” event, was recently held at the “The Tank - Innovation Center”, in Amman, Jordan.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has recently approved a $US 31.4 million project to protect Egypt's Nile Delta from rising sea levels. The project, titled “Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast of Egypt, aims to protect the densely populated low-lying lands in the Nile Delta, home for 25% of the Egyptian population.

The 2017 Forum of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF). About 120 participants from around the world convened in Rabat, Morocco, on 6-7 September, to discuss the “Mobilization of finance for climate-resilient infrastructure”. With an increase in climate impacts such as storms or floods, there is a growing need to ensure that infrastructure can withstand such extreme weather events to the greatest degree possible.

A new guide on climate change targeting the Moroccan private sector. The recently published “Guide Entreprise Maroc Climat”, aims to inform managers about the economic impacts of climate change, while providing businesses with a number of tools to get involved and contribute to climate action.

International decarbonisation policies and technological advancements will have far reaching impact on oil and gas producing regions. A newly published study finds that Middle East and North Africa (MENA) oil exporting countries are still not sufficiently equipped to grow and develop in a rapidly decarbonising world.

Green Bonds accounted for 3% of global bond market transactions in the second quarter of 2017. The Climate Bond Initiative documents in it’s Green Bonds Mid-Year Summary 2017 that with almost § 30 billion, the second quarter is the largest of issuance on record. A total of 82 green bond deals were rcorded from 74 issuers, with over 50% first time issuers. Bloomberg New Energy Finance indicates in its most recent analysis that the annual green bonds issuance is set to reach $134.9 billion by the end of 2017, a new record so far.

The international conference “Unlocking Solar Capital: Africa”, will be held on 25 and 26 October 2017 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It is anticipated that the gathering will bring together senior finance and project development executives for in-depth discussions of financing and development of ON-grid, MINI-grid and OFF-grid solar energy solutions.

Cleantech and environment startups will be a main focus of the upcoming GITEX Future Stars event, to be held in Dubai from 8 to 12 October. The event is one of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s largest startup gatherings of tech entrepreneurs, international investors and influential corporate buyers.

A big new solar-powered plant turning seawater into drinking water is being built in Morocco. This summer, the green light was given to construct the world's largest renewable energy-driven seawater desalination plant.

A new climate action information system was presented at the Beirut Energy Forum (BEF), held in the Lebanese capital on 18 – 20 September. The BEF is an international event dedicated to sustainable energy issues and projects, which has been held on a yearly basis since 2010. The new tool was unveiled during a session dedicated to the Partnership with the European Union: “Il Mare Nostrum: Fostering the Euro‐Med Cooperation”.

The second edition of the Climate Chance Summit was held in Agadir, Morocco between 11-13 September 2017. Organized by the Climate Chance Association. The Summit was the biggest event gathering non-State actors engaged in climate action before the COP23. The summit reviewed the status of climate negotiations with key actors involved in the implementation of the Paris agreement.

Emissions trading systems (ETS) on the world stage. High-level government officials from 26 national and subnational governments, including EU Member States, U.S. States and several other countries, met in Lisbon, Portugal, on 1 September 2017.

The surprising rise of coal in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The demand for coal, which is carbon-intensive but cheap, is increasing in a region with almost no coal of its own. Morocco still depends on coal for much of its power generation.

Egypt launches a major renewable energy project. A $1 billion financing package has been secured to help independent power producers invest in the first wave of private renewable energy initiatives in the country. The new project supports the Egyptian government’s Sustainable Energy Strategy, which aims to generate 20% of Egypt’s energy from renewable sources – wind, hydro and solar – by 2022.

Climate-warming gases may not be adequately recorded in official inventories. A BBC investigation recently found that a gas called HFC-23, which is 14,800 times more warming to the atmosphere than CO2, is being released by a location in Northern Italy at rates which are estimated to be 10 - 30 times higher than those declared in the official Italian emission inventory.

The first National Carbon Market Conference in Morocco. Organized by the State Secretariat to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, in partnership with the World Bank, the conference was held in Rabat on 7 July. It was an opportunity to discuss the Moroccan government’s efforts towards a green economy and define the relevant mechanisms to implement a national model that may be presented to the carbon market.

The future flow of the Nile may drastically vary as a result of climate change. A new study by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), predicts that there will be more floods with the annual flow of the river increasing by up to 15% while the future annual variation in the flow may raise by 50%.

Exporting carbon free energy. The private company TuNur Limited, has filed its request for authorization with the Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energy to build a 4.5GW solar export project in the Sahara Desert, near Rjim Maatoug, in the southwest of the country.

Gaza residents currently subsist on two hours of electricity daily, and the search is on for viable alternative energy solutions. The Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCO) is to install 1 megawatt of grid-connected rooftop solar systems for up to 1,000 consumers in the Strip.

Is the world going towards a decarbonized future? France announced it will end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 as part of an ambitious plan to meet its targets under the Paris climate accord. The same commitment has also been taken up by Britain. Carmaker Volvo has said all new models will have an electric motor from 2019.

Social media is being adopted at a remarkable rate as an online communication tool in the Middle East. Over 17 million tweets a day are produced in the region and that’s just one of several increasingly popular social networks. Digital channels are showing the pulse of the people, as the region becomes an active participant in the global social media conversation.

Clean energy projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are currently estimated to require $200 billion of investment. According to a new report, released by the business intelligence service Meed – "Renewable Energy in the Mena Region 2017", there are around 67GW of clean energy projects at various stages of development in the region.

The G20 summit showed that the world’s richest countries are committed to reducing carbon emissions despite the decision to pull the United States out the Paris climate accord. A new study, requested by the G20 Presidency, finds that a decarbonisation of the energy sector by 2050, in line with the ‘below 2°C’ objective of the Paris Agreement, is both technically feasible and economically attractive.

The ClimaSouth project has widened the reach of its social media activities by launching new Facebook a page in English and Arabic. The Facebook page will run alongside the existing Twitter channel, complementing the project’s website and knowledge platform. Collectively these web-based tools are designed to inform project partners and stakeholders, as well as the wider public, about the progress of the ClimaSouth project.

A new handbook to help businesses generate value from climate change has been published. The guidebook, primarily intended for businesses in Lebanon, is a concrete outcome of the first year of the Lebanon Climate Act (LCA). It was presented at a ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon, on the 10th of July, attended by the 2017 Climate Change Champions from the private sector.

Several goverement ministries and public agencies in the country are shifting to solar power. The Ministry of Water and Irrigation’s headquarters started running on solar power in 2015, reducing its monthly electricity bill by 40%, the Ministry of Agriculture’s headquarters is due to switch to solar power later this year encouraging others to explore renewable energy in a bid to ultimately reduce the Kingdom’s energy bill.

A new satellite called Venµs, will be launched this summer from French Guiana to orbit over the Middle East. The satellite, equipped with a special camera that will provide multiple daily images, will be used to observe fields and lands from space for monitoring the condition of the soil, the vegetation, water resources and other environmental parameters

It’s not news that climate change disproportionately affects the poor. The prediction that globally millions would be living in extreme poverty by 2030 as a result of climate change, has been made in a variety of reports over the past years by international agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank Group (WBG).

The long-term prospects for food and water security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are dire. Lawmakers from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly, meeting at its Spring Session in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, said climate change would worsen food and water shortages in the Middle East and North Africa, triggering more conflicts and mass migration, with serious implications for the wider world.

A series of interviews with National Focal Points (NFPs) of the ClimaSouth project is now online. The main focus of the recently recorded interviews is on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) process in each of the partners countries. New interviews were recorded for Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, while for Israel, Libya and Morocco previously recorded interviews are available on the ClimaSouth web site.

An Urban Agenda for the Euro-Mediterranean region was adopted by member states of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). The 43 member states of the UfM approved the Urban Agenda on the occasion of the Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Urban Development, held in Cairo, Egypt, on 22 May 2017. A first concrete example was the concomitant launch of a €100 million “Imbaba Urban Upgrading” project, which aims to positively impact living conditions of 2 million inhabitants in one of Greater Cairo’s most populated areas.

The Environment Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their strong commitment to the swift and effective implementation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. In a communique issued at the end of the G7 Environment Ministers Meeting in Bologna, Italy, on 12 June they said: “The Paris Agreement remains the global instrument for effectively and urgently tackling climate change and adapting to its effects”.

Agriculture had a strong presence at the recent conference of the UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), held on 8-18 May 2017 in Bonn, Germany. Representatives of the climate change, agriculture and insurance sectors set out an ambitious vision for accessible insurance for farmers across the developing world against weather-related losses.

Win-win concept for new climate financial instruments. A proposal for novel climate finance instruments was presented by the EU funded ClimaSouth project at the Regional Finance Cooperation Committee for Climate Action (RFCCC) meeting in Barcelona, Spain, on 26 May 2017. The RFCCC meeting, hosted by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), gathered together several International financial institutions and donors active in the sector of climate finance within the Mediterranean region.

Women entrepreneurs were awarded prizes for acting with distinction for a resilient future in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The award ceremony of the WeMENA contest -Women Entrepreneurs of the MENA region, held on 29 - 30 April in Casablanca, Morocco, granted awards to four women entrepreneurs out of the 200 participants. The four winners, respectively from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine, shared between them a prize of $ 150,000.

Release of a video reportage on climate action in Jordan. Energy needs in Jordan are increasing, with about 96% of supplies relying on imported fossil fuels. The video reportage examines how current investments in the energy sector may help the greening of the Jordanian economy, while contributing to climate action. The reportage was produced by the EU-funded ClimaSouth project, in collaboration with Jordan’s Ministry of Environment and the EU delegation to the country.

The Insurance Industry and Cities Summit - the first of its kind - was a key event at the 8th Global Forum on urban Resilience & Adaptation held on 4 - 6 May 2017 in Bonn, Germany. The event was co-organized by the UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) Initiative and ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability, which joined forces to create the largest collaboration between the insurance industry and cities.

New details have emerged on two previously announced projects for Morocco, recently approved by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Both projects aim at enhancing climate resilience in Moroccan agriculture by focusing on improving the sustainable use and management of water resources.

Lebanon and Jordan are home to an exceptionally large number of refugees. Together, they host around 1.7 million Syrian refugees, equal to almost 20% of their combined populations, in addition to a large number of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees already residing in the two countries before the Syrian crisis. According to official estimates, registered refugees presently make up around one third of the respective populations of the two countries.

Energy ministers of 14 Arab countries announced an ambitious energy project to establish an Arab Common Market for electricity. On April 6th, during the12th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity, held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, ministers signed a memorandum of understanding.

The Green Climate Fund has launched “GCF 101” – a new web-based guide with detailed information on how to access the Fund’s resources. The tool aims to help potential stakeholders better navigate the many elements of engaging with the Fund. It provides simple step-by-step guidelines increasing clarity and transparency on the main processes required to access funding.

The first Green bond in the region has been issued the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), one of the leading banks in the Middle East. The green bond has raised $587 million to finance projects which contribute to the fight against climate change and the protection of natural resources, by focussing on sectors such as renewable energy, energy-efficiency, green transport and waste water treatment.

National social protection strategies need to incorporate food security as a core component in their design. Many countries In the MENA region, such as Jordan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, have been facing increased economic and social challenges since the influx of Syrian refugees. The Overview of Food Insecurity report, recently released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), stresses that sustainable agriculture and water management are central to ending hunger and adapting to climate change.

New projects targeting the MENA region have been given the go ahead by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Three of the eight projects, approved at the first GCF board meeting in 2017, target countries in the region. A Renewable Energy Financing Framework programme in Egypt was funded to the tune of USD 154.7 million, in collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Two international agencies warn that the world must swiftly shift energy production away from fossil fuels if it is to prevent a dangerous increase in global temperatures. In separate reports released Energy Transition Dialogue in Berlin, Germany on 20 March, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) both concluded that fundamentally changing the way power is produced would require considerable investment, though there were would also be savings due to improvements in energy efficiency.

A new Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) for Egypt has been launched to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in the country. The €140 million programme for Egypt, supported by the European Union, will provide loans for energy efficiency and small-scale renewable energy investments by private companies through a group of participating banks, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

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.

This was the leitmotif of the Global Cities Summit recently held in Dubai. The Dubai Declaration, issued at the conclusion of the summit, recognizes that cities across the globe are central to a shared mandate to work towards a sustainable and prosperous future, while highlighting the critical importance of city level data to support this shared mandate.

Adaptation is a prerequisite for the survival of future generations in the world’s hottest and driest region. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the world’s most water-scarce and dry, with a high dependency on climate-sensitive agriculture and a large share of its population and economic activity in flood-prone urban coastal zones.

The challenge of managing water utilities in the Arab region will be the focus of the Arab Water Week. The event to be held in Amman, Jordan, starting on 19 March, will gather some 500 experts from the water sector, representing governments, regional and international organisations, private water and wastewater companies, and scientific research institutions.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s energy systems could rely primarily on renewables by 2030. A new study reveals that the cost of wind and solar power in the MENA region could fall as low as $39 to $58/MWh, if different energy resources were connected to a “super grid” allowing for the transmission of high volumes of electricity across longer distances.

The first commercial-scale carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is now operational. The project developed in Abu Dhabi aims to sequester up to 800,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. It is one of only 22 large-scale CCUS ventures, either in operation or under construction worldwide.

Egypt’s National Research Centre has announced the production and successful experimentation of a biofuel suitable to power aircrafts. Commercial aviation contributes about 2 % of global carbon emissions annually, and the International Air Transport Association, aims to halve carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. The biofuel was based on the oil seeds of the jatropha tree.

Many countries are embracing the sustainable energy agenda in all regions of the world. According to a global policy scorecard entitled RISE (Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy), an increasing number of developing countries are emerging as leaders in sustainable energy, with robust policies to support energy access, renewables and energy efficiency.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles are increasingly integrated into the business strategy of private companies and used to benchmark their performance. EFG Hermes, a financial services corporation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, was recently named as one of six MENA constituents in the FTSE4GOOD Emerging Index.

The Mediterranean is one of the world regions threatened with the highest anticipated increases in wildfires. Using climate change projections for the middle of this century, a new study suggests there will be a 35% increase in the days with high danger of fire across the world. Some regions such as the Mediterranean will see even larger increases.

Wind capacity in the Middle East and Africa region is expected to grow by an average of 21.7% between 2016 and 2025. This equates to approximately 30GW of new wind capacity being added over the next ten years in the region. The region added 371MW of new wind-power capacity in 2015 and wind power is the second fastest growing source of renewable electricity after solar photovoltaic.

Aircraft from the Royal Jordanian Air Force are being used in a series of rain-making operations over the kingdom. When they get word from the Jordan Meteorological Department, the pilots jump into their planes and head toward designated target areas to shoot flares loaded with silver iodide into cumulus clouds.

Climate finance in Israel is the central theme of two policy papers newly published by the EU funded ClimaSouth project. The first paper focusses on domestic climate finance and cleantech commercialization, while the second paper concentrates on the country’s international climate finance options.

The biggest threats facing the planet were examined during the World Economic Forum (WEF), a gathering of leaders from all sectors meeting in Davos, Switzerland on 17 - 20 January. In the annualGlobal Risks Report, 750 experts identified environmental and geopolitical risks among the 5 current priority threats. Climate change was singled out as a primary concern for the next decade, deemed as a more probable danger than the risk of pandemics or nuclear disaster.

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week was held from 12 - 21 January in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital. It was the first global gathering dedicated to sustainability since the COP22 which took place in Marrakech, Morocco last November. The forum which aims to stimulate international dialogue and action, gathered more than 35,000 participants, including over 4,000 senior executives, 73 government ministers and representatives from international organizations, business and civil society.

The seventh Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), was held on 14-15 January 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Assembly gathered 3 heads of state, 75 ministers, government officials from over 150 countries, and representatives from the private sector, civil society and other international organisations.

Climate change could be driving up levels of methylmercury in a manner not previously recognised. Rising temperatures could boost its levels in fish by up to seven times the current rates, according to new research just published.

A newly published report from European Environment Agency (EEA) warns that Europe’s regions are facing rising sea levels and more extreme weather due to climate change. The report assesses the latest trends and projections on climate change and its impacts. The southern region is projected to become the continent’s climate change hotspot, having to face the highest number of adverse impacts.

Energy demand in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is set to rise by 25% between 2014 and 2040, according to ExxonMobil. To keep pace with demand in the region, between 2016 and 2020 an annual expansion of 8%, has been recently forecast.

The olive tree’s sworn enemy, the fruit fly Bactrocera oleae, may be annihilated by climate change. Olive is of major eco-social importance for the Mediterranean Basin where more than 90% of olive trees globally are cultivated.

Unusual aridity, combined with unique weather patterns are the main causes of extreme dust storms recently affecting the Middle East. Several reports publicized in the media, have been blaming the ongoing regional conflict for the extreme amounts of dust fuelling the storms through changes in land use and cover - and for activities like increased military traffic over unpaved surfaces and farmers reducing irrigation or abandoning agricultural land.

The 7th Eilat-Eilot Renewable and Clean Energy Conference was held on 27 – 29 November in Eilat, Israel. The conference provided an opportunity for global industry leaders and investors to experience first-hand some of the game-changing innovations coming out of Israel.

A formal network of parliamentarians from Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia is coordinating its efforts to combat climate change. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) network operates under the umbrella of the Climate Parliament, a coalition of 20 parliaments, which aims to translate policy into concrete law in member countries.

A spectacular snowfall hit the Sahara desert in late December. The photographer Karim Bouchetata captured a series of rare and beautiful images from the small Saharan town of Ain Sefra, Algeria.

Jordan recently ratified the Paris Agreement and is increasingly investing in renewable energy sources. The country has historically imported around 97% of its energy needs. To unlock the country’s renewable energy potential, the government initiated in 2015 a number of solar and wind agreements which should be operational by 2018.

From Morocco to Libya, the desert oases of the Sahara's Maghreb region are disappearing as temperatures rise and rainfall decreases. At the recent United Nations climate conference in Marrakech (COP22), the Maghreb oases were held up as a symbol of the impacts of climate change already playing out on the landscape.

Two training sessions were held in Tal Amara Station, Lebanon, from 5 to 16 December 2016, for 13 researchers and technicians of the Lebanese Agriculture Research Institute (LARI).

TT:CLEAR, a new climate technology website, has recently been launched by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The website aims to speed up the development and transfer of climate technologies.

An international congress on the "Sustainable restoration of Mediterranean forests” will be held in Palermo, Italy from 19 to 21 April 2017. The Mediterranean region is one of the ‘hot spots’ of ongoing climate change worldwide. The forests in the region are rapidly changing due to abandonment in many areas or to increasing human impact in others, but also to the spread of alien plant species and pathogens.

A training session on Drought Risk Management (DRM) and DRM Mainstreaming (DRMM), was organized on 14-15 December 2016 in Athens, Greece, by the EU-funded SWIM and Horizon 2020 Support Mechanism Project. The event brought together stakeholders from the water, agriculture, irrigation and other water-intensive sectors as well as Non-Government Organizations from partner countries in the South Mediterranean region.

The 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) concluded in Morocco by adopting the Marrakech declaration for climate and sustainable development.

The establishment of a Center of Excellence (CoE) for Climate Change in Egypt was presented at a side event during the COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and the ClimaSouth project, co-organizers of the event, presented the key findings of a recent feasibility study.

Government, the private sector and civil society, a climate action triangle in favour of a low-carbon economy. A roundtable on the "Lebanon Climate Act" was organised by the Lebanese delegation during the COP22 in Marrakesh, Morocco. Vahakn Kalbakian, head of the Lebanese delegation, explained that this initiative aims to support the business sector, NGOs and state structures in order for them to develop according to the demands of the fight against climate change.

In the arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa, freshwater resources are among the lowest in the world. As the climate in the regions become hotter and more unpredictable, freshwater is becoming ever more vital to survival. Karen Villholth and Alvar Closas, of the International Water Management Institute, have been exploring the problems and solutions for managing this precious resource, including aquifer contracts, community management practices and recharging of groundwater supplies.

The Israeli government has ratified the climate change agreement signed last year in Paris, joining the 109 parties that have already done so, and account for about 80% of the world’s emissions. Israel’s ratification took place as this year’s UN Conference on Climate Change – COP-22 unfolded in Marrakech, Morocco.

Private renewable energy markets in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia will be boosted through a joint development programme. The SEMED Private Renewable Energy Framework (SPREF), a €227.5 million financing framework supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), was presented during the EU Energy Day at the COP22.

EU-funded climate change projects operating in the South Mediterranean region were presented during a lively side-event at the COP22 on 15 November. The event showcased the work of the Facility for Policy Dialogue on Climate Change and the CES-MED, ClimaSouth and SUDEP South projects, highlighting their respective achievements to date.

Climate change ranks almost bottom of a list of concerns for young Arabs across the Middle East and North Africa, according to findings in the 8th annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2016. Of the 27 key issues raised in the Survey, concerns over “climate change and the environment” was placed as 26th, only above “personal debt”.

The first International Conference on Climate Change to be held in Palestine, is being organized by the Engineers Association in Albireh, on 8 - 9 May 2017. The conference is the first peer-reviewed, multi-disciplinary, international event on climate change in Palestine. It aims to provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge research on climate change and global warming and their impacts on Palestine, the Middle East and further afield.

Improving the flow of climate finance in the South Mediterranean region was the focus of a dedicated side-event held at the COP22 in Marrakech on 15th November 2016. The main barriers hampering small and medium sized enterprises in accessing climate finance were examined, with a focus on current initiatives in Morocco aiming to overcome such constraints.

A new plan to support countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to confront the multiple threats of climate change has been announced by the World Bank Group. Over the next four years, the MENA Climate Action Plan aims to nearly double the portion of Bank financing dedicated to climate action, taking it to around US$1.5 billion per year by 2020.

The winning filmmakers of the Film4Climate Global Video Competition were celebrated on the large screen on November 14 at the COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco.

The 22nd Conference of Parties COP22 opens on Monday 7th of November in Marrakech, Morocco. During the two weeks of climate negotiations, countries aim to work out how to use the framework of the Paris Agreement to catalyse future action on climate change. A wide range of side-events focussing in the Mediterranean region have been scheduled with the purpose of sharing knowledge and experiences as well as developing and enhancing Climate Action partnerships.

Mediterranean ecosystems will change to a state unprecedented in the past 10 millennia unless temperature rises are held to within 1.5C. In a new study, published in the journal Science, exploring different scenarios, under business as usual vast tracts of the region may turn into desert.

Trees can lower the temperatures in cities between 2C and 8C. Planting trees near a building may allow to reduce air-conditioning use by 30% and reduce heating energy use by a further 20 - 50%. According to experts recently meeting at the United Nations Habitat III Conference in Quito, Ecuador, the ideal city should have at least the 40% of its surface covered by trees.

The 7th International Exhibition of Renewable Energies, Clean Energies and Sustainable Development, "ERA 2016", took place from 24 to 26 October 2016 in Oran, Algeria. The Exhibition afforded national and foreign operators and young entrepreneurs the opportunity to successfully integrate into the renewable energy development dynamic. This Exhibition takes place against a backdrop of strong mobilisation at the national level, as well as worldwide, for the promotion of clean energies and sustainable development. Most of the themes of this seventh edition, in keeping with global energy and climate concerns, relate to actions for the promotion and valorisation of renewable energies and the consolidation of the country's sustainable development.

A Moroccan Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), based on Argan oil production has been granted USD 39.3 million of funding by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Through this ambitious project, the Moroccan Government aims at the Development of Argan Orchards in Degraded Environments in the south of country.

European and Mediterranean energy regulators, gathered in Milan on 18 October 2016 to share their experience of regulatory twinning projects. Twinning is an EU-funded instrument that aims at fostering sub-regional and regional integration of the Mediterranean energy market through knowledge sharing. The workshop organised by MEDREG, identified ways of optimizing and promoting access to such twinning schemes, sharing experience about the purpose, scope and benefits of this in-depth and hands-on cooperation.

Algeria has ratified the Paris Agreement, through a decree signed on Thursday 13 October 2016 by the President of the Republic, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Algeria, which co-chaired the international negotiation process that led to the adoption of the historic Agreement, was among the first countries to sign it, during a high-level ceremony held in New York on 22 April 2016, under the aegis of the UN Secretary General.

Levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have surged past the 400 parts per million benchmark for the first time in recorded history in 2015. And, according to the annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin produced by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), 2016 will likely be the first full year to exceed the mark. Prior to 1800 atmospheric levels were around 280ppm, according to the US National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) while the last time CO2 was regularly above 400ppm was three to five million years ago.

More tha 800 videos by filmmakers from over 150 countries have been submitted to the Film4Climate competition on climate change. Young filmmakers from around the world, have been called to express their vision for a sustainable future by creating a short film or video about climate action. The best entry from the Middle East and North Africa region will receive a special prize, the MENA-Award. Launched by Connect4Climate, the idea has been to ask young people what climate change means in their lives since their futures will be the most affected by warming temperatures.

A number of Palestinian civil society institutions have launched the Palestinian Coalition for Climate Justice. The coalition, which also includes a number of specialists, consultants and activists in the sector of environment and climate change will focus on raising awareness about climate change, global warming and their main effects such as drought and rainfall fluctuation, and will put in place mechanisms to face them.

Dubai is evermore a leading proponent of the Green economy. At the World Green Economy Summit (WGES), held in Dubai on 5-6 October, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy said ''The Dubai Declaration represents our commitment to create an even smarter, greener, happier Dubai, and make it the Global Green Capital of the World".

On 15 October, in Kigali, Rwanda, the 197 Parties to the Montreal Protocol have reached a deal which has been described as "monumental". The agreement to phase-down climate-warming hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs) represents a significant step forward in implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change. HFCs, which are used mainly in refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, have a global warming effect up to 15,000 times greater than carbon dioxide and are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.

The creation of green banking markets took centre stage at a conference in Casablanca, Morocco, on 12th October, less than a month before the COP22. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) teamed up with Banque Marocaine du Commerce Extérieur, BMCE Bank of Africa, to engage the financial sector in dealing with the practical steps needed to turn the Paris vision into reality. In his opening remarks EBRD’s Josue Tanaka said: “There is an urgent need for strong action ‎now to achieve global climate goals.”

Cities and regions will have a solid presence and get their voice heard during next climate global summit. The European Committee of the Regions (COR) and the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) will organise a series of events to ensure cities and regions’ pledges are heeded during the COP22 to be held in Marrakesh, Morocco, during the forthcoming month of November.

The Syrian economist, Ahmad Sadiddin, is assessing the financial implications of global warming in the Arab world. Working from the University of Florence, Italy, the economist is modelling the cost of climate change by piecing together whatever data is available for four countries : Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt.

The 15th International Energy Forum (IEF 15) was held in Algiers, Algeria, from 26 to 28 September. It brought together participants from the 73 member countries, representing about 90% of the world's energy consumption and production. A total of 106 Official Delegations took part in the forum, 34 Major Energy Companies, and 15 International Organisations, including the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

A new initiative was launched on 4 September in Beirut, Lebanon, to promote the establishment of a Business Knowledge Platform. The aim is to engage the Lebanese private sector in the transformational change towards a low-carbon global economy called upon by the Paris Agreement.

The European Union has concluded the political process for the ratification of the Paris Agreement. The last hurdle was cleared in a historic vote on 4th October when the European Parliament gave its consent by 610 votes to 38, with 31 abstentions. Ratifications representing at least 55 Parties and 55% of global emissions are needed for the Agreement to enter into force. While the first condition is already met, the historic vote in t4h European Parliament allows the second to be met too.

An ingenious net that harvests fog from the air to provide drinking water for people on the edge of Morocco’s Sahara Desert, was awarded the Momentum for Change climate change award. One of the 13 game-changing initiatives from around the world that were announced last 29 September as winners of the award promoted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

A new 50 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant will be constructed in the city of Mafraq, northern Jordan. The Mafraq plant is the first PV solar plant to be financed out of the four planned under the Jordanian government’s second round of solar PV projects. The new plant will supply power at 6.9 cents per kilowatt-hour — a price far below Jordan’s average cost of electricity and among the lowest for solar energy worldwide.

Soon after the ratification of the Paris Agreement, Morocco has submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC. To elaborate its contribution, Morocco undertook a broad, two-year stakeholder consultation process with all parties involved, reviewing policies and programs to combat global warming and set the country’s climate change goals. Consultations held after the adoption of the Paris Agreement strengthened the foundations of the NDC, and enabled a renewal of stakeholder engagement ensuring their full support for the implementation of the NDC.

An international forum on the future of energy and its implications on Mediterranean countries, was held in Rome, Italy, on September 20th. Organized by the Italian Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (Eni) and the European House-Ambrosetti, the forum brought together leading members of the business community, opinion leaders, policy makers, academics, experts, and other influential personalities. The focused on which energy mix and evolution model is needed to face an energy sustainable future and how to turn the Paris Agreement into an engine of safe growth

The establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Climate Change (CECC) is one of the priorities of the Egyptian Government to address climate change adaptation and promote low carbon development. A feasibility study being implemented in collaboration with the EU- funded ClimaSouth project, is currently assessing the main factors for the effective design and implementation of the CECC.

Today Morocco has submitted its ratification of the Paris Agreement to the UN general assembly in New York. “The progress made on Paris Agreement today is a good start for COP22” says Morocco Environment Minister Hakima El Haite. As of 21 September 2016, 181 Parties signed the Agreement. Of these 60 Parties, responsible for 47.8% of global emissions, have ratified it. For the deal to come into force, a total of 55 nations representing at least 55% of global emissions need to sign up.

The implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) was the focus of a regional meeting attended by over 120 participants from more than 40 African countries meeting on 5-7 September in Tunisia. The dialogue hosted by the Government of Tunisia and co-organized with support from UNDP, UNEP and the UNFCCC, is part of a series of such events that began in 2014 to support countries in preparing their INDCs ahead of COP21, and will now continue into 2017 focusing on NDC implementation under the Paris Agreement.

Africa is at the dawn of a period of unprecedented demographic and economic development. As outlined by the Africa Progress Panel, the continent has the opportunity to choose a model for its industrialisation. A ‘green growth’ model would draw on the region’s vast renewable resource potential, give it an advantage on global markets, and contribute to creating higher quality growth that is both more resilient and more inclusive.

Two days of closed-door informal consultations involving 140 delegates and climate negotiators from over 50 countries, were held in Skhirat, Morocco, on 8 – 9 September. During the first day, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and COP22 President Salaheddine Mezouar welcomed UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa in her first official visit to the country. It has been an opportunity to discuss an overall vision for the forthcoming COP and exchange views among delegates in the run-up to the Pre-COP, slated for October 18 and 19 in Morocco.

The EIB MED Conference: Climate Action in the Mediterranean - one of the most prominent fora on climate finance in the Mediterranean before the COP22 - took place in Rabat, Morocco, on 8 September 2016. The conference was co-organized by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), bringing together representatives from government and non-State actors (business, civil society, international organizations and financial institutions) operating in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region

The US and China have both formally joined the Paris climate change agreement, signed last December by 180 countries. Speaking on the eve of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, where the announcements were made, Mr Obama said the Paris deal was the "single best chance that we have to deal with a problem that could end up transforming this planet". UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised US and Chinese leadership on the climate issue, saying: "We are moving the world significantly towards the goal we have set."

A climate change competition has been launched in Morocco, calling on universities and non-profit organizations, to generate new ideas on the use of clean and energy efficient technology.