The Cyprus Institute (CyI) has been awarded an international prize for its contributions to research, education, and the promotion of actions to tackle Climate Change and mitigate its impacts in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region. This award was bestowed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), following a recommendation by the House of Representatives.

The award was received by the President of the Cyprus Institute, Professor Stavros Malas, during a ceremony held in Braga, Portugal, in the presence of members of the Cypriot Parliament.

A statement from CyI noted that Professor Malas, after thanking the President and members of PAM, emphasised that this distinction is the result of the hard work of CyI researchers who, in collaboration with other researchers worldwide and under the guidance of former CyI President, Professor Costas Papanicolas, drafted the Regional Action Plan for the EMME countries to address the impacts of climate change.

He also stressed that the countries in the region must invest much more in research and innovation to tackle the impacts of climate change, which will continue to persist for hundreds of years, even if humanity achieves its climate neutrality goals.

It is noted that the Regional Action Plan was prepared at the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus in 2019 and was presented at the Summit held on November 8, 2022, within the framework of COP27, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. During the Summit, ten countries from the EMME region proclaimed the official launch of the Climate Change Initiative. The Declaration was adopted by Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, and the State of Palestine.

The next steps for the continuation of the Initiative will be discussed at the International Conference on the Climate Crisis in the EMME, co-organised by the Cyprus Institute and the Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts, on September 26-28, 2024, in Larnaca. The Conference, held under the auspices of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, will be attended by speakers from around the world, as well as experts in research and policy on the Climate Crisis in the region, the statement concludes.