AKEL on the United Nations Climate Summit COP28
Statement by the Head of Energy & Environment Policy of the Central Committee of AKEL Christina Nicolaou
30 November 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia
The 28th United Nations Summit on Climate Change, which starts today in Dubai, is a crucial opportunity to put the planet on a truly sustainable path. The summit comes at the end of a year in which global temperatures have risen sharply and extreme weather conditions have had huge human, environmental, social and economic consequences, while the exploitation of more fossil fuel reserves around the world than can be safely burned is continuing.
Our region, the Eastern Mediterranean, is already being affected by climate change. According to studies carried out for Cyprus, it is estimated that by the end of the century, the number of hot days per year will increase by two months. Consequently, the need for air conditioning and cooling not only during the day but also during the night is likely to increase, causing greater electricity consumption on the island.
Given the continued decline in rainfall observed over the last three decades, climate change in Cyprus will lead to additional reductions in precipitation by 2050, with many negative consequences, given the increased demand for drinking and irrigation water
This year’s session will present the first global assessment on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and on the progress made by countries since 2015. The UN report shows that unfortunately, much more needs to be done to fulfill the goals of the Paris Agreement. Taking the necessary steps to provide assistance to those who need it to adapt to climate change and allocating resources to developing countries is of urgent importance.
Unfortunately, after twenty-seven Summits, the need for action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions remains urgent, imperative and existential. World leaders are called upon to take decisions that will prevent the collapse of the climate, but also the new social inequalities that are being caused by climate change throughout the whole world.
30.11.2023
