aqserve

Cyprus Government Climate Change Initiative: A Step Closer to Forming a Regional Climate Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean & Middle East Region

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Science-based climate change mitigation and adaptation policies were discussed by international groups of scientists, policy-makers and regional experts during a virtual seminar organized by The Cyprus Institute in the context of the Cyprus Government’s Eastern Mediterranean & Middle East Climate Change Initiative, for coordinating climate action in the region. The Cyprus Government Initiative aims at the development of a Regional Action Plan to address the climate-relevant challenges and needs of Eastern Mediterranean & Middle East (EMME) region and advance regional mitigation actions in accordance with the Paris Agreement. To ensure the scientific legitimacy of the Action Plan, its basis is being formed on the findings and recommendations of international scientific task forces, with the participation of scientists from 25 countries, whose work is coordinated by The Cyprus Institute. In the context of this work, a virtual seminar was organized on the 5th & 6th of July with participation from over 100 scientists that contribute to the Cyprus Government Initiative, international experts, policy-makers...

AQ Serve 3rd Newsletter

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2nd PRECEPT Project Press Release: PRECEPT PM Monitors deployed for conducting atmospheric observations at real-life conditions

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Three particulate matter (PM) monitors, built under the framework of the PRECEPT project by Additess LTD and the Cyprus Institute are deployed for performing field and aerial , onboard unmanned aerial platforms (UAP) observations. These three monitors will not only provide high quality data on the size and number of airborne PM, but also valuable feedback on the performance of the first, made in Cyprus, novel and cost effective PM monitor, under real-life conditions. The Project POST-DOC/0916/0287 (PRECEPT) https://preceptproject.info is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research...

EARTH DAY 2021 – The Time for Future is Now

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On occasion of Earth Day, The Cyprus Institute calls for a transition to a more sustainable “normal” that safeguards against the unfolding climate crisis. Cyprus and the surrounding region are a climate change hotspot. We have no time to waste. The 22nd of April marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, an international initiative taking place across 175 countries, to promote sustainability for people and planet. As the world’s attention rightly remains firmly focused on tackling the devastating consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, Earth Day highlights the urgency to respond to another global emergency – the climate crisis. The most crucial takeaway from the global coronavirus response is that time is of the essence. To safeguard our future, we must treat the pandemic as a wake-up call for urgent, coordinated climate action, ensuring recovery is utilized as a chance to build back better. That is particularly important for Cyprus and the wider Mediterranean and Middle East region which is a climate change...

The air we breathe is killing us

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Residents demonstrating against the asphalt plants in Dhali From car emissions to polluting factories, the state is failing its people By Charalampos Theopemptou Source: https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/03/31/the-air-we-breathe-is-killing-us/ People often ask me which is the biggest environmental problem that we face. My answer is that the biggest problem is waste management, but the most pressing issue to solve, is that of the bad air quality we breathe. Proof of this is easy to find. On December 14, 2018, the Cyprus Mail published an article with the title “Living in air-polluted Nicosia will cost residents on average a year of their lives” which carried an interview with Jean Sciare, professor and director of the Energy, Environment, Water Research Centre (EEWRC) at the Cyprus Institute. The Air quality in Europe — 2020 report, published by the European Environment Agency, uses data that it receives from all EU countries. On page 108 it has this table below that indicates the estimated number of premature deaths, which in Cyprus totals more than 800 people per...

3rd Partner’s Meeting of “Air quality services for a cleaner air in Cyprus -AQ-SERVE” Project

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On 19/01/2021 the 3rd Partner’s Meeting of “Air quality services for a cleaner air in Cyprus -AQ-SERVE” Project, took place online and remotely due to Covid-19 situation. The purpose of the3rd Partner’s meeting was: To review the status of the project and to monitor the progress of the work. The meeting assessed the fulfilment of all aspects, both scientific and managerial. To identify issues and risks, and to propose relevant address-actions and contingency planning To keep open lines of communication and foster team building A review of operational points was presented by the Management Team and the Coordinator. Each project work-package was presented and point to be discussed where elaborated more between the partners. Launched in December 2018, the AQ-SERVE1 project will provide the first-ever risk assessment and evaluation of the health impact of air pollution in Cyprus. AQ-SERVE aims to utilize best-in-class scientific and technological resources to identify the most efficient pollution abatement measures for improving air quality in Cyprus, and enable tangible benefits for public...

2nd AQ-SERVE Press Release (M18) RPF/INTEGRATED/0916/0016

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Title: Reduced air pollution in Nicosia during lockdown. NICOSIA, June 2020 - Researchers of the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) of the Cyprus Institute (www.cyi.ac.cy), with the contribution of the continuous monitoring of major pollutants performed by the Air Quality section of the Cyprus’ Department of Labour in the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance (www.airquality.gov.cy ), investigated air quality in Nicosia during lockdown. It was determined to what extent the decrease of traffic emissions has changed the concentration levels of air pollution in the urban environment. Preliminary results show that the unprecedented lockdown measures taken in the battle against coronavirus (COVID-19) have triggered a major decrease of air pollution due to local traffic emissions in Nicosia. The researchers focused on two pollutants, carbon monoxide (CO), which is derived from the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels, including those from traffic and biomass burning, and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which come almost exclusively from fossil fuel use. Data were obtained in March,...

AQ-SERVE project on the 2nd CSP4Climate conference

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The consequences of climate crisis are of global significance and emphasize the importance of the issues discussed during the previous CSP4Climate conference. The measures needed be taken should be discussed and agreed upon internationally since the passing of the time has confirmed the urgency to address the climate crisis in parallel to the current pandemic crisis, not only for the Mediterranean but worldwide. Due to abundant available solar energy in the Mediterranean and Middle East, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Technologies could play a very important role in the decarbonization of the Energy Sector. The challenges of CSP and the advancements of renewable energies will be discussed in conjunction to mitigation and adaptation measures through renewable energies. Furthermore, challenges and opportunities that emerge from the European environmental and cost-effective policies and measures will be presented and debated. CSP4Climate conference intends to provide a stimulating dialog among leading Policy Makers, Scientists, and Industry Leaders from around the world, while updates and improvements on Concentrated...

The EU Should Make 2021 the “Super Year” for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Europe and Globally

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The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) published the 2nd Europe Sustainable Development Report on 8th December 2020. In this document, the progress of the European Union, its member states, and other European countries towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed by all UN member states in 2015, is evaluated. It is part of the broader Sustainable Development Report (SDR) series which track the performance of countries and municipalities around the world on the SDGs since 2015. SDG Transformations can support a sustainable and fair recovery Even before the onset of the COVID pandemic, no European country was on track to achieve all 17 SDGs by 2030. Overall, Nordic countries perform best: Finland tops the 2020 Europe SDG Index followed by Sweden and Denmark. Europe faces its greatest SDG challenges in the areas of sustainable agriculture and diets, climate, and biodiversity – and in strengthening the convergence of living standards across its countries and regions. The...

EU takes Bulgaria, Greece to Court of Justice over air pollution

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Photo: Court of Justice of the European Union The European Commission referred two member countries from the Balkans to the Court of Justice of the European Union for breaches in air pollution. Greece and Bulgaria don’t comply with limit values for particulate matter PM10. The EU also reprimanded them for their track record in environmental protection and also called on 13 member states and the UK to submit long-term building renovation strategies. The European Commission said it launched procedures before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against Bulgaria and Greece, citing excessive air pollution. The same judicial institution ruled in May against Romania over air pollution in its capital city. Of note, Bucharest and Sofia are in the group of European cities with the highest health-related social costs of air pollution. The government in Sofia failed to ensure full compliance with the court’s judgement from April 2017, which found that it had breached its obligations under the EU Directive 2008/50/EC...