Climate and Social Justice

The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) is considered by the scientific community to be a particularly vulnerable "hotspot" for climate change. Average temperatures in the region already exceed the global climate target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Recent research confirms that extreme weather events such as (sand) storms, floods and heat waves will become more frequent and intense. Water scarcity is also becoming a growing challenge, posing a significant threat to the Cypriot economy, which is heavily dependent on the service sector, especially tourism. 

Cyprus falls below the European average in terms of environmental sustainability. Major challenges remain in areas such as sustainable agriculture, clean water and sanitation, waste management and renewable energy. Due to mismanagement, in particular high per capita greenhouse gas emissions, the country has to pay substantial fines to the EU, placing an additional burden on Cypriot taxpayers. 

Corruption and vested interests also hamper the ecological transformation. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) is committed to integrating the issue of socio-ecological transformation more strongly into the political discourse. By working with political actors and civil society, FES Cyprus aims to raise awareness of the social consequences of climate change and to advance the political debate on sustainable and equitable solutions.