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The Conference is under the auspices of the Office of the Environment Commissioner and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
Dear representatives of the organisers of the Conference, Grow Sustainability Consulting and EIMF
Distinguished speakers at the Conference
Dear Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen
I was pleased to accept the invitation to sponsor and welcome the 2nd NGO Conference co-organised by Grow Sustainability Consulting and EIMF (European Institute of Management and Finance) under the auspices of the Office of the Environment Commissioner.
The field of environmental and cultural NGOs and Civil Society in general is familiar to me and has defined me to a significant extent, since from my student years until today I have participated and worked voluntarily in various Civil Society formations, together with active and dedicated people who have offered and continue to offer naturally - either from their free time or professionally and scientifically - in the fields of environment, sustainability and culture, both in Cyprus and in European countries.
After completing my first studies in architecture and ecology in Germany and having experienced the anti-nuclear weapons movement, as well as participating in civic initiatives fighting for peace, the environment and participation in decisions about the quality of life and saving the planet - already in the 1980s - I returned to Cyprus and joined the environmental non-governmental and voluntary organization Friends of Akamas, which, apart from the big issue of Akamas that still concerns us today, later extended its activities to other issues of saving the environment and culture. Soon, I was integrated and/or collaborated with many other NGOs and citizens' initiatives active in Cyprus on environmental issues, sustainable development, intangible and built cultural heritage, as well as in international associations, foundations and networks. When the Federation of Environmental Organisations was founded, and which today has about 26 members that still maintain their autonomy, the coordination of the actions of its members was sought, as well as the recognition of NGO positions by the state and the institutionalisation of their participation in national committees. In this first participation I found that I was one of the few people who was a volunteer and did not receive a salary as a scientist and/or activist from the organisations I joined.
Long years of activity and experience have shown me that the various formations of civil society contribute and play a key role in addressing and solving major challenges concerning the environment and the sustainability of the planet, and have a catalytic influence on society, the executive and legislative authorities and the definition of good practices. In this period of climate crisis, we cannot afford to act piecemeal and unilaterally, but are obliged to act collectively and synergistically. This is proven every day both in Cyprus and abroad and is the only way to deal with urgent issues.
I also mention that the use of the term "climate crisis" indicates that, even if belatedly, we realize that we are now facing the greatest challenge of humanity which does not only involve natural disasters and a drastic loss of biodiversity but is a direct threat to human life.
Reckless human activities, the use of energy resources with an insistence on fossil fuels for power generation and transport, intensive agriculture and animal husbandry as well as the inactivity of the last decades have led us to the climate crisis expressed in extreme weather events, increased temperatures, floods, fires, drought, desertification of the land, especially in our country.
Unfortunately, it seems that while the impacts of anthropogenic activities on the planet are increasing geometrically, efforts to limit and address them are only numerical. At a time when the scientific evidence is overwhelming and the climate crisis is getting worse every day, everyone, individuals, businesses and government need to act with immediacy to stop it, and synergies between all of us are indispensable.
Civil society has a key role to play and, along with the environmental acquis in Cyprus, national and European policies as well as local decision-making and implementation structures are important and interconnected factors for effective environmental governance based on principles that include information, effective participation, transparency and accountability.
At the beginning of the month the Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the UNECE Aarhus Convention visited our country at the invitation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment with two of his associates, and examined the issue of persecution, harassment or other forms of retaliation of environmental defenders exercising their rights in Cyprus under the provisions of the third pillar of the Convention, the one that is not yet part of the European acquis. His visit to Cyprus was organized in cooperation between the Environment Department and the Office of the Environment Commissioner.
In the framework of the Special Rapporteur's visit, meetings were held with officials as well as with civil society. In particular, meetings were held with (10) NGOs, (9) initiatives, (9) foundations and individuals concerned with environmental, cultural and quality of life issues.
In a private meeting with him, I mentioned that civil society in Cyprus is already quite active, and that it has taken legal action in a number of cases where it considers that damage to the environment is being caused and/or that wrong decisions have been taken by the competent authorities.
During the Rapporteur's visit, an important workshop was organized to present the implementation of the first two pillars of the Convention concerning access to information and effective participation in the preparation of plans and programmes relating to the environment. A particular focus of the workshop was on the third pillar, that of public access to justice, where lawyers - representatives of NGOs and citizens - presented relevant court cases concerning appeals against the competent authorities.
The Office of the Environment Commissioner, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, will continue to work on improving practices relating to the Convention and improving and/or drafting relevant legislation, of course in cooperation with the competent authorities and the European Commission. This can also be achieved by strengthening both the legal framework and the implementation and monitoring systems.
Individuals, citizens, can make drastic adjustments to our daily lives, businesses must shift to climate-neutral activities, and the state must close the gap between planning and policy implementation.
We urgently need to reconcile the concepts of "environment" and "development" in the context of sustainable development that includes equally and in parallel the economy, society, protection and management of the environment and human life.
The creation and establishment of climate-neutral and green communities is at the heart of my Office's strategy and is part of the President's 2024 Governance Agenda, in particular the pillar on the green transition. To launch the implementation of the above, I have recently had meetings with representatives of the communities of Tilliria. Achieving climate neutrality can only be achieved in cooperation between the state, local government, the scientific community, businesses and citizens.
In conclusion, strengthening synergies between the state, civil society and the academic community is a priority for the Office of the Environment Commissioner.
Thank you for your attention and I wish you every success in the work of the Conference.
(ASP)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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