First of all, I would like to wish you a happy and creative New Year, above all with good health, since every day we realize the importance of this irreplaceable good, both for each of us individually and for our loved ones. At the same time, I welcome you to this hybrid conference of the House of Representatives on "Energy Transition - Storage and Hydrogen Technologies."
I would also like to congratulate my dear friend and colleague, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Trade, Industry and Tourism, Mr. Kyriakos Hatzigiannis, on whose initiative today's conference is organized, as well as my fellow committee members for the idea and content of the conference, in relation to the immediate need to develop and adapt to new technologies and energy standards.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Under the difficult conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic, with the restrictions on the physical presence of many of our fellow citizens, our health and our very lives being tested many times over, and so many other difficulties and concerns of today's era, we are responding by harnessing and using technology. We take up the gauntlet of the challenge and continue our daily work as a Parliament by undertaking initiatives that make the institution we serve flexible in innovation and the use of digital media and technologies. And the organization of this conference in this format, with participation both through physical presence and online, thanks to the cooperation of the services of the Parliament and the TEPAK, demonstrates that we are able to counter the upheavals, making use of the available means and know-how, while walking on the new roads and communication channels opened by modernization and digital transformation.
I would also like to warmly thank the guest speakers from Cyprus and abroad, who willingly accepted our invitation and honour today's conference with their participation. Through their contributions, I am confident that they will offer their valuable knowledge, experience and ideas, adding value to the conclusions that we expect to reach after the discussion that will follow.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Cyprus, as a full and equal member of the European Union, operates on the basis of the principles, treaties and agreements of the European family. In this regard, since 2015 and the signing of the Paris Agreement, Member States have committed the EU to become the first climate-neutral economy and society by 2050, putting the EU at the forefront of the fight against climate change. As part of this commitment, on 11 December 2019, the European Commission presented in a Communication the European Green Deal, the EU's new development strategy, which aims to put Europe on the path of transformation towards a climate-neutral, equitable and prosperous society. The agreement sets out in particular specific policy initiatives to help the EU achieve its climate neutrality goal by 2050.
In December 2020, only one year later, the European Council reaffirmed its commitment to the EU's green transition. A new, revised, binding EU target for a net internal reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels was adopted, above the target agreed in 2014 for a reduction of at least 40% by 2030. One of them is the subject of today's conference. The challenge of the transition of energy production in sectors not suitable for electrification from fossil fuels to hydrogen and its storage technologies.
The technical challenges of this transition, the issues of hydrogen production from renewable and non-renewable energy sources, the issues of storage, import and disposal of hydrogen in the energy system of Cyprus are the subject of expert and qualified scientists, whose contributions will be presented today.
As Speaker of the House of Representatives and as a body, we assure you that in cooperation with the competent state agencies, the academic community and private companies, we will make every effort to achieve the objectives undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus within the framework of the Green Agreement. The Parliament is aware that the future of Europe is directly intertwined with the health of the planet and in a spirit of cooperation, it seeks to bring together all relevant and interested parties in order to jointly arrive at policies and actions that will ensure the continuity of the commitment to the goal, regardless of persons and situations.
At the same time, as a legislative authority, we have a duty, through the adoption of the right legislative framework of appropriate legislation, to create a favourable and bureaucracy-free environment, which And it is now a one-way street in terms of our survival, the survival of the planet and the world we will hand down to our children. We must ensure that they have the right to be able to dream about their future.
I welcome you again to the proceedings of the conference and hope that its work will be useful and productive.
Thank you.
(M/G/IC)
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