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A tree planting event co-organised by the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Association (CSTI), the Ministry of Tourism, the Office of the Environment Commissioner, the Forestry Department and the Municipality of Aglantzia took place in Aglantzia. The trees were provided by the Forestry Department, within the framework of the "Planting for Climate" Programme.
The commitment of "one tree for every delegate" which is an outcome of the Pancyprian Conference "Is climate change a threat to tourism?" was implemented. The organisers planted a tree for every delegate who participated in the Pancyprian Conference organised on 19 October 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism and CSTI. Alongside this commitment, the aim of the conference organizers was, among other things, to demonstrate in practice that our choices can have a positive impact on the environment and the climate crisis by succeeding in organizing a conference with zero waste.
Almost 300 plants were planted in an area of the Municipality of Aglantzia, carefully selected to be native and in line with the climatic conditions of the region. The contribution of the Municipality of Aglantzia by providing the space as well as the services of the Municipality's green team was crucial for the success of the event.
Environment Commissioner Ms Antonia Theodosiou congratulated all those involved for the event and stated that "planting and the creation of green spaces in general are important actions in the effort to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and in the effort to reduce atmospheric pollutants, as trees act as natural absorbers of atmospheric carbon dioxide, capturing it from the atmosphere and storing it in plant biomass". At the same time, he said that "tree planting does not stop at simply putting a root in the ground. It requires good planning and programming of the actions to be taken in the coming years for their care and maintenance" and expressed the intention of the Commissioner's Office "to give an identity to tree planting with the aim of making reference to the carbon sequestration that such initiatives have". He concluded by adding the contribution that dry stone trees have in enhancing biodiversity, even in cities.
The Mayor of Aglantzia Mr. Andreas Constantinou pledged that the Municipality of Aglantzia will undertake the maintenance of the trees planted, recognizing the benefit for both the environment and the citizens. He also thanked the staff of the green team for their practical contribution to the maintenance of the greenery of the Municipality.
The President of the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Association (CSTI) Mr. Filippos Drousiotis stated that "we are very happy that today we are making our commitment a reality. We as tourism people can also implement climate actions (CSTI 13)". He further stressed the importance of such partnerships, such as that of CSTI with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Office of the Environment Commissioner, the Forestry Department and the Municipality of Aglantzia, which can only have positive results for Cyprus".
(ASP)
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