President Nikos Christodoulides told the COP31 leaders’ summit in Antalya on Wednesday that countries must move beyond declarations and deliver on their climate commitments, saying the success of the conference should be judged by action on the ground.
“Climate change transcends politics and knows no borders,” he said, adding that the response to it should know no divisions either.
Christodoulides said collective efforts were still not enough to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries need to speed up emissions cuts, move away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvements by 2030, he said, calling for a focus on investment, adequate climate finance and a just transition.
Describing Cyprus as a sovereign, equal and independent UN member state, he said the island had come to Antalya with the message that the climate crisis demands political leadership, collective responsibility and, above all, decisive action.
For Cyprus, water shortages, extreme temperatures, desertification and large wildfires are already a reality, he said, making adaptation and resilience immediate national priorities.
Regional cooperation
Christodoulides said tackling climate change was an important opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation, and that Cyprus attaches strategic importance to deeper partnerships across the Middle East and the Gulf on water management, renewable energy and civil protection.
He presented the work of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative, launched by Nicosia, which brings together ten partner countries from the wider region and more than 200 scientific experts. He said it aims to build their collective capacity on adaptation, mitigation and resilience through practical cross-border action and regional early warning systems.
He also pointed to the Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station (CRAFS), a joint initiative with Jordan launched earlier this year with European Commission support. He said the station links European civil protection resources with those of the region and hosts specialised firefighting crews in Cyprus, strengthening the region’s ability to respond quickly to large wildfires.
During its presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of this year, Cyprus placed particular emphasis on implementing the EU’s shared climate commitments and remains committed to that effort, he said.
After his address, Christodoulides was due to leave Antalya for Dublin to attend the European Political Community summit on 12 November and an informal European Council summit on 13 November.
(information from the Cyprus News Agency)
