Environmental challenges in the Mediterranean region in focus during the meeting between the UNEP/MAP Secretariat and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly attended by Dr. Avgerinopoulou

Dr. Dionysia – Theodora Avgerinopoulou, Chair of the Environment Committee of the Hellenic Parliament and M.P., participated in the bilateral meeting between the UNEP/MAP – Barcelona Convention Secretariat and the International Secretariat of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, in view of identifying areas of cooperation towards climate actions to be jointly undertaken, stepping up advocacy for a green recovery and further advancing the sustainability agenda in the Mediterranean region and beyond.

In discussions with officials from UNEP/MAP, a regional cooperation platform established in 1975 under the UNEP Regional Seas Programme, and the Chair of the OSCE PA’s Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment, Spanish parliamentarian, Mr. Pere Joan Pons, Dr. Avgerinopoulou and interlocutors explored ways to strengthen strategic partnerships to better address growing environmental and development-related challenges in the Mediterranean region. Among the priorities identified were cooperation on water issues, biodiversity protection, and environmental pollution, including curbing plastic waste. Discussions were also focused on strategies to address the energy crisis, as well as the need to boost energy diversification and transition to renewable, including the development of a regulatory regime for alternative fuels (such as green hydrogen and electrification in shipping) to combat the climate crisis and achieve the Paris Agreement, as mentioned Dr. Avgerinopoulou.

Concluding, Dr. Avgerinopoulou stressed that: “We have to employ more science, technology, and innovation and build synergies in order to achieve an inclusive and sustainable future for all”.