News

6 April 2022 – This multi-episode documentary, Mediterranean, Odyssey for Life, directed by Frédéric Fougea and narrated by Camélia Jordana and Guillaume Néry, will show the beauty of our shared sea through breathtaking footage and give a message of hope. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has been working on environmental and climate issues for many years and, as such, is very proud to have participated in this documentary, featuring an interview with the Secretary General. As an organisation working on regional cooperation, the goal is to raise awareness and build consensus among its Member States on how to respond to… read more

Caption:  Carlo Buontempo, Director of Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and Grammenos Mastrojeni, UfM Deputy Secretary General  The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) signed a partnership agreement in Barcelona, to support all UfM countries to access the critical data they need to tackle Mediterranean climate change challenges. 25 October 2021, Barcelona. Over the next few years, ECMWF, as entrusted entity to implement the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and Union of Mediterranean will work closer and undertake joint initiatives to develop targeted training sessions and materials for knowledge… read more

22 October 2021. This 2021 is the “make or break year for action on energy transition”, according to the United Nations. In this very year, COP26 is also expected to bring significant implications for the energy sector towards a sustainable energy future. And in this very moment where the COVID19 pandemic has recalled us all how interlinked nature, energy, climate, health and economy are in our society, energy will allow us to recover, building back better together. 2021 is also the year when the 42 members of the Union for the Mediterranean have approved a Ministerial Declaration on Energy that raises the ambition… read more

Ministers from the 42 Member countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) gathered today in Cairo at the 2nd UfM Ministerial Conference on Environment and Climate action under the Co-Presidency of Jordan and the European Union. They agreed on a common agenda to strengthen efforts in the Euro-Mediterranean region to urgently tackle the multiple climate and environmental challenges it faces. This commitment reflects the highest possible ambition in accelerating transition towards sustainable, climate-neutral and green economies. Cairo, 4 October 2021. The Ministerial Conference was chaired by Frans Timmermans, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, on behalf… read more

ADEME and its partners, Union for the Mediterranean and Plan Bleu, awarded the Mediterranean Climate Change Adaptation Awards at the “Mediterranean Climate Change Adaptation: experience and good practices” conference today, July 27th 2021. The event’s Big Winner was Algeria’s National Sanitation Office for its innovative water treatment plant with filters in the Tamacine area. 27 July 2021. The Mediterranean region is at high risk from climate change, according to the First Mediterranean Assessment Report prepared by the independent network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change (MedECC) By the end of the century, the average temperature in the Mediterranean should rise… read more

The Ministers of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in charge of Energy gathered for their Third Ministerial Conference on Energy in Lisbon on 14 June 2021. Energy Ministers from the 42 UfM Member States met to discuss regional cooperation towards energy security and a low-carbon transition. With a population of over 500 million inhabitants and growing, it is estimated that energy demand in the region will increase by more than 50% by 2040. Ministers adopted a new Ministerial Declaration, which will be developed into concrete action plans by the three UfM Energy Platforms, which act as fora for dialogue… read more

4 May 2021. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, held an online meeting with PEGASUS founder, chairman & CEO, Craig Cogut, and with Christophe Nuttall, the Executive Director of R20, a not-for-profit international organization that works to create inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon societies by accelerating sub-national infrastructure investments in the green economy with the goal of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Following the development of the Global “Subnational Climate Fund” (SCF), recently approved by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and in accordance with the UfM-R20 cooperation agreement, it has been decided that a similar SCF fund should be… read more

4 May 2021. The UfM Secretary General, Nasser Kamel, held an online meeting with BNP Paribas Senior Strategic Advisor for Sustainable Business, Pierre Rousseau, and the Executive Director of R20, Christophe Nuttall. R20 is a not-for-profit international organization that works to create inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon societies by accelerating sub-national infrastructure investments in the green economy, with the goal of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They discussed the opportunity to develop the “Subnational Climate Fund” (SCF) recently approved by the Green Climate Fund and managed by Pegasus Capital Advisor. BNP Paribas is custodian and the lead agent for… read more

The Mediterranean is one of the regions hardest hit by climate change in the world, with temperatures rising 20% faster here than elsewhere, according to a study by the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC). The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) promotes the Solar Impulse Foundation’s 1000+ solutions to protect the environment in a financially-profitable way. The UfM is partnering with R20 – Regions of Climate Action to deliver the first regional fund specifically supporting climate projects in coastal Mediterranean areas. 22 April 2021. The Mediterranean is one of the areas of Earth most impacted by climate change,… read more

19th March 2021 – The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel, and the President of Plan Bleu, Thierry Lavoux, virtually met today to officialize the signature of the 2nd phase of their Cooperation Agreement  towards a sustainable development in the Mediterranean basin. As part of the agreement, both parties will jointly support and promote the efforts of the scientific network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change (MedECC). This new Cooperation Agreement guarantees the continuity and future of the MedECC Secretariat, hosted under the hospice of Plan Bleu. The Secretary General stated that, as part… read more