Mediterranean Cooperation on Climate Change: The Union for the Mediterranean at the CoP 20

Barcelona, 4 December 2014. Co-organized by the European Union and the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat (UfMS), the event ‘Mediterranean Cooperation on Climate Change: Union for the Mediterranean’ was held on 4^th December 2014, on the sidelines of the 20^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, at the European Union Pavilion in Lima.

The establishment of a reinforced regional climate change cooperation process in the Mediterranean was showcased in the event. Particularly, it focused on the set-up of the Union for the Mediterranean Climate Change Expert Group (UfMCCEG)―following the Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Environment and Climate Change that took place last 13^th May in Athens―and its correlation with other existing international and regional frameworks and initiatives.

The UfMCCEG has already become a unique regional multilateral and multistakeholder platform on the field of climate change, facilitating both dialogue and project promotion in this area.

The outcomes of the first UfMCCEG meeting, including its 2014-2015 work plan, were also presented, namely the operationalisation of the group, agreed priorities and the different initiatives to bring forward this cooperation in fields such as scientific knowledge, regional projects and initiatives on low carbon and climate resilient development, climate finance and mainstreaming.

During the event, the European Commission announced its first project to affirm its commitment to enhanced climate action in the region: it has launched a support scheme with financing up to 3.6 million euros to develop a sectorial carbon market instrument in Tunisia during the next three years. In addition to benefiting Tunisia, the project and resulting experience could be shared with other Mediterranean countries thanks to the UfMCCEG.

Furthermore, Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia presented their climate change national strategies and several interesting projects in low carbon development and climate resilience, both with great replicability potential in the Mediterranean region.

The side event was chaired by Ms Elina Badram, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation. Key speakers included Prof Dr Mehmet Emin Birpınar, Deputy Undersecretary of Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of Turkey, Mr Mohamed Nbou, Director of Studies, Planning and Foresight of the Ministry for Environment of Morocco, Mr Imed Fadhel, Director and UNFCCC focal point in Tunisia, and Mr José Pintor, Advisor at the UFMS.