Climate-KIC Supports the Launch of Maltese Climate Change Conference
Paragon Europe, with the support of EIT Climate-KIC, held a very well attended event at the International Press Club Association in Brussels last week. The event introduced a major climate change conference being held under the auspices of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of Europe in May 2017.
Attendees included EU regional offices, private companies and umbrella organisations along with government representatives, academics, scientists, delegates from the Maltese Permanent Delegation and media organisations such as Al-Ahram News, Euractive, EU Observer, Focus Magazine and ANSA.
Paragon Europe are now co-ordinating a Steering Committee which will implement plans agreed with Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change Dr. José Herrera around the major themes for the conference: mobility and decarbonisation, circular economy, urbanisation and financial instruments to achieve the planned actions.
The event entitled “Climate Change Challenges in the Mediterranean under Malta’s EU Presidency” was opened by Paragon Europe chairman Edwin Ward who stated that if global warming continues on its upward path, and if climate change is not mitigated by reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, within the next 30 years Malta could be very different to how we know it today.
Paragon Europe’s Chairman went on to say that global warming will affect Malta in many ways. The impact of climate change will lead to more extreme and haphazard weather patterns, with prolonged Saharan-style heatwaves, more intense rainy periods and longer dry spells. The escalating rise in temperature will be accompanied by severe water shortages as rainfall in Malta is drastically reduced by some 12 per cent, which is significant when the aquifer is already in a critical state.
Other speakers included Bertrand van Ee, Senior Adviser to EIT Climate-KIC, Dr. Mike Cherrett, Director of External Partnerships at EIT Climate-KIC, Paragon Europe CEO Dr. Anton Theuma, Paragon Europe Executive Director Dr. Nadia Theuma and Edward Vernon, Environment Unit Co-Ordinator from Malta’s Permanent Representation to the EU.
Dr. Mike Cherrett, Director of External Partnerships, EIT Climate-KIC gave an overview of Climate-KIC’s global network and showcased a number of successful projects supported by Climate-KIC. In summing up Mr. Ward said that Paragon Europe are proud to lead this initiative from the front as the the national contact point for EIT Climate-KIC.
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