CT BETA participates in COP29 to address the impact of climate change in the Mediterranean region

CT BETA from UVic-UCC has had a prominent role in the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which is being held from November 11 to 22 in Baku (Republic of Azerbaijan). The director of CT BETA, Sergio Ponsá, has represented the center in three sessions at the Mediterranean Pavilion on November 14 and 15, as part of the conference’s program of activities. During this global event, Ponsá emphasized the importance of promoting research and innovation as essential tools to tackle environmental challenges in the Mediterranean region, one of the most affected by global climate change.

CT BETA’s presence at the Mediterranean Pavilion in COP29 is significant, as this technological center has extensive experience in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation programs. In fact, the Union for the Mediterranean invited CT BETA to join the climate change working group. Additionally, Catalonia has several entities with a Mediterranean perspective, such as the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA) and MedWaves, which also participate in organizing the sessions where CT BETA has been present.

According to Ponsá, this Euro-Mediterranean approach is key because “many of the challenges are shared between the north and south of the Mediterranean, and for this reason, a global perspective is necessary—a vision that until recently was not a priority for the European Union, but is now a firm commitment. “At CT BETA, they work on projects that contribute to the development of new regulations and policies. “We try to ensure that initiatives coming from Brussels better consider the Mediterranean reality,” explains Ponsá.

CT BETA’s participation

The first session in which the director of CT BETA participated, on November 14, was coordinated by the Interreg Next Med program. This session opened a discussion on the benefits, added value, and real impact of green transition projects in the Mediterranean region, promoted by this same program.

On November 15, also under the organization of the Interreg Next Med program, but this time in collaboration with MedWaves, Ponsá participated in a session dedicated to presenting successful cases of innovation in promoting the circular economy in countries on both the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean. On the same day, in a session jointly organized by the Union for the Mediterranean and EMEA, Ponsá spoke about the experience of several projects coordinated by CT BETA that have helped spread and implement innovative agroforestry systems that can make Mediterranean agricultural landscapes more sustainable and resilient.

An unmissable event

The director of CT BETA was also present at COP27, which took place in November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt). On that occasion, he participated in three sessions at the Mediterranean Pavilion, where he spoke about agri-food systems within the framework of sustainable development, circular economy, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and green and blue innovations.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) aims to address the climate crisis and limit global warming to 1.5°C in the 21st century. The event has brought together leaders from governments, businesses, and civil society from 197 countries around the world, as well as the European Union. In this edition, countries will present their updated national climate action plans based on the Paris Agreement (2015), which must be submitted by early 2025.