Project Watchdog monitors environmental data and climate-related targets in Cyprus.  Such data should be openly accessible for everyone — a right secured by the Aarhus Convention. However, the Cypriot government currently fails to provide adequate, regularly updated, and easily accessible information on the current state of the environment in Cyprus and the progress on climate targets.

In order to fill this gap, we collect and present these data below. For the first stage of our project, we focus on the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), a binding strategy document for southern Cyprus for 2030. We plan to expand our work to cover the whole island. Our goal is for everyone to be able to understand and participate in local and national conversations around climate change and the state of the environment.

The National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP)

The National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) was prepared by the Republic of Cyprus for the European Commission.¹ It is a strategy document for the period 2021–2030 which covers 5 dimensions:

1. Decarbonisation
2. Energy Efficiency
3. Energy Security
4. Internal Energy Market
5. Research, Innovation, and Competitiveness

Within the NECP, there are targets under each of the 5 dimensions (for instance, reducing greenhouse gases, increasing carbon sinks, and increasing renewable energy.). In addition, the NECP specifies actions that aim to achieve these targets within the 10-year timeframe. Each EU Member State must report their progress annually to the European Commission. The submitted plan by the Republic of Cyprus has been reviewed by the European Commission and has been deemed insufficient or with low ambition in several areas. Moreover, the main decarbonisation target is only meant to be met by using the “flexibility mechanism” — essentially, polluting more and then paying for the right to pollute. Therefore, even if successfully implemented, the NECP is not adequate to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis.

¹ in accordance to Article 9(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action

NECP targets by dimension:

Glossary

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Anaerobic Respiration: Anaerobic respiration is the type of respiration through which cells can break down sugars to generate energy in the absence of oxygen. This process produces methane.

CES (Cumulative energy savings): Sum of the total annual energy savings over a certain time frame. For example, if we install a measure for each of two years, the cumulative savings would be the sum of the measure installed in the first year, plus the incremental savings from the savings installed in the second year plus the savings in the second year from the measure installed in the first year.

Electricity Interconnection: Interconnection refers to connecting, for example, Europe’s electricity systems. Through the appropriate infrastructure neighbouring EU countries can buy and sell electricity across their borders, thus they can rely on each other to import electricity when in need.

Energy efficiency: Energy efficiency refers to the amount of output that can be produced with a given input of energy.

Energy Security: The IEA (International Environmental Agency) defines energy security as the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.

ETS (Emissions Trading System): The European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) sets a cap (limit) on the maximum level of emissions from electricity and heat production, energy-intensive industries (e.g. oil refineries) and commercial aviation within the EU. These permits are tradable, hence companies can buy and sell them.

F-Gases: F-Gases are fluorinated gases. They are man-made gases used in a range of industrial applications as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances because they do not damage the atmospheric ozone layer. However, F-gases are powerful greenhouse gases, with an even higher warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO2). Thus they contribute greatly to climate change.

Final energy consumption: Final energy consumption is the total energy consumed by end users, such as households, industry and agriculture. It is the energy which reaches the final consumer’s door and excludes that which is used by the energy sector itself.

Fine Particulate Matter (PM 2.5): PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution) and it is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air e.g. dust. PM 2.5 refers to inhalable particles that have a diameter of 2.5 micrometres and smaller (that is smaller than a single hair on our head). The smaller the particle size, the more dangerous for human health

LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry): The LULUCF sector can increase the removal of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere or decrease emissions by halting the loss of carbon stocks (-trees). It can also increase emissions through agriculture and land use change.

Nitrogen oxides: Nitrogen oxides refers to nitric oxide gas (NO) and nitrogen dioxide gas (NO2) and many other gaseous oxides containing nitrogen. The main source of these gases in urban areas are motor vehicle exhaust, indoor gas stoves and kerosene heaters

NMVOC (Non Methane Volatile Organic Compounds): Organic chemical compounds, excluding methane, that under normal conditions can vaporise and enter the atmosphere. NMVOCs are mainly emitted from transportation and industrial processes.

Non-ETS (also see “ETS” above): Non-ETS is the part of the domestic greenhouse gas emissions that are not covered by the European Union’s Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and these emissions occur from various sources, such as transport, agriculture and other industries.

Primary energy consumption: Primary energy consumption measures the total energy demand of a country. It covers consumption of the energy sector itself, losses during transformation (for example, from oil or gas into electricity) distribution of energy, and the final consumption by end users.

RES (Renewable Energy Sources): Resources that are naturally replenished once used, such as sunlight, wind, tides, and geothermal.

Sinks: Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) any process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere is referred to as a sink.

Sulphur dioxide: Sulphur dioxide is emitted when fuels containing sulphur are combusted. It is a pollutant which contributes to acid deposition which in turn can lead to potential changes occurring in soil and water quality.