Republic of Cyprus Second Voluntary National Report - Sustainable development goals

37 Focus areas Significant interventions that promote energy efficiency, Renewable Energy Sources (RES), sustainable mobility, the development of a sustainable blue economy as well as the enhancement of biodiversity and the transition towards a circular economy are expected to be implemented during the new programming period 2021-2030, within the framework of the programme to be co-financed by the relevant New Cohesion Policy Funds. ENDING ENERGY ISOLATION: Project of Common Interest “EuroAsia Interconnector” – The proposed investment supports the overall onshore and nearshore infrastructure of the electricity Interconnection “EuroAsia Interconnector “ in the territory of Cyprus. It is a cross-border interconnector between Crete, Cypriot, and Israeli power grids via a subsea Direct Current (DC) cable and with High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) onshore converter stations at each connection point. ELECTRO-MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE: Τhe creation of the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the modal shift towards electro-mobility in Cyprus and, in combination with the increasing penetration of RES, reduce the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions produced by the transport sector. ANTI-FLOOD AND WATER COLLECTION MEASURES: Climate change adaptation measures to create or upgrade existing anti-flood infrastructure, accompanied with environmental and water reuse measures. MANAGEMENT OFTHE NATURA 2000 NETWORK and protected areas including the con- servation of habitats, species and landscape with the aim of halting biodiversity loss. INTEGRATED ENERGY UPGRADE of buildings owned and utilised by the public sector. The action aims to promote energy efficiency measures through the implementation of large-scale energy upgrade interventions in the existing public sector building stock of the country, in order to improve their energy efficiency, including the use of RES. Additional investments and reforms that will drive Cyprus forward towards its green transition are included in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) under which 41% of its estimated cost is devoted to climate objectives. The actions identified aim towards achieving the energy and climate targets in 2030 and beyond. More specifically, measures that relate to green taxation, the opening-up of the electricity market and the facilitation of licensing of renewable energy and renovation projects contribute to Cyprus’ transition to climate neutrality. Investments and reforms target a cleaner, smarter, safer and fairer urban mobility sector by promoting the replacement of conventional rolling stock with zero and low emission vehicles accompanied with the necessary infrastructure, the use of alternative and cleaner fuels and means of transport and wider use of public transport. Water scarcity remains a key feature of Cyprus, having a negative impact on development, the environment, agriculture and public health, while the situation has deteriorated in recent decades as a result of climate change, with frequent and gradually increasing droughts. In this sense, a set of interrelated and reinforcing investments under a water management reform aims to pave the way for the transformation in the field of water resource management towards modernisation and sustainability. In the framework of the Strategic Plan for the new Common Agricultural Policy (currently under preparation) 40% of total funding will be geared towards climate and environmental goals. Green interventions will include, among others, the use of renewable energy sources in the agricultural sector, support of organic agriculture as well as reduction in the use of pesticides and antibiotics.