Republic of Cyprus Second Voluntary National Report - Sustainable development goals

91 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES Waste Management Waste Prevention Programme & Municipal Waste Management Strategy focusing on measures covering the three main policy pillars: – Pillar I: Regulatory measures to implement the separate collection of waste – Pillar II: Measures to reduce waste in all sectors and provide incentives for the reduction and appropriate management of waste – Pillar III: Information and awareness- raising measures to change production and consumption patterns • The revision of these initiatives will be completed in 2021. • Municipal Waste Management Strategy Targets: – 50% recycling by 2020, 60% recycling on package waste or even further (40% separate collection of municipal waste or 20% landfilling). • Moving forward, planned actions include programmes for: – Integrated bio-waste source separation and central small and medium-size aerobic treatment systems and home composting. – Green kiosks for dry recyclables. – Reuse and Repair centres and networks. – Establishment of a compulsory system for separate collection of municipal waste by local authorities. – Establishment of the Pay-As-You-Throw scheme. Sustainable Production • Encouragement of companies to adopt environmental management systems like the European Eco-management and Audit Scheme. • Implementation of ecological criteria in all public tenders aiming to fulfil the target of 50% for green public procurement. • Moving forward, policies on sustainable production and consumption must now focus on the highest levels of the waste hierarchy to promote waste reduction and reuse, and on strengthening the circularity of products, industry, and the production process. Decentralisation ofWaste Management • Regulations focusing on: – Local waste management plans & waste prevention programmes by the local authorities. – Obligatory establishment of separate collection systems for a number of waste streams (e.g., paper, glass, wood). – Operation and expansion of the Green Points Network. – Separate collection programmes for the recyclable and organic waste generated in the coastal tourist areas. • Techno-economic support programmes (under European Structural Funds) focusing on the: – Reduction of municipal solid waste for coastal hotels and related tourism infrastructure. – Implementation of separate collection and the Pay-As-You-Throw Scheme. – Prevention, separate collection, and recovery of municipal waste for the mountainous areas. • Moving forward, the establishment of a Coordinating Body between Central and Local Government will upscale waste management processes. Circular Economy • Implementation of the Action Plan for the Circular Economy. The plan focuses, inter alia, on actions and measures that will enhance the circular economy by: – Creating a sustainable consumption culture among citizens and the industry (manufacturers / entrepreneurs). – Providing incentives to the industry to invest in the circular economy (Pillar I). – Proposing specific legislative and political reforms towards policymakers (Pillar II) and the adoption of circular culture in the financial sector (Pillar III). Promoting Sustainable Agri-production • In order to promote a resilient and competitive primary sector the following measures have been included in the NRRP: – Move agricultural practices from the 20 th century to the 21 st century by investing in a national centre for excellence in agri-tech. – On-line, cloud-based platform for improving the trade and information symmetry in the fresh produce supply chain. – Genetic improvement of the sheep and goat population of Cyprus. – Construction of a collaborative marine aquaculture infrastructure (port and land facilities) in Pentakomo coastal area. – Enhancing the existing isotopic databases of Cypriot local traditional food/drinks, by developing a Block Chain platform, to ensure their identity. – Upskill the existing farming community and professionalise future labour force by investing in human capital. Sustainable Tourism • Promoted investments for a sustainable, high value-added tourism sector: – Enhancing the added value of the tourism sector with emphasis on the countryside, mountainous and remote areas. – Promotion of circular economy in hotel establishments. – Enrichment of the tourism product in rural, mountainous, and remote areas.