CYMEPA (Cyprus Marine Environment Protection Association) is actively participating in the international METAVASEA project, providing Cyprus with a key role in the effort to reduce carbon emissions from shipping activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. To date, multiple actions and collaborations have been implemented to raise awareness and educate Cypriot citizens and maritime professionals.
CYMEPA's activities include the development and implementation of educational workshops and seminars, as well as the promotion of webinars for seafarers, port workers, and shipping executives, with an emphasis on the characteristics of emerging alternative maritime fuels, digital skills, sustainable shipping, and safe practices. More than 1,000 maritime professionals have already participated in the project's research and activities throughout the region, including Cyprus. In addition, 117 shipping companies and organisations have collaborated within the framework of the program, while 80 partners and stakeholders are actively involved in shaping METAVASEA actions.
Educational events in Cyprus have particularly addressed the human element involved in the transition (METAVASEA) towards using these alternative zero-carbon fuels - not only through recognising the requisite technical skills and technology but also through the cultivation of soft skills and environmental awareness. CYMEPA has conducted meetings with local partners, organised specific events, and contributed significantly to the development of educational tools to be used in the region.
METAVASEA — a play on the Greek word Metavasi (Μετάβαση), meaning “transition,” and the geographical environment in which this transition is to take place: the Sea.
The METAVASEA project focuses on a people-centred transition for maritime decarbonisation in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is an ambitious five-year project (2023–2028), supported by the LRF (Lloyd's Register Foundation) and coordinated by HELMEPA (Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association). Its goal is to train and upskill 1,500 seafarers, maritime professionals, and port workers not only in the use of new alternative fuels but also in sustainability, digital skills, and soft skills. It also seeks to boost the involvement of shipping companies and ports in maritime decarbonization initiatives, provide insights into shipping and community readiness for new fuels, and identify region-specific opportunities, gaps, and challenges. Moreover, it intends to enhance accident prevention through improved efficiency in both onboard and port operations and to raise climate awareness among 10,000 schoolchildren, 750 teachers, and 2 million residents in the Eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus.
The Value of Citizens’ Opinions
A critical parameter of the project is the recording of the opinions of the community at large (residents of islands and coastal areas), as well as those of the diverse professionals involved in shipping activities, through feedback provided via the METAVASEA survey questionnaire. This tool gives the project managers the opportunity to gain insights into how active community members and professionals perceive the challenges of global warming, alternative fuels, and the impact of shipping on the marine ecosystem.
It is important for citizens to participate and express their views on how their future will be shaped. The World Maritime University (WMU), founded within the framework of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) — a specialized agency of the United Nations — is participating in the project, and the findings will be taken into account in the IMO deliberations that will shape future global maritime policy, governing 90% of world trade.
In this way, CYMEPA is strengthening Cyprus’s role as an active participant in the European dialogue in the course of the "blue transition" towards net-zero carbon fuels. Participation in the survey is anonymous, takes less than 10 minutes, and offers the opportunity to jointly shape the future of our seas rather than remain a passive observer.
The questionnaire is available in English at: https://shout.com/s/MScUpEz9/i/0
and, for those who prefer, in Greek at: https://shout.com/s/cYLQGMPT
Engage and have your say!
- Article by Marc Caramondanis, METAVASEA Technical Officer at CYMEPA
