The Municipality of Limassol is positioning itself dynamically on the European map of climate neutrality by organising the international conference “Climate Neutral Blue Cities by 2030: Accelerating Local Change under the EU Cities and Ocean Missions – Limassol on the Path to Climate Neutrality”, an international meeting point for political leadership, scientific knowledge and applied solutions for the climate neutral and blue cities of tomorrow.
The conference brings together distinguished speakers from Cyprus, the European Commission, academia, local government and the international industry.
Political Leadership and Institutional Direction
The Mayor of Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis, during his welcome speech will highlight the role of cities as catalysts of the climate transition. At the highest institutional level, the conference will feature the participation of the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Alexis Vafeades; the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michalis Damianos; and the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, who will present Cyprus’ national strategy for sustainable development, energy and the environment.
The European Dimension of the EU Missions
Particular emphasis is placed on the contribution of the European Commission, with Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General of DG Environment, and Kęstutis Sadauskas, Deputy Director-General of DG Maritime Affairs & Fisheries, highlighting the alignment of the EU Missions on Cities and Oceans as a driver for accelerating climate neutrality.
From Vision to Governance and Implementation
The transition from strategy to action will be highlighted by a strong panel of experts, including Julio Lumbreras, Professor at the Technical University of Madrid; Elena Simion, international programmes expert and Coordinator of CapaCITIES; Maria Tengvard, Programme Director and Senior Climate Strategy Expert at the Royal Institute of Technology / Viable Cities; and Paulo Manuel Cadete Ferrão, Professor at the University of Lisbon.
The institutional dimension will be further complemented by Efthymios Bakogiannis, Secretary General for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment at the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The discussion will be moderated by Laura Hetel from the European Commission. Within the same thematic framework, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Mr. Costas Kadis, will deliver a key note address.
Mobility and the Urban Systems of Tomorrow
The future of sustainable mobility will be examined by leading experts, including Maria Kamargianni, Founder and Director of MaaSLab and Honorary Professor at University College London; Giovanni Circella, Professor at the University of California and Director of the 3 Revolutions Future Mobility (3RFM) Program; Loukas Dimitriou, Professor at the University of Cyprus; Willem Wouter Plomp, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Cyprus; and Keji Alex Adunmo from the European Commission’s DG MOVE. The discussion will be moderated by Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General of POLIS.
Why participate
Participation in the conference is free and offers unique learning and networking opportunities with leading representatives of the European Commission, Mission Cities, national authorities, research institutions, industry, investors, and civil society organisations.
Participants will gain practical insights into the implementation of policies and projects, understand how public and private funding can be mobilised for climate-neutral investments, and actively contribute to shaping the policies and partnerships that will define the future of European cities by 2030.
Information
The official language of the conference is English, with simultaneous interpretation into Greek.
For more information and free registration click here.
Under the Auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU
Organiser: Limassol Municipality
Silver Partner: Ad Tech Holding
Bronze Partners: Cyprus Ports Authority, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Limassol Marina, PwC
Venue Sponsor: The Warehouse by IT Quarter, Limassol
Academic Partners: Cyprus Centre for Environmental Research and Education, Frederick University, The Cyprus Institute, University of Cyprus
Transportation Partners: nextbike, WeeDrive
Communication Sponsor: CyBC
Supporters: Aqua Crystal, Climanet, Friends of the Earth Cyprus, Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, MaaSLab, MedCities, Oxygen for Democracy, Zero Waste Alliance Cyprus
