Representation of the Life Sirius project at the Technical Committee for the National Action Plan for the Improvement of Air Quality in Cyprus

Research scientists of CARE-C at the Cyprus Institute participated in the annual session of the Technical Committee for the National Action Plan for the Improvement of Air Quality in Cyprus. The meeting was organized by the Department of Labour Inspection, of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, and was greeted by the Cyprus Commissioner for the Environment, Ms Antonia Theodosiou, and the Head of Air Quality and Strategic planning section, Dr. Chrysanthos Savvides.

On behalf of the Cyprus Institute, Prof. Panos Hadjinicolaou, and Dr. Katiana Constantinidou presented the motivation and objectives of the ‘Α System for Integrated EnviRonmental Information in Urban areaS’ – LIFE SIRIUS, a research project co-funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Union (project number: 101074365, start date: 1.8.2022, end date: 31.07.2025), led by CARE-C Research Scientist Dr. Joni Kushta.

LIFE SIRIUS aims to increase the effectiveness of Air Quality Plans (AQPs), of partner regions, in delivering compliance with the EU’s air quality standards through advancing knowledge, skills and competences of the responsible authorities. LIFE SIRIUS is implemented in three EU urban metropolitan areas (Nicosia, Thessaloniki and Rome), involving directly in the Consortium the responsible authorities for air quality management in these regions.

The project is providing: (a) a measurable contribution towards updating the policies, measures and decision-making processes in AQPs, and (b) a tangible pathway in order to scale-up and accelerate solutions aiming at supporting the implementation of AQPs under a comprehensive environmental approach, that considers health-related impacts and urban-scale compound effects under the context of climate change.

The meeting continued with an open discussion on the National Action Plan, that brought together representatives from several governmental and public national stakeholders, such as the Departments of Water Development, Road Transport, Public Works, Labour Inspection, Electrical and Mechanical Services, Agriculture, Forests and Environment, the Municipalities of Strovolos and Larnaca,  the Ministries of Education, Sport and Youth, and of Energy, Commerce and Industry , the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber, the Union of Cyprus Communities, the Mines and Quarries service, the State General Laboratory, and the Cyprus Institute.