Source: European Parliament
In 2023, Cyprus accounted for around 0.3 % of the EU’s net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and achieved a net emissions reduction of 5.6 % compared with 2005. The country’s total emissions decreased by 4.7 % between 2005 and 2023, while its net carbon removals in the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector increased by 36 %. Emissions from sectors covered by the effort-sharing legislation have increased by 7.9 % since 2005, and in 2023 were slightly higher than those from sectors under the EU emissions trading system (ETS), which were down 14.9 % over the same period. Although Cyprus intends to reach zero net emissions in 2050 (see trajectory in Figure 1), the level of progress towards the EU climate neutrality objective appears to be insufficient. The European Commission assessed Cyprus’s draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) and made recommendations. The final updated NECP was submitted in December 2024. Almost half of Cyprus’s national recovery and resilience plan, which includes a REPowerEU chapter, is dedicated to the green transition, with a focus on energy and transport. In a 2023 survey, 39 % of Cypriots, compared with a 46 % EU average, identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most expect the national government (69 %), business and industry (67 %) and/or the EU (63 %) to tackle climate change, while 41 % think it is a personal responsibility.