22 October 2010: The Greek Government, with the support of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and in collaboration with leaders from across the Mediterranean, launched the Mediterranean Climate Change Initiative on 22 October 2010, in Athens, Greece.

According to the Joint Declaration released for the launch, Mediterranean leaders acknowledge the imperative for the Mediterranean to act now by: sharing best practice, experience and tools to adapt to changes already being observed; reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and pursuing opportunities for common low-carbon development strategies. They note that: the Mediterranean has an unrivalled potential to become a major hub of renewable energy generation for domestic and neighboring markets; and this potential implies increasing technical capability to exploit available resources, the creation of finance mechanisms, and intensified collaboration in the field of grid interconnections. They acknowledge that the emergence of a strong, action-oriented Mediterranean voice will contribute to global efforts to tackle climate change through the UNFCCC process and ensure that adaptation measures and low-carbon development opportunities for the region are explored at the international level. The Mediterranean Climate Change Initiative aims to contribute to the emergence of low-carbon, resource-efficient and climate-resilient economies in the Mediterranean by undertaking strategic policy development work addressing the specific challenges faced by the Mediterranean region.

The Initiative involves Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, the Palestinian National Authority, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. The European Commission, the Arab League, the World Bank and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) participated in the launch. [Joint Declaration] [Initiative Website]