World Environment Day - The actions of UNEP/MAP for a green renaissance in Mediterranean

In response to the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, Mediterranean countries are in the process of introducing policy, measures and stimulus packages to support recovery. Millions of jobs are on the line and according to initial estimates, lockdowns aiming to weather the pandemic will have already knocked several percentage points off national income. Yet despite the trail of destruction that COVID-19 is leaving in its wake, the region must seize a historic opportunity to build back better.

Building back better entails revisiting our relationship with nature. In the Mediterranean billions will be injected into economic recovery programmes. Decisions on which sectors these flows will pour into and whether green jobs and renewable energy will be prioritised over the unsustainable business-as-usual will shape our collective future in the region.

The Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols stand at a historic juncture. Here are six ways in which the UNEP/MAP—Barcelona Convention system can help underpin their action to build back better for a green renaissance in Mare Nostrum. Read more