Environment commissioner calls for individual and global action

Never before has the need to comply with the wishes of the planet been so imperative worldwide, Environment Commissioner Klelia Vassiliou said during the annual Earth Hour event on Saturday night.

Vassiliou’s message was read out at all events that took place to mark the day when lights were switched off for an hour.

“The air we breathe is declining, there is a lot of talk about water, and even more talk about food security, especially after the horror of the war that follows the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” she said.

“Humanity is once again called to stand on the right side of history and to choose what is most important.”

The Commissioner said the environment was a result of individual and collective actions.

Cyprus was doing its bit through the EU recovery fund for a green transition, the biodiversity strategy, the climate strategy, and through the initiative of the president to establish an action plan to address the climate crisis in the region.

Individual responsibility was also necessary, she said.

“We plant trees and watch them grow healthily, we do not consume materials that add to the volumes of unmanageable waste, we reuse, we recycle! We cook as much food as we need and save raw materials – we definitely do not throw away food,” she added.

“We do not use our car for distances that we can walk, we pay attention to nature and everything around us.”