Limassol municipality, with the aim to become climate neutral within the next eight years, signed a cooperation agreement with the Cyprus university of technology (Tepak) last week.

After the signing of the agreement for the EU Mission Cities programme, for the 100-climate neutral and smart cities of the EU, Tepak rector Panayiotis Zafiris said the university is committed to contribute to the municipality’s goal to make Limassol greener and more digital.

The programme EU Mission Cities is fully aligned with the university’s actions, which involve the development of 17 objectives for sustainable development, environmental protection and improvement of the quality of life in the city.

“We have a unique opportunity to change our city,” Limassol Mayor Nicos Nicolaides said on Wednesday night. He added that “we have a big challenge ahead of us, for which we need to mobilise everyone, universities, research centres, private companies, the government and especially citizens.”

Together with 99 other European cities, selected by the European Commission, Limassol was invited to create a large laboratory of pioneers in the fight for climate neutrality, which the rest of Europe will try to achieve in 2050, Nicolaides said.

This, he added, means promoting solutions for sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, building design, the circular economy and the way we operate our coasts and ports.

The Cyprus Institute will be the scientific coordinator in the Limassol municipality’s participation in the EU mission.