Regional—Acting for Climate in South Mediterranean (Clima-Med)

Identified as a a hotspot region for changes to climate, the Southern Mediterranean region is seeing increasing water scarcity, rising temperatures, and growing rates of desertification. The increasing frequency of severe weather impacts affects both socio-economic development and the geopolitical environment. The multidimensional nature of the changes call for a coherent and coordinated multi-sectoral response.

The ultimate objective of the Clima-Med project is to enhance the energy security and adaptive capacity of the partner countries, leading to more stable, efficient, competitive, and climate-resilient socioeconomic contexts, while increasing energy sovereignty and reducing emissions—in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia.

Sample Activities

• Support sustainable climate and energy policies and strategies both at national and local levels.
• Assist in the formulation and implementation of local Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans in line with the Global Covenant of Mayors principles.
• Identify concrete pilot actions and facilitate climate investments and the setup of finance mechanisms at national and local levels to accomplish those actions.

Select Results

• Engaged 97 local authorities from seven South Mediterranean countries to prepare 69 Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans, benefiting 8.7 million people.
• Conducted training in three municipalities in Palestine on measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas mitigation, with the support of the Government of Sweden.
• Helped create a Donors Coordination Group to create synergy with international finance institutions and donors’ initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa, that have the potential to support finance of projects identified in municipal Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans.
• Provided Help Desk Services on a regular basis to local authorities from the Maghreb and Mashreq project offices, to respond to the demand for coaching cities along with the preparation of their climate plans.
• Engaged more than 20 municipalities in a tree-planting awareness campaign.