The green transition of shipping concerns us all: Citizens’ voices are crucial

Complete the METAVASEA project questionnaire

By Dr Michalis Iereidis

Secretary General of CYMEPA

The Eastern Mediterranean is facing unprecedented environmental challenges, with climate change directly affecting coastal communities, the economy and our daily lives. At the heart of this reality, shipping — one of the most critical pillars of both the global and local economy — is undergoing a historic transformation. The gradual shift towards alternative fuels, digital applications and lower-emission technologies is not simply a technical or business adjustment, but an imperative for the future of our environment.

However, as the Cyprus Marine Environment Protection Association (CYMEPA), we consistently stress that this transition does not concern shipping companies, ports or technical experts alone. It directly concerns port cities, residents of coastal areas and society as a whole. A truly sustainable green transition must, above all, be people-centred.

This is precisely the philosophy behind the five-year METAVASEA project, in which CYMEPA participates as a partner, under the coordination of HELMEPA and with the support of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Our aim is to support the green and digital transition of shipping by placing people at the centre, to upgrade the skills of 1,500 seafarers and industry professionals, and to strengthen environmental awareness throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.

The findings from the first wave of the project’s survey, in which 898 people from the shipping sector, ports and civil society participated, are particularly revealing:

97% of citizens say they are concerned about the impact of global warming on our local environment.

78% consider the decarbonisation of shipping to be of very high importance for the sustainability of the Mediterranean.

At the same time, however, the survey highlighted significant gaps in awareness regarding shipping’s actual share of global greenhouse gas emissions. This contradiction underlines a major need: the need for reliable, clear and evidence-based information. Society wants to protect the sea and cares about doing so, but it needs the right tools and knowledge to understand the changes taking place and to become an active participant in them.

For this reason, we are calling today on every citizen in Cyprus — and particularly those who live and work in our coastal areas — to devote less than 10 minutes to completing the anonymous online METAVASEA questionnaire.

Your perceptions, knowledge and concerns will help identify the real education and information needs in our region. Your participation gives a voice to local communities, helping to ensure that the shipping sector of the future is shaped with sustainable development, sustainability and respect for people and the environment at its core.

The protection of the marine environment is not the responsibility of a select few; it is both the responsibility and the right of us all.

Useful Links

Participate in the questionnaire: https://www.helmepa.gr/metavasea