The Deputy Ministry of Shipping will do everything in its power to contribute positively towards making all coastal city of Limassol and all other coastal areas of Cyprus a place where future generations can thrive, enjoy, and improve their quality of life to the fullest, Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanoli has said. Addressing on Monday0 the Limassol Blue Forum, she said that it is an initiative that has become a tradition, serving as a well-established platform that brings together citizens and blue economy stakeholders. She congratulated the Limassol Municipality and Frederick University on organizing the Forum and most importantly as she said, on their commitment to blue economy and the protection of the environment. This year's forum, titled "Actions on Coast and Sea to Improve Quality of Life," she noted, addresses the urgent challenges placed upon us by accelerated climate change and intensified human activities. She said that the Blue Limassol Forum has consistently championed crucial aspects of the blue economy, such as coastal resilience and sustainability, and over the years, exerted real influence on the actions needed to safeguard the environment. The Shipping Deputy Ministry has always supported and embraced the Forum's initiatives, she noted. "After careful consideration of the Blue Limassol Risk Assessment study, we have decided to incorporate the study's recommendations in our action plan to combat marine pollution, protect our beaches and marine life that is under development" she went on to say. More specifically, she explained that in response to a key finding of the study, regarding the fragmentation of responsibility among many monitoring bodies and the consequent ineffectiveness of the overall framework, the Shipping Deputy Ministry, by decision of the Council of Ministers, established a Special Committee comprising of representatives from all relevant authorities, to address marine pollution in a holistic way, with enhanced effectiveness and coordination. "This is a sound example o f how our government formulates policy initiatives: based on scientific research, evidence and recommendations" she pointed out. Furthermore, she said that as we advance towards sustainable development goals, our reliance on human capital becomes more critical and the need for skilled professionals with environmental awareness more urgent. To this end, she added, last year, the Shipping Deputy Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Frederick University on a quest to map, at first, the future skillsets required by the shipping industry. "Our cooperation shall identify the professional skills in demand, enabling us to streamline more effectively academic maritime programs with market needs, and to effectively manage human resources in the blue economy cluster and particularly the maritime industry" the Deputy Minister said. "Looking to the future, we are proud to note that last month the Limassol Municipality has been awarded the EU Mission Label and is ready to move to the implementation phase o f transforming Limassol into a carbon-neutral and smart city by 2030, as part of the relevant Horizon Europe 100 Cities Mission project." she said and congratulated the mayor of Limassol on 'this remarkable achievement, as well as the academics from Frederick University and other universities and research institutions for their invaluable contributions to the city's strategic plan'. 'I assure you that the Shipping Deputy Ministry will join and support this effort with unwavering enthusiasm and consistency' she concluded. In his speech, Limassol Mayor Nikos Nicolaides said that this year's Forum attempts to Align Carbon Neutrality and Citizens' Wellbeing, within the framework of Limassol's participation in the EU Mission 2030. "Strengthening the dynamics of blue economy in Limassol has been one of the top goals of our City Council, and it is within this framework that the Limassol Municipality has proceeded to organize the yearly Blue Limassol Forum, and establish the Blue Economy Innovation Center, which h as been operating for two years now". The topic of this year's Forum, takes the EU Mission City 2030 program a step further, towards a more practical direction, focusing on Actions on Coast and Sea which could have a significant impact on the quality of life of our fellow Limassolians. He noted that implementing the provisions of our Climate City Contract, is by no means not an easy job, but some early winners show us that this is not an unreachable target. Source: Cyprus News Agency