Working group on climate change established at Presidential Administration

President Klaus Iohannis has decided to set up a working group on "Fighting Climate Change: An Integrated Approach" at the level of the Presidential Administration, the Presidential Administration informed on Tuesday, in a press release, Agerpres reports.

According to the same source, this initiative is part of President Iohannis' commitment to get involved in the national effort to combat climate change and to strengthen policies in this field.

The working group will bring together national and international experts, prestigious members of the national and international academic community, representatives of public institutions, of non-governmental organizations, financial and economic organizations, with solid experience in climate change.

The Presidential Administration points out that the first objective of the working group is to develop a framework for an integrated approach to climate change in our country. Thus, a series of key priorities for Romania in combating climate change, in the medium and long term, will be identified.

The results of the consultations of the working group will be constantly presented to the public and submitted to the Government in order to contribute to the substantiation of the national strategies and plans on climate change, which must be finalized by the Government in the period 2022-2023.

It is also shown that the effects of climate change are increasingly visible in Romania and in the world, through the waves of intense heat, drought that destroys agricultural production, floods or threats to biodiversity caused by vegetation fires.

"In 2021, our country has faced a record number of immediate severe weather warnings (Code Red) issued by the National Meteorological Administration, and experts warn that they will become more frequent in the context of the climate change. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released new data on the acceleration of climate change and the need for strong action last summer. In response to these developments, the states participating in the global climate change conference in Glasgow, COP26, in November 2021, have made additional commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These commitments will require the implementation of new measures and policies to reduce emissions. The member states of the European Union are also discussing the Fit for 55 Package, which includes a series of measures meant to cut down emissions by 2030. We are therefore going through a period of readjustment of the European and international climate priorities and policies. The green transition can generate for Romania and Romanians not only a clean and healthy environment, the prevention of extreme weather events and associated natural disasters, but also wide access to clean energy, green growth and new jobs. In order to benefit from the positive effects of the green transition, we need to harmonize various interests in an integrated approach, guided by science and expertise, in response to COP26 and the Fit for 55 Package. The working group established at the level of the Presidential Administration is meant to support this national endeavour," said the same source.