European Union's energy goals for 2020, inclusion of aviation in EU ETS since 2012 and the important increase of CO2 emissions in Southern Mediterranean countries, all justify to pay careful attention to the challenges of the carbon constraint at the Euro-Mediterranean scale. The notion of "carbon constraint" stems from the application of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and from the Kyoto Protocol that resulted in the implementation of the EU ETS in European Union countries. Contrary to European countries that committed to emissions reductions goals ("Annex I countries" of UNFCCC and "Annex B countries" of Kyoto Protocol), Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries (SEMC), like other emergent countries, apply the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" that exempt them from adopting any binding emission reductions goals. The extension of the EU ETS, with the auctioning of emission credits as of 2013, and the evolution, even though difficult, of international climate negotiations might nevertheless modify the situation of unbalanced commitments that prevails between Northern countries and Southern countries (section 1). Moreover, if the carbon constraint for European countries remains today soft, it might on a short or medium term generate several economic and social impacts, and potentially on the regional trade (section 2). Several green initiatives undertaken on the Southern shore to develop environmental policies and new carbon market mechanisms have to be supported so as to limit these negative impacts and to implement a virtuous regional momentum (section 3).

The First Mediterranean Assessment Report (MAR1) prepared by the independent network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change (MedECC) founded in 2015 was published in November 2020. MAR1 assesses the best available scientific knowledge on climate and environmental change and associated risks in the Mediterranean Basin in order to render it accessible to policymakers, stakeholders and citizens. The report has been written by 190 scientists from 25 countries, all contributing in individual capacity and without financial compensation. The report includes a Summary for Policymakers (SPM), which comprises the key messages of the MAR1. The UNEP/MAP – Barcelona Convention Secretariat, through its Plan Bleu Regional Activity Center, and the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean work in partnership to support MedECC, and to contribute to establish a sound and transparent scientific assessment process.

This book pursues a unique approach, investigating both the ecological and socio-economic aspects of carbon management in Mediterranean ecosystems. All chapters are based on papers originally presented at the 1st Istanbul Carbon Summit, held at Istanbul Technical University, 2–4 April, 2014, and revised following a peer-review process. The book addresses the summit’s three main themes – carbon management, carbon technologies, and carbon trends – while also offering chapters on the economic aspects of carbon management and the ecological aspects of the carbon cycle. The chapters on economic aspects analyze the carbon trade and its institutional, political, and legislative structures in different Mediterranean nations, while those on ecological aspects review the discourse on and analysis of the related ecological factors and their feedback due to governance processes.

This book has been published by Allenvi (French National Alliance for Environmental Research) to coincide with the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakesh. It is the outcome of work by academic researchers on both sides of the Mediterranean and provides a remarkable scientific review of the mechanisms of climate change and its impacts on the environment, the economy, health and Mediterranean societies. It will also be valuable in developing responses that draw on “scientific evidence” to address the issues of adaptation, resource conservation, solutions and risk prevention. Reflecting the full complexity of the Mediterranean environment, the book is a major scientific contribution to the climate issue, where various scientific considerations converge to break down the boundaries between disciplines.

This crucial volume arose out of the success of the first workshop of the Cyprus Institute held in 2005. The proceedings present an overview of the implications of climate change for the eastern Mediterranean and the impact of climate change response on regional economic activity, particularly in the hydrocarbon industry. This book is aimed not just at scientists and researchers but should command a much wider audience, including policy makers and politicians.

This book serves the purpose of showcasing some of the works in respect of applied research, field projects, and best practice to foster climate change adaptation across the region. Climate change is having a much greater impact in the Mediterranean than the global average. In the Paris Climate Agreement, the UN member states pledged to stop global warming at well below two degrees, if possible at 1.5 degrees. This mark, which is expected elsewhere only for 2030 to 2050, has already been reached in the region. The situation could worsen in the coming years if the global community does not limit its emissions. The above state of affairs illustrates the need for a better and more holistic understanding of how climate change affects countries in the Mediterranean region on the one hand, but also on the many problems it faces on the other, which prevent adaptation efforts. There is also a perceived need to showcase successful examples of how to duly address and manage the many social, economic, and political problems posed by climate change in the region, in order to replicate and even upscale the successful approaches used. It is against this background that the book "Climate Change in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Region" has been produced. It contains papers prepared by scholars, practitioners, and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing climate change projects, and working across the region.