2023 Mediterranean Quality Status Report

United Nations 1 year ago

Published every 6 years,  the second edition of the MED QSR is the upshot of a collective endeavor involving the Contracting Parties, MAP partners, in particular the scientific community, the Secretariat and the MAP Components. The MED QSR series builds on a robust conceptual foundation and nationally sourced, quality-assured data submitted by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention or other reliable sources, to provide an evidence-based intelligible assessment of Good Environmental Status (GES) of the Mediterranean Sea and coast, based on a GES /non-GES approach, as defined in the framework of the ecosystem approach and its Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme IMAP. The 2023 report has been officially approved by UNEP and now is one of the official UNEP reports for 2024. The preparation of the 2023 MED QSR has seen coordinated efforts on data acquisition covering the 9 Ecological Objectives and 23 Common Indicators of IMAP. The report blends national data with patterns observed at the regional level. By distilling new knowledge, the report also contributes to other relevant assessment exercises at global, regional and national levels, and the implementation of respective policies and regulatory framework.  The 2023 MED QSR  is divided into three main chapters, "The Mediterranean Sea" "Assessments of the Quality Status of the Mediterranean Sea" and "Main Actions and Measures to Support the UNEP/MAP Work for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea and Coast from 2017 Med QSR."The report is supported by its Executive Summary (approved by COP23 in Portoroz, Slovenia, in December 2023) and the Summary for Policy Makers which was recently developed and approved under the leadership of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention All 3 reports are hosted by a dedicated website developed by INFO/RAC, which is publicly available, to ensure that it can be easily accessible and used by policymakers, experts, the public, young people and scientists and indeed, everyone harboring an interest in the marine and coastal environment in the Mediterranean context. Web site> 2023 MED QSRVideo> 2023 MED QSR  Watch the full video of 23th January 2025
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 7 hours ago



Momentum in sustainable construction is shifting from commitment to comprehensive implementation. Governments, developers, and educators are aligning on environmental sustainability in construction, framing it as systemic reform anchored in whole life carbon assessment and life cycle cost principles rather than isolated initiatives. Projects such as Barratt Redrow’s 495‑acre Woodlands scheme in the UK demonstrate how sustainable building design and eco-design for buildings can integrate biodiversity, energy-efficient buildings, and community‑scale planning. These projects illustrate a transition toward net zero carbon buildings supported by low carbon design and renewable building materials, moving the industry closer to net zero whole life carbon performance.

The policy and training landscape is responding. Public funding for technical colleges, including initiatives at the Leeds College of Building, underscores the requirement for trades familiar with low embodied carbon materials, circular construction strategies, and end-of-life reuse in construction. Building professionals are expected to manage the carbon footprint of construction through transparent disclosure and lifecycle assessment, integrating resource efficiency in construction and sustainable material specification throughout supply chains.

Litigation linked to climate accountability has heightened scrutiny of carbon neutral construction practices. Businesses are being challenged to demonstrate measurable carbon footprint reduction, governance integrating breeam and breeam v7 standards, and procurement strategies aligned with whole life carbon considerations. This transition reinforces life cycle thinking in construction, demanding clarity on environmental product declarations (EPDs) and traceability across low carbon construction materials.

International developments, including the US drive to decarbonise materials transport, signal convergence on circular economy in construction and the decarbonising of the built environment. Investigations into fraudulent retrofit schemes such as ECO4 have intensified focus on quality assurance and oversight essential for maintaining trust in green construction and sustainable building practices.

The sector’s maturity now depends on credibility and competence. Green infrastructure, eco‑friendly construction, and circular economy adoption are transforming how stakeholders evaluate the building lifecycle performance and environmental impact of construction. The outcome is a new operational routine where sustainable architecture, data‑driven lifecycle assessment, and pragmatic sustainable urban development define the next phase of global sustainability in construction.

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