2023 Mediterranean Quality Status Report

United Nations 7 months 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 6 hours ago



Construction’s shift to sustainability continues to draw attention as financing models increasingly support change across the supply chain. Lincoln CDM Services has adopted invoice finance to strengthen collaboration between contractors and suppliers, ensuring delivery of sustainable building practices. Stable funding is proving as critical as low carbon construction materials or energy-efficient buildings, safeguarding long-term adoption of sustainable building design.

Concerns over waste management are intensifying, with industry experts warning that construction and demolition waste could stall progress toward net zero Whole Life Carbon. The lack of clear policy and delayed investment is restricting recycling and reuse, undermining circular economy in construction efforts. Greater focus on end-of-life reuse in construction and resource efficiency in construction is now seen as essential to protect achievement of carbon footprint reduction goals.

Repurposing of outdated fossil fuel infrastructure in the US and Europe highlights potential pathways for the sector. Projects converting coal plants into data centre energy hubs illustrate how circular construction strategies can bring new value to redundant assets. This approach reduces embodied carbon in materials, cuts the carbon footprint of construction, and reinforces sustainable construction as a driver of wider decarbonising the built environment efforts.

Urban development continues to be shaped by transport planning, with the Energy Saving Trust publishing guidance for local authorities to advance low carbon design strategies. Sustainable urban development requires integration of mobility solutions with eco-design for buildings and green infrastructure. These measures influence building lifecycle performance and provide opportunities for net zero carbon buildings through coordinated planning.

Architectural projects are also driving awareness of environmental sustainability in construction. The planned Sustainability Hall in Taipei from architect Tadao Ando demonstrates how sustainable architecture can combine sustainable material specification with cultural value. It reinforces the role of sustainable building design in shaping public understanding of Whole Life Carbon Assessment and sustainable design.

Across these developments, industry leaders emphasise the need for lifecycle assessment and life cycle thinking in construction to ensure transparent benchmarks. From embodied carbon measurement to life cycle cost analysis, the sector is defining pathways toward carbon neutral construction. The alignment of finance, design innovation, and circular economy strategies is demonstrating that green construction and eco-friendly construction are becoming both achievable and commercially sustainable.

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