The Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change network, of which OUC Professor Ioannis Vogiatzakis is a member and one of the lead authors, was awarded the North-South Prize 2020 of the Council of Europe

The Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC) network, member and one of the lead authors of which is Ioannis Vogiatzakis, Professor of Environmental Conservation and Management and Director of the Terrestrial Ecosystems Management Lab of the Open University of Cyprus, was awarded the North-South Prize 2020 of the Council of Europe. This prize highlights the importance of partnership and cooperation in addressing global challenges, and acknowledges the work of the MedECC. The Award Ceremony took place on the 9th of December 2021, in the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic.

This distinction came timely with MedECC's 1st Assessment Report on Climate Change in the Mediterranean Basin. The report, co-authored by about 190 environmental scientists from 25 countries, including Professor Vogiatzakis as one of the lead authors, contains an assessment of available scientific knowledge on climate and environmental change and associated risks in the Mediterranean, and serves as a useful tool for policymakers, stakeholders and citizens. The network also constitutes a concrete example of the vision of the Mediterranean Sea as a shared space of peace, development and human rights