COP 30, Belém, 13 November 2025. During a dedicated press briefing, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the network of Mediterranean Scientists on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC) urged immediate, coordinated climate and environmental action, underscoring the Mediterranean Pavilion’s role in rallying a unified Mediterranean voice and elevating a region often overlooked in global negotiations. The scientific findings, drawn from the latest available research, were presented today by Grammenos Mastrojeni, UfM Senior Deputy Secretary General, and Prof. Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat, Principal Scientist at the European Forest Institute’s Mediterranean Facility (EFIMED) and a member of the MedECC network. Their conclusion reaffirm that the Mediterranean is a global climate hotspot.

Average warming in the region has already reached around +1.5°C, with projections ranging from +2.2°C to +5.6°C by 2100 depending on emissions. Precipitation is expected to decline by 10–30%, intensifying water stress across agriculture, energy systems and cities. Biodiversity loss is accelerating on land and at sea, while human pressures exacerbate degradation. Food systems face declining yields in emblematic crops such as olives, grapes and wheat, and shrinking fish stocks increase import dependence. The public health burden is mounting due to more frequent heatwaves, expanding vector‑borne diseases and worsening air quality.

The UfM reiterates that safeguarding Mediterranean people, economies and ecosystems requires faster emissions cuts, scaled adaptation, resilient coastal management and circular economy measures to curb pollution—underpinned by strengthened regional cooperation to mobilise finance and share solutions. Looking ahead, MedECC, with the support of the Union for the Mediterranean, is preparing the Second Mediterranean Assessment Report (MAR2), expected by end of 2026. The report’s findings will inform regional and national policy processes, providing an updated scientific foundation to guide decision-making across the Mediterranean.