NICOSIA – Trying to hasten a move toward the use of more sustainable energy in a country with plentiful sun and wind, The Cyprus Economy and Competitiveness Council recommended a Deputy Ministry for Climate.

A statement from the council, said Kathimerini, said the plan had seven proposals in a move toward so-called Green Energy, the country joining others in trying to wean off oil as the primary source.

Chief among them was a new deputy ministry aimed at also finding ways to reduce the cost of energy as it has soared now in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and roiled world markets.

The Environment and Green Sustainability would allow the unified adoption and monitoring of a long-term energy strategy, climate neutrality by 2050 and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) the report said, although government goals for energy efficiency often fail to be met.

It also proposed a long-term energy strategy up to 2050 to allow the Cypriot economy to adapt, giving successive governments a chance to pass on responsibility, and another recommendation was upgrading the infrastructure and network of the electricity grid through greater use of renewable energy sources.