The Neocleous Tower in Limassol is a sustainable office building that has attained LEED certification, making it the first commercial building in Cyprus to do so.
A carbon tax of one cent per cubic meter on water is to be implemented as part of green taxes, announced by the Nicosia Water board in conjunction with World Water Day. This tax is aimed at reflecting the environmental cost of water use and its scarcity. The Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan, introduced three years prior, included provisions for this tax but did not specify an amount. The plan highlights the need for reforms due to the energy-intensive and polluting nature of desalination plants, which Cyprus relies on for its drinking water supply. These plants contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and are powered by fossil fuels. The government is urged to require desalination plant operators to reduce reliance on conventional energy and switch to renewable sources. The announcement also touched on the importance of transboundary water cooperation for peace and sustainable development, noting that only 24 of the 153 countries with shared waters have comprehensive cooperative agreements. It mentioned the potential for a bi-communal agreement in Cyprus to provide drinking water across the ceasefire line as a confidence-building measure. Additionally, concerns about drought following a mild winter in 2023-2024 were raised, with actions being taken to increase water storage capacity. Current reservoir levels are at 69% capacity, with inflow this season at approximately 20 million cubic meters, compared to 48 million cubic meters in the winter of 2022-2023 and 154 million cubic meters the previous winter.