The Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change (MedECC) is an independent scientific network on climate and environmental change and associated risks in the Mediterranean basin. MedECC acts as a science-policy interface to provide information to decision-makers and the general public on the basis of available scientific knowledge. Interactions between MedECC and decision-makers and stakeholders are developed, through a relevant science-policy interface built mainly on a close collaboration with Plan Bleu – Regional Activity Center of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) and the Union for the Mediterranean. The creation of MedECC in 2015 responds to needs and intentions expressed by regional institutions, such as the Mediterranean Action Plan of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP/MAP) through the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) 2016-2025 and the Regional Framework for Climate Change Adaptation in the Mediterranean, as well as the Expert Group on Climate Change of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM CCEG). The network includes hundreds of scientists from 35 countries that provide a wide range of expertise on a voluntary basis. The MedECC assesses the most scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to the understanding of the risks associated with climate and environmental change in the Mediterranean basin. The MedECC does not conduct any research. In November 2020, the MedECC published the First Mediterranean Assessment Report MAR1 with its Summary for Policymakers, written by 190 scientists from 25 countries, all contributing in individual capacity and without financial compensation. The MedECC has won the North-South Council of Europe Prize in 2020.
