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Cyprus Sets Ambitious Renewable Energy Targets for 2030

Cyprus has charted a bold path towards sustainability with its updated National Energy and Climate Plan, as announced by George Papanastasiou, the Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry.

By 2030, the Mediterranean island aims for 33.17% of its energy consumption to originate from renewable sources, transforming its energy framework to favor economic viability and consumer benefit.

The Path to Energy Efficiency

Key transformations include the launch of a competitive electricity market and the development of infrastructure for natural gas imports. Additionally, there is a robust focus on expanding renewable energy sources and increasing energy storage capabilities, all of which are crucial steps toward achieving these targets.

The National Energy and Climate Plan, officially submitted to the European Commission in December 2024, highlights a strategic shift to a green economy. According to the plan, Cyprus aims to keep its maximum energy usage at 1.8 million tonnes of oil equivalence while achieving a national goal of 349.04 thousand tonnes in energy savings by 2030. Encouragingly, 15.1% of these savings will focus on alleviating energy costs for vulnerable groups.

Community and Industry Support

The private sector has also voiced its support. Antonis Antoniou, President of the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB), emphasized the necessity of energy efficiency for a sustainable and competitive future. Echoing this sentiment, George Georgiou, President of the Pancyprian Energy Saving Association, called energy saving a cornerstone of sustainable development.

The drive towards energy sustainability in Cyprus finds parallels with broader European energy strategies. For example, the EU’s evolving energy plan also emphasizes reducing dependency on traditional energy sources (read more about the EU’s plan here).

As Cyprus strives to reach its ambitious goals, the island is poised to set a shining example of balancing economic growth with ecological stewardship.

payabl. Launches Click To Pay With Visa To Help Merchants Improve Checkout Conversion And Reduce Fraud

payabl. has launched Click to Pay with Visa, a new card payment experience designed to help merchants reduce checkout friction, improve authorisation rates, and deliver a faster, more secure online payment journey.

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Click to Pay replaces manual card number entry with a token-based checkout experience. Once a customer’s card is enrolled, they can complete purchases in just a few clicks, without re-entering card details. The result is a faster checkout that mirrors the ease of contactless payments in-store, while maintaining strong security standards.

For merchants, the impact is measurable. According to Visa, Click to Pay can deliver up to a 11% uplift in authorisation rates compared to manual card entry, alongside significant fraud reduction through network tokenisation. Faster checkout also helps reduce cart abandonment, particularly on mobile, where typing card details remains a major source of friction.

“With online checkout, every extra step costs conversion,” said Breno Oliveira, Chief Product Officer at payabl. “Visa Click to Pay removes one of the biggest points of friction at the moment of purchase. It helps merchants approve more legitimate transactions, reduce fraud exposure, and give customers the experience they already expect.” 

Visa Click to Pay is available through payabl. checkout, enabling merchants to activate the service without additional integration complexity. The solution works across devices and supports existing security flows, including 3D Secure where required.

“Consumers have come to expect a highly personalised, intuitive, and seamless payment experience, whether they’re buying a coffee, shopping online, or applying for a loan. Visa Click to Pay aims to meet these expectations by removing the need to manually enter card details, thus enhancing both security and the consumer experience in online card payments. With the support of network tokens, Visa Click to Pay enabled a more secure and smoother transaction process, available in many countries around the world. According to European VisaNet data, Visa Click to Pay may allow a 4.5% uplift in merchant sales, meaning a possible annual increase of €51 bn in SMB eCommerce sales in the UK and EU,” said Michael Ioannides, Country Manager, Visa Cyprus.

The launch forms part of payabl.’s broader focus on checkout optimisation, helping merchants improve conversion, approvals, and payment reliability at scale. Click to Pay with Visa is now live for eligible merchants across Europe. 

Checkout expectations are rising across Europe 

Insights from payabl.’s State of European Checkouts report underline why frictionless checkout experiences are becoming a commercial priority. The research found that consumers cite speed (46%), convenience (44%), and security (41%) as the top reasons for choosing a payment method. More than half of consumers (53%) are open to switching to newer payment methods and nearly half (48%) are open to one-click checkouts, provided the solution is backed by a trusted brand such as Visa.

“Checkout is no longer just the final step of a transaction,” said Oliveira. “It is a critical part of the overall customer experience. Our research shows that 43% of European consumers will not return to a site after a poor checkout experience. For merchants across the UK and Europe, that translates directly into lost customers and lost revenue.”

The launch forms part of payabl.’s broader focus on checkout optimisation, helping merchants improve conversion, approvals, and payment reliability at scale. Click to Pay with Visa is now live for eligible merchants across Europe.

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