Greece has unveiled a historic climate law that will serve as a roadmap for the country’s green energy transition.
“It is a historic legislative initiative, given that for the first time tackling climate change is enshrined in a binding legislative requirement,” said the Minister of Environment and Energy Kostas Skrekas.
The long-term goal is of course to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 which means reducing net emissions by 55 per cent by 2030, compared to 1990 and by 80 per cent in 2040.
To reach these targets, Minister Skrekas mentioned several measures including the shutdown of lignite power plants, which was already announced by the Prime Minister in September 2019; the promotion of electric mobility; interventions to reduce CO2 emissions in buildings; and new actions to reduce the environmental footprint of unconnected islands.
“We want Greece to play a leading role in the efforts to tackle the climate crisis, which is without a doubt the biggest threat that our planet faces today,” he said.
The national law doesn’t only insist on the quantity (for example, the percentage of emission reductions) but also on the qualitative aspect, with municipalities, businesses and every citizen will be taken into consideration.
A crucial aspect, as underlined by Konstantinos Aravossis, Secretary General of Natural Environment and Water is the calculation and monitoring of the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be released in five years.
