Greece

Greece rises six places to 22nd in this year’s CCPI, remaining among the medium performers. The country receives a medium rating in GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, and Energy Use, and low in Climate Policy.

The CCPI national experts acknowledge Greece’s progress in increasing renewables capacity, though they remain critical of the absence of a spatial planning framework. The targets set in the final National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) are deemed to be of medium ambition at best and unable to keep temperature increase below the 1.5°C limit.

A Notable GHG Emissions Decline

GHG emissions have declined with a drop in lignite use for electricity generation and the expansion of renewables. As a member of the Powering Past Coal Alliance and Global Methane Pledge, Greece communicates its progressive will internationally as well. However, the weak fossil fuel phase-out goals in the final NECP, low ambition in energy savings, and plans for exploration of domestic hydrocarbons are criticised. Decarbonisation processes are lagging in the buildings, transport, and heating and cooling sectors.

Greece is also growing conservative in its longer-term climate goals. It resisted the European Commission’s proposed GHG reduction target of 90% by 2040 and has itself set a low-ambition 2040 target (80%).

A True Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Is Needed

The experts demand that Greece abandons fossil energy resources. More specifically, there is a need for a concrete gas phase-out plan with a parallel focus on expanding renewables, energy efficiency, and battery storage and grids. This plan would include phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and adopting a moratorium on hydrocarbon exploration. The CCPI experts suggest that Greece becomes a contracting party to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which would send a strong signal to both the national and international community. The energy transition should advance further based on the principles of a just and social transition and accounting for a diverse range of stakeholders. Schemes for self-generation of electricity and energy communities led by citizens or small- and medium-sized enterprises are possibilities for supporting inclusive approaches to the energy transition.

The experts also call for implementing biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation priorities. Spatial planning with a layered zoning system ranging from explicitly preferred areas for energy generation to strictly protected areas could support biodiversity conservation.

Key Outcomes

CCPI Experts

The following national experts agreed to be mentioned as contributors for this year’s CCPI:

• Aria Tzamalikou, Ioanna Souka & Nikos Mantzaris (The Green Tank)
• Emmanuella Doussis (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)
• Chris Vrettos (Electra Energy)
• Kostis Grimanis (Greenpeace Greece)
• Alexandros Moulopoulos (WWF Greece)