Greece

Greece ranks 30th in the CCPI – dropping eight places from last year but still among the medium performers. The country receives medium ratings in GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, and Energy Use, and low in Climate Policy.

The country’s Climate Policy rating remains low mainly because of Greece’s strong reliance on gas, including LNG imports, licensing and subsidisation of new regasification units, a high share of gas in the power mix, and the opening of new offshore oil and gas blocks. The low rating is further undermined by the Greek government’s surprising and disappointing refusal to approve the International Maritime Organization’s net-zero strategy, in October 2025. This move also puts Greece at odds with the EU’s supportive position.

GHG emissions showing decrease, but gas is actually increasing amid deep dependence

As in previous years, lignite use for electricity generation continues to decline, leading to substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in the power sector. At 5.7%, lignite plants’ share of overall generation reached an all-time low in 2024. The CCPI country experts welcome the power utility’s corresponding announcement that it will entirely phase out lignite by 2026. However, the experts criticise the absence of a gas phase-out, additional plans to build out new gas plants, and increased gas use over the last year. Several aspects regarding GHG emissions urgently need addressing to ensure the country’s alignment with EU policies and the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). There is inadequate progress in developing goals for electricity storage infrastructure, which is even more adverse considering lagging grid expansion and integration, and the escalation of curtailments. Also, the focus in industrial transformation seems to be on carbon capture and storage, and this is slowing decarbonisation processes and preventing structural change.

The experts indicate the country’s deep dependence on fossil gas and a lack of national plan for phasing out in a socially just manner are weaknesses in the country’s performance. They also note that support for domestic oil and gas extraction, framed as a something necessary amid rising energy security concerns, through the approval of offshore concessions to petroleum corporations in the seas of the Ionian and Crete, and comprehensive trade deals for importing US LNG, are rising. A lack of progressive pricing models and an increased domestic demand for gas, partly due to the decline in coal-fired electricity, are seen as the main drivers of regressive developments in the country.

RE deployment targets and EV incentives are among high points, while road transport urgently needs decarbonisation

At the same time, the experts highlight large-scale deployment of renewable energy source (RES) infrastructure, now account for more than half of the total electricity supply. This recent RES acceleration follows the new NECP that sets higher targets for renewable energy deployment. In other sectors, subsidisation of building renovations (though very limited, to just 11,500 residential buildings), predominance of electric busses in Athens’ public transport network, and free parking privileges for electric vehicles are policies that are now largely implemented, and the experts view these favourably.

Internationally, Greece’s government appears to tentatively support a 90% EU emissions reduction target provided it is economically feasible and despite the National Climate Law target only seeking an 80% decrease. Nevertheless, participate in the Global Methane Pledge and the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Initiative.

Overall, the experts focus their demands on key sectors such as transport, tourism, and industry. In the transport sector, urgent decarbonisation measures and implementation are needed for road transport, in which the emissions are expected to increase. Expansion of secure railways is also needed, and this has proven difficult in recent years and was further complicated by a deadly train accident in 2023 that eroded trust in the national railway system and sparked serious safety concerns among society. The experts call for a long-term plan for decarbonising the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by global warming and desperately needs reinforced adaptation measures to ensure its livelihood. Wildfire protection measures also are insufficient, according to some experts, as the 2025 wildfire season had another devastating number of fires, causing the loss of important carbon sinks and releasing millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Key Outcomes

CCPI experts

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

• Costas Kaloudis (Greenpeace Greece)
• Ioanna Souka & Nikos Mantzaris (The Green Tank)
• Konstantinos Chasapis-Tassinis, Anna Vafeiadou, George Chasiotis, Andriana Delegkou & Theodota Nantsou (WWF Greece)