Greece passes first climate law

Context

The Government of Greece passed the country’s first climate law to end the use of lignite / coal in the country’s electricity generation by 2028. 

Key-points

• The law contains the establishment of a process for developing sectoral carbon budgets for seven sectors of the economy, an element that exists only in the most progressive climate laws in Europe.
• It establishes measures and policies to optimise the country’s adaptation to climate change and ensure Greece’s carbonation path by 2050. 
• The country’s climate targets include cutting greenhouse emissions by-
• at least 55 per cent by 2030
• 80 per cent by 2040
• 2050 zero-net emissions

Measures and policies

• Strengthening adaptation to climate change at the lowest possible cost.
• Intermediate targets for mitigating anthropogenic emissions for 2030 and 2040.
• Carbon budgeting mechanism for key sectors of the economy.
• Progress indicators for achieving relevant targets, progress assessment and target adjustment procedures.
• The creation of a system of governance and participation for climate action was also envisaged. Measures were also introduced to mitigate emissions from electricity generation.

Room for improvement

• The Green Tank, a non-profit environmental think-tank, had participated in the public hearing on the first national climate law at the joint session of the Standing Committee on production and trade, as well as the Special Permanent Committee on environmental protection. 
• It had then submitted detailed recommendations in the form of a memo.
• The memo noted that compared to the bill submitted for public consultation in November 2021, the level of ambition was lower in several areas. 
• This contradicts the spirit of reforms currently underway in Europe.
• The REPowerEU Plan by the European Commission plans for saving energy; producing clean energy and diversifying the energy supplies and to make Europe "independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine."
• Fit for 55 package of the European Green Deal has set itself a binding target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. 
• As an intermediate step towards climate neutrality, the EU had raised its 2030 climate ambition, committing to cutting emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030.
• The legislation was a small step towards climate neutrality and that it lacked a strategy to enable Greece to shift away from fossil fuels in a front-loaded and fast way.