Minister of National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis is in favor of the Green Deal and the green transition, but stressed the need for financial support during the Brussels Economic Forum organized by the European Commission.
“I don’t see a better way to support the public policies from the continuation of the Recovery Fund after 2026 with a new financing package,” he noted.
The Greek minister underlined that the effort to achieve the climate goals set in the context of the Paris Agreement should be continued, while at the same time making sure that the necessary adjustments are made to the pace of transition in certain sectors, such as agriculture, so that the income of farmers is not affected negatively. Hatzidakis also mentioned that the significant effort being made at the European level is not enough.
“We should place more emphasis on the observance and implementation of international agreements, while putting the climate agenda at the center of the bilateral agreements that Europe has with third countries. In addition, we should ensure that the least developed countries can also respond, and the international development banks can contribute significantly to this. Let’s make it practice,” emphasized Hatzidakis.
He also referred to the significant progress achieved by Greece, highlighting in particular the reduction of coal use by 80% in electricity generation, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 43% compared to 2005 and the increase in the share of renewables sources (with Greece ranking 7th globally based on the proportion of electricity generated from solar and wind and 5th in terms of capacity per capita).
