Greece will slash its carbon dioxide emissions 65 percent by 2050, Environment Minister Tina Birbili said last week, adding that the Papandreou government plans to put in place a long-term energy policy.
The government plans to introduce into parliament legislation simplifying procedures for investment into renewable energy “which should reach 20 percent by 2020,” she said at a conference organised by The Economist news magazine.
Climate change “isn’t just a global game but also a national challenge”, Birbili said ahead of the global climate conference beginning next week in Copenhagen.
She noted that new government renamed her office the Environment and Climate Change Ministry in order to promote green policies and change development models.
Nevertheless the new energy policy will continue to recognise the preeminent place of lignite, or brown coal, in Greece’s energy mix, although “using best practices”, she said.
The use of the relatively dirty fuel, of which Greece is a major producer, is one reason why the country emits 37 percent more carbon dioxide per unit of gross domestic product than the average in the 27-member European Union.