Press Releases / Announcements

It has been six years since the Prime Minister announced Greece’s full exit from lignite from the UN podium. Up until that decision, and during the first eight months of 2019, the country relied on 7.4 TWh of electricity from lignite. At any given hour of the year, at least one lignite unit was in operation, and the power sector emitted a total of 19 million tonnes of CO₂ over that eight-month period.

Despite notable progress, 2024 saw an increase in emissions from power generation in Greece due to fossil gas and stagnation in industrial emissions. In contrast, the EU-27 achieved a 20-year low in emissions in both sectors. Greece also ranked first among EU-27 countries in shipping emissions, while emissions from aviation doubled compared to 2013.

The Green Tank contributed to a major study assessing the governance of Protected and Conserved Areas (PCAs) worldwide. The study was led by a team from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), with input from the Fidelio program and under the scientific guidance of Dr. Nicoletta Jones (Warwick University / University of Cambridge).

Spending by vulnerable households in Greece is expected to increase by up to EUR 1.6 billion between 2027 and 2032 due to the implementation of the new Emissions Trading System (ETS2) for buildings and road transport. A new study by The Green Tank and Facets recommends a mix of immediate and long-term measures, costing up to EUR 15.5 billion, leveraging the Social Climate Fund (SCF) and other available resources to protect vulnerable households while also contributing to climate targets.

The Natural Heritage Mission of the Interreg EURO-MED programmes, in collaboration with the Organization for Natural Environment and Climate Change (OFYPEKA) and the National Technical University of Athens, celebrated European Maritime Day “In My Country” by organizing a workshop on “Governance solutions for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean,” on Thursday 3 July 2025. The Green Tank and the ARTEMIS project were represented by Dimitra Syrou, while Alice Wittevrongel from Plan Bleu, the lead partner of the ARTEMIS project, coordinated the working group on the theme of 'Restoration'."

Following the decision of the Green Fund’s Board of Directors under the Ministry of Environment and Energy, which convened on July 2 2025, co-funding was approved for The Green Tank for the LIFE EFFECT project for the year 2025. The LIFE EFFECT project (LIFE Effective and Fair European Carbon Trading: Ensuring EU carbon pricing and…

The Green Tank’s ninth newsletter for the developments of the last six months (January – June 2025) related to the Just Transition of lignite regions in Greece and in Europe has been published.

According to data from Entso-E, the hours of zero lignite production in the first half of 2025 increased by almost 12%, reaching 817 hours compared to 732 hours during the same period in 2024. The vast majority of these zero-production hours (809 hours) occurred after the end of the district heating season in Western Macedonia (May 15, 2025).

The Green Tank and the free press Together are launching a new partnership to strengthen the role and participation of young people of the lignite regions in the Just Transition.

The new CAN report titled “Community Engagement and Fair Benefit Sharing of Renewable Energy Projects”, in which The Green Tank contributed, presents a guide aimed at strengthening the engagement of local communities in renewable energy projects.

However, the slowdown in both the electrification and new applications for self-production projects by citizens, energy communities and other stakeholders, recorded after the switch to the net billing scheme is worrisome, according to the new Green Tank review. The lignite region of Western Macedonia continues to face the biggest problem of grid space availability.

On Tuesday April 29, the Green Tank organized the webinar “What is the ETS 2 and why does it concern us?”, in the context of the LIFE Effect project.

A side event at the 10th Our Ocean Conference in Busan, Korea showcased progress on the innovative SAvE Whales system, one year after its joint commitment was announced in Athens. The collaboration between Greek authorities and conservation organisations aims to prevent ship strikes on endangered sperm whales in the Mediterranean.

In an open event held in Sitia, local stakeholders and residents were informed about the model restoration activities of Posidonia oceanica meadows in Atzikari Bay, as part of the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project. The event showcased the first results of beach and underwater clean-up efforts in Atzikari Bay.