Climate Crisis, Legislation and Policy

Nikos Mantzaris gave a speech entitled “Climate Crisis, Legislation and Policy” on July 2, 2021 to the students of the postgraduate course “Environmental Legislation, Environment and Administration” of the Department of Biology at the University of Athens (UoA).

Initially, he presented the main effects and causes of man-made climate change, as well as greenhouse gases, the activities responsible for their release, their distribution by fossil fuel, sector of the economy and country.

He then outlined the decisions and commitments made by world leaders to tackle climate change and linked them to specific changes in European climate and environmental legislation, which in turn have led to a drastic reduction in lignite and coal burning, which constitute the most polluting and climate damaging fossil fuels on the planet.

He then presented the climate performance of Greece since 1990 and its very significant improvement over the last two years due to the rapid decline in lignite production. He explained that one of the main reasons for the adoption of a national climate law is the consolidation of this recent climate progress as well as reaping the benefits and exploiting the long-term development prospects offered by the European Green Deal.

Finally, he presented specific ideas on the content of the national climate law based on both the specifics of the country as well as the experience of other national climate laws in Europe and the European Climate Law itself.