Climate & Energy

Following the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Nikos Tsafos’ public comments, The Green Tank would like to present the data and methodology on which its conclusions are based. The response below clarifies the data used and explains why the increased reliance on fossil gas remains a critical issue both for emissions and for the cost of electricity paid by consumers.

In 2025, Greece had the highest retail electricity prices in the EU-27 in terms of consumers’ purchasing power and the third highest in nominal prices. At the same time, the more expensive green tariffs continued to dominate the market despite their high cost, while increased fossil gas use kept both wholesale and retail electricity prices at elevated levels.

In an article on energypress.gr titled “Lignite is leaving, but the questions remain,” Nikos Mantzaris reflects on the permanent shutdown of the Agios Dimitrios Power Plant, the largest lignite-fired plant in Greece and one of the largest in the Balkans, after 42 years of operation.

Emissions from the four sectors covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) in the EU-27 remained largely unchanged in 2025 (-1.7%). At the same time, lignite and hard coal continued to account for 46% of emissions in the power and heat sector. In Greece, emissions from this sector increased due to higher fossil gas use, while the country recorded the highest maritime emissions in the EU. By contrast, the carbon footprint of the Greek cement industry fell by 9.2%, and that of refineries by 4.6%.

Domestic gas consumption in April (4.4 TWh) hit a 7-month low due to declines in all three sectors. Cumulatively for the first four months of 2026, total consumption remained at the same level as in 2025 (24.8 TWh), while consumption in networks reached a 4-year high (6.7 TWh). The primary source of imports for the 4-month period was LNG via Revythousa (17 TWh), despite a decline in April and the shutdown for maintenance of the Alexandroupolis FSRU. Exports saw a sharp decline in April (0.6 TWh). Compared to the other EU-27 member states for the first quarter of 2026, Greece

Emissions from electricity production rose in March 2026 to 1.28 million tons (+17% compared to February), with the carbon intensity standing at 222 g CO2/kWh (+10.6%) due to increased use of all three fossil fuels. For the first quarter of 2026, cumulative emissions were 3.96 million tons, down compared to 2025 (-24.7%) but higher than those of 2023 and 2024. There was a significant drop in emissions from oil (-44.7%) due to reduced production at thermal power plants in Crete.

In an article published on energygame.gr, Stavros Gennitsaris, Industrial Policy Associate at The Green Tank, highlights the potential of Green Public Procurement (GPP) as a lever for decarbonizing the cement industry.

In the first quarter of 2026, net exports (3.4 TWh) exceeded total exports for 2025 (3 TWh), thanks to high generation from renewables (5.9 TWh) and large hydro (2.5 TWh). However, gas and lignite saw an increase in March compared to February (+19.9% and +12.9%, respectively), resulting in higher average price on the wholesale market (€95/MWh, +21.3%). RES curtailments for the quarter totaled 410 GWh, double last year’s figure, while hours with zero or negative prices reached 240 (11% of the total hours for the quarter).

As part of Fortune Greece’s Earth Day 2026 special, Nikos Mantzaris, senior policy analyst & co-founder of The Green Tank, highlights that the environmental crisis is still reversible—but the window for action is rapidly closing.

The Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy has officially submitted Greece’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory for 2024 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The data point to a concerning development in the country’s climate policy trajectory, as emissions are increasing rather than declining.

Gas consumption increased across all three sectors in March, reaching 6.6 TWh. Overall, for the first quarter of 2026, gas consumption in networks recorded a four-year high, while industrial gas consumption reached a five-year high. LNG ranked first in imports (4.7 TWh), but there was also a significant increase in imports via Sidirokastro (1.49 TWh, up 338% compared to February). Exports in March reached a three-year high (2.6 TWh), while for the first quarter of 2026, exports totaled 5.99 TWh, with Sidirokastro serving as the main export gateway (78%).

In the first two months of 2026, the power generation sector emitted 2.89 million tons, a 17.2% decrease compared to the same period in 2025, though higher than in 2024 and 2023. Gas-fired power plants were responsible for more than half of overall emissions (1.49 million tons), while the lignite plant of Ag. Dimitrios was the top polluter with 0.8 million tons. The carbon intensity of electricity production stood at 246.2 g CO2/kWh.

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In the first two months of 2026, net exports reached a record high (2,356 GWh), which is linked to the fourfold increase in hydroelectric generation compared to 2025, as well as the significant rise in renewable energy, despite very steep curtailments in February (208 GWh or 8.7% of total RES production). The increase in clean energy also played a decisive role in reducing generation from fossil gas to a 9-month low, resulting in the average price on the wholesale electricity market falling to €78.4/MWh (-27.9%).