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Between 7 and 10 October 2025, The Green Tank participated in the third in-person meeting of the ARTEMIS project in Monfalcone, Italy — an important opportunity for project partners to assess progress and coordinate next steps in this broad Mediterranean initiative to restore and conserve Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows through innovative scientific, policy, and financial approaches.

The first 9 months of 2025 saw the second highest historical gas consumption (51.3 TWh) after 2021. Demand in the power generation sector reached a decade high (36.5 TWh, 71% of the total). LNG was the first source of imports (22.8 TWh, +81% compared to 2024), although in September, Russian gas imports (2.51 TWh) exceeded LNG (1.63 TWh).

A decision of utmost importance for the integrity of the institution of Energy Communities (ECs), Citizen Energy Communities (CECs) and Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) was announced last week by the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY).

In her article published on energypress, Ioanna Souka highlights that citizen participation is a prerequisite for a fair and sustainable energy transition.

In July 2025, the European Commission presented the “Roadmap Towards Nature Credits”, an initiative that examines how nature protection and restoration can be enhanced through private finance, and in particular, through reliable, scientifically based and transparent nature credit schemes. The Green Tank, together with the partners of the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project, contributed to the public consultation.

In the first 8 months of 2025, carbon emissions from the power sector (10.56 million tons) exceeded the annual carbon budget of the NECP (10.2 million tons), as fossil gas plants set a record for the same period with 5.79 million tons. For August, however, emissions were relatively lower (1.32 million tons), and carbon intensity was low (213.9 g CO2/kWh) thanks to reduced lignite and gas use.

Ahead of the announcement of October electricity tariffs, Nikos Mantzaris spoke on ERT with journalist Katerina Christofilidou about energy prices.

A record monthly electricity production from RES (2,992 GWh) occurred in August despite high curtailments (231 GWh). With lignite significantly reduced (74 GWh) and gas slightly reduced (2,024 GWh), the average wholesale market price was 73.16 €/MWh, a 16-month low. The first eight months of 2025 saw record highs for exports (1,420 GWh) and gas (15,413 GWh). However, net sources outperformed fossil fuels by 602 GWh, meeting 52.6% of demand.

Nikos Mantzaris, political analyst and co-founder of The Green Tank, appeared on ERT3’s “Synora” show to discuss Greece’s progress in phasing out coal and the significant delays in the Western Balkans.

At a time when the focus is on lowering energy costs for the country’s large industries, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must not be left behind. Energy communities offer a crucial tool to support them, enabling collective energy production and consumption, which lowers costs and strengthens financial sustainability. According to the article by Christina Zafeirouli on energygame.gr, with contributions from Ioanna Souka, there are already examples of energy communities in Greece, the most recent being the Prespes Renewable Energy Community (PREC).

Ioanna Souka, Energy Policy Analyst at The Green Tank, spoke on the radio program Euranet and to journalists Nikos Andritsos and Korina Georgiou, about the just energy transition and the crucial role of citizens. As she stressed, “for the energy transition to succeed, citizen participation is essential.”

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.

The Green Tank has submitted comments on the public consultations for the National Marine Parks of the Ionian Sea and the South Aegean – Southern Cyclades, expressing its support for their establishment and protection, as well as its satisfaction with the country’s fulfillment of commitments to marine biodiversity conservation and the creation of new marine protected areas.

In an article on Climatebook.gr, Ioanna Souka analyzes the new EU carbon tax (ETS2) set to apply from 2027 to heating and road transport.