The upcoming decade to 2030 will determine the success of humanity’s shift to a sustainable trajectory that will integrate environment protection in all facets of economic and social activity. While sustainable development is a recognized global objective, as expressed in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, agreed by the United Nations in 2015, the challenge of its attainment remains.
The Green Tank aims at the acceleration of this shift through its research-based analysis, advocacy and engagement with key stakeholders at the local, regional, national and European level.
The Just Transition of coal and lignite mining regions to sustainable economic activities constitutes a field of particular interest and activity for us. The decades-long monoculture of coal and lignite in these regions has rendered local economies dependent on mining at multiple levels, while leaving deep wounds to the environment and human health. Focusing initially on Western Macedonia, we aim to ensure that no citizen in the 42 coal regions of Europe is left without support, as Europe proceeds with an irreversible shift to a zero carbon economy.

Highlights
25/01/2021
The Green Tank and the Heinrich Boll Stiftung Greece are publishing, in collaboration, a feature on the contemporary
25/01/2021
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The Green Tank and the Heinrich Boll Stiftung Greece are publishing, in collaboration, a feature on the contemporary
21/01/2021
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The environmental think tank "The Green Tank" and the Greek office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung invite you to an
21/12/2020
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The Green Tank submitted comments to the public consultation on the strategic axes of the Greek National Recovery
19/12/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris participated in the online event titled "«In my beginning is my end…», a narrative of the
14/12/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris was quoted in an article by Energy Monitor investigating the challenges associated with Greece’s transition away
10/12/2020
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Οpinion piece by Nikos Mantzaris on the main elements of the agreement on the European Just Transition Fund. The article
01/12/2020
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Article by energy portal energypress about the event organized by dianeosis on November 30, 2020, where Nikos Mantzaris
01/12/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris participated in the online event organized by diaNEOsis entitled "The Greek Green Deal" on Monday, November
29/11/2020
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Ioanna Theodosiou participated in the Greenwave Festival session titled "Economy, Environment and Piece: the multifaceted crisis, today's dead-ends
27/11/2020
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The Green Tank’s analysis of the public poll conducted by MARC in the period 21-29 October 2020 with
16/11/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris, Green Tank's senior policy analyst, participated in the two-day conference "Renewable & Storage Forum" organized successfully
09/11/2020
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Green Tank’s Nikos Mantzaris participated in the pan-European conference of Client Earth, an organization of environmental lawyers, on
29/10/2020
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Opinion piece by Ioli Christopoulou emphasizing the value of open dialogue and participatory consultations before the planning of
28/10/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris spoke about the developments related to the Just Transition of lignite regions in Greece and the
23/10/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris participated in the online forum "Western Macedonia-Megalopolis: Transition to the post-lignite era and new business opportunities"
13/10/2020
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The Green Tank submitted comments and specific recommendations to the public consultation on the Master Plan for the
24/09/2020
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Ioanna Theodosiou and Nikos Mantzaris from The Green Tank participated in the 3rd Forum of Mayors on Just
24/09/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris gave a presentation on the role of Non-Governmental Organizations in the Just Transition of lignite regions
23/09/2020
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It is one year since the Greek Prime Minister announced the historic commitment that Greece is to completely
21/09/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris spoke to journalist Machie Tratsa about the fossil gas investments that are included in the Master
21/09/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris spoke to journalist Machie Tratsa about the fossil gas investments that are included in the Master
17/09/2020
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Opinion piece by Ioanna Theodosiou on the coal phase-out Master Plan and the transition of Western Macedonia and
16/09/2020
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Opinion piece by Nikos Mantzaris on the results of the voting on the amendments on the Just Transition
14/09/2020
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Opinion article by Nikos Mantzaris on the necessity to correct the choice of fossil gas investments in the
07/09/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris spoke to pv magazine and columnist Ilias Tsagas about the Just Transition Regulation and the allocation
28/07/2020
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The policy developments surrounding Just Transition in Greece and Europe from 2015 to date, the conclusions drawn and
24/07/2020
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In an interview to ERT Kozani, Nikos Mantzaris analyzed the consequences for Western Macedonia of the agreement reached
22/07/2020
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Interview of Nikos Mantzaris to the newspaper Chronos Kozanis and journalist Argyro Xanthopoulou on how the decisions of
18/07/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris is quoted in an article in the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel which analyzes the coal-phase out
07/07/2020
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Ioli Christopoulou participated in a "roundtable" discussion during an online event co-organized by the General Secretariat for Research
06/07/2020
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A follow up answer to Paris Koukoulopoulos' continuation of the public dispute with Nikos Mantzaris. The answer was published
05/07/2020
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The Green Tank submitted detailed comments on the proposed plan of the municipality of Kozani for its transition
04/07/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris spoke in the show “ECO News” of SKAI channel and Katerina Christofilidou, about the latest developments
03/07/2020
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The potential of making the allocation of the Just Transition Fund among the EU-27 Member States more just
25/06/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris responds to the personal attack by former MP and former mayor of Kozani, Paris Koukoulopoulos regarding
17/06/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris spoke to pv magazine and columnist Ilias Tsagas about the European Green Deal, the EU recovery
05/06/2020
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On the occasion of the 2020 World Environment Day, Nikos Mantzaris and Ioli Christopoulou discuss the challenges that
29/05/2020
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Article by Nikos Mantzaris in “Proinos Logos Kozani” regarding the available resources for the Just Transition of Greece’s
27/05/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris was invited to the second discussion organized by the TEDxAUEB Homemade Sustainability Discussions. During an online
14/05/2020
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Analysis by Nikos Mantzaris on the state of play regarding the negotiation for the European Just Transition Fund The
12/05/2020
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What is the path to return after the coronavirus? The response in a concise text by Ioli
04/05/2020
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Open letter of 45 think-tanks and NGOs to the European Central Bank on united recovery measures for the COVID-19 and
18/04/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris stressed the need for Just Transition, as a core component of the European Green Deal, to
10/04/2020
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Opinion piece by Ioanna Theodosiou on energy communities and the role they should and must play in the
09/03/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris referred to the need for a revision of the allocation criteria for the, currently under nergotiation,
26/02/2020
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Nikos Mantzaris participated in Tasos Teloglou’s show “Special Report” on decision to phase out lignite, its causes,
25/02/2020
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Talk by Ioli Christopoulou titled “Protected areas as models of sustainable development: prospects and opportunities" at the SYRIZA
16/02/2020
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The significance of Greece demanding a change in the criteria used to allocate funds of the new European
03/02/2020
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The lignite phase out by 2023 and the recent announcement of the European Commission's proposal for the new
01/02/2020
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Participation of Ioli Christopoulou in a panel discussion on the European Green Deal hosted by Matroni Dikaiakou’s "Karta
17/01/2020
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Talk by Ioli Christopoulou titled “The critical decade – Financing for a sustainable future” during the National Conference
17/01/2020
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Opinion article by Nikos Mantzaris on the new Just Transition Mechanism aiming at supporting the transition of EU
31/12/2019
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Shortly before the dawn of the new decade, Ioli Christopoulou presents the 8+1 environmental trends from Greece and
16/12/2019
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A brief overview of the detailed comments the Green Tank submitted to the public consultation regarding the country's
29/11/2019
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Participation in the research conducted by the team of journalists “The Manifold”, around the challenges of Just Transition
22/10/2019
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Will Western Macedonia look to the future or try to remain attached to an obsolete past? Journalists Socrates Moutidis
21/10/2019
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Guest lecture by Ioli Christopoulou on the role of environmental NGOs in environmental governance on October 21, 2019. Ioli
21/10/2019
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Interview by Nikos Mantzaris to Dimitra Krayianni and the newspaper “Tharros” regarding the challenges of the transition of
19/09/2019
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Nikos Mantzaris represented the Green Tank at the Balkan Clean Energy Transition (BCET) Conference held in Kozani on
19/09/2019
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Opinion piece by Nikos Mantzaris on the main political asks related to the transition of lignite regions in
16/09/2019
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Nikos Mantzaris participated in the 2nd Forum of Just Transition Mayors organized by the Mayor of Weisswasser, Germany
15/07/2019
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Every region and every community is different. As EU countries wake up to the climate emergency and the
06/07/2019
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Article by Ioli Christopoulou on two lignite villages, Akrini and Anargiroi, in Western Macedonia, awaiting for years to
19/06/2019
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Nikos Mantzaris from the Green Tank participated in the TV show "Pre-election debate: Searching for answers for Greece’s
05/06/2019
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Οn the occasion of the World Environment Day, an opinion piece by Ioli Christopoulou on the European election
23/05/2019
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Opinion piece by Ioli Christopoulou in which it is explained why the result of the EU elections and
20/05/2019
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8 environmental organizations (Europe Beyond Coal, Polish Green Network, Priatelia Zeme CEPA, Greenpeace, WWF, CEE Bankwatch, CAN Europe and the
06/05/2019
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Talk by Nikos Mantzaris titled “The time has come: Lignite phase-out!” in the context of the open discussion
09/04/2019
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Nikos Mantzaris from the Green Tank participated in the 4th Working Group Meeting of the Coal Regions in Transition
18/03/2019
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An engaging talk by Ioli Christopoulou on March 18, 2019 at the Café Scientifique Athens entitled: “The path
19/02/2019
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On February 19, 2019, the Green Tank together with the European NGO networks Europe Beyond Coal, Climate Action
18/02/2019
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On February 18, 2019, the Green Tank participated in a consultation with World Bank experts on the development
11/02/2019
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Response by Nikos Mantzaris to George Adamidis, President of the trade union of PPC workers (GENOP-DEI). The response was
31/01/2019
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Interview of Nikos Mantzaris on January 31, 2019 to kozani.tv regarding the distortions caused by the insistence to
23/12/2018
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Comment on the UNFCCC COP24 in Katowice, Poland and the inconsistency between the proposed Greek Energy and Climate
03/12/2018
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On December 3, 2018, the Green Tank submitted detailed comments to the public consultation on the draft National
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