Renewable energy boosts efficiency, creates jobs and makes good economic sense for countries around the Mediterranean. According to studies commissioned by Greenpeace, the governments of Croatia, Greece, Italy and Spain could accelerate the energy revolution by enabling massive small-scale investments of renewable energy.
Greenpeace´s study for Greece published this month, addresses ways of combating issues of energy waste and energy poverty currently faced by a large part of the population, by proposing policies and economic measures to be taken for one million households and businesses over the next decade.
Relying on the action plans presented by the Ministry of Environment and Energy and Center for Renewable Energy Sources in December of 2014, the report suggests extending the proposed measures to implement energy retrofits for 700.000 buildings until 2025. Furthermore, the proposed programme includes free provision of electricity to 300.000 low-income households by having the Public Power Corporation install photovoltaic (solar) systems, utilizing Greece’s immense and inexhaustible solar potential.
Greenpeace calls on the government to: recognize energy efficiency and the solarization of the Greek economy as a strategic choice of the highest priority; set an ambitious and realistic goal to upgrade 1 million buildings by 2025; present ambitious climate policies in 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in Paris (30/11 – 11/12) aiming at both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving quality of life for Greek people and start the public debate for an economy without fossil fuels over the next decades. Finally, the report takes the current financial situation fully into consideration, as well as the limited resources and the agreement between Greece and its lenders, whilst the proposed measures are ready to implement.
TAGS: ENERGY | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
