On 26 May 2022, Greece enacted its first National Climate Law 4936/ 2022 (Climate Law).
The purpose of the Climate Law is to create a framework for the improvement of the country’s adaptive capacity and climate resilience, ensuring the country’s gradual transition to carbon-neutrality by 2050 in the most environmentally sustainable, socially just, and cost-efficient way.
The Climate Law pledges to move to a carbon-zero economy by 2050, by introducing an intermediate target of 55% reduction in the greenhouse emissions by 2030. Given Greece’s heavy dependence on lignite for energy production and the new European effort towards energy independency, the goals of the Climate Law seem both challenging and ambitious.
The Climate Law complies with the ambitious EU climate target of CO2 emissions reduction by 55% by 2030 as set out in the European Green Deal, the European Climate Law (Regulation (EU) 2021/1119) as well as the “Fit for 55” package.
