PASSAGE: National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change in Greece

The basic pillars of the PASSAGE project were presented by InnoPolis, one of the Greek partners of the project, to the Greek Ministry of Environment & Energy (YPEKA) at the meeting that took place in Athens on 15th of December 2016.

The presentation of Mr. Petropoulos from InnoPolis to the representatives of the Climate Change Department, Mr. Kyriakos Psychas and Mr. Dimitris Niavis, included aims of the project, envisaged products as well as a general time frame. After the presentation the two parties had the opportunity to discuss about the project activities and priorities related to policy instruments and, also, the current legislation on climate change in Greece.

Mr. Kyriakos Psychas, Head of the Department, stated the intention of the Department to support the project activities and Mr. Dimitris Niavis delineated the articles of the recent Law 4414/2016 which are related to the adaptation to Climate Change. More specifically, four articles from this law (from 42 to 45) describe the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (ESPKA). According to Article 43, each Region should establish a Regional Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (PeSPKA). The PeSPKA is a comprehensive plan that identifies and prioritises the necessary measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The first National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change -prepared already by the Ministry of Environment and Energy in collaboration with the Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens and the Bank of Greece– remains in effect until its review.

We could argue that this meeting was the start of a fruitful cooperation towards the integration of civil society to national and regional policy making, regarding the low carbon economy and mitigation and adaptation to climate change in Greece. In this respect, PASSAGE project could have crucial contribution transferring best practices from other regions in Europe.