2023-12-02 11:36:39
“We should ensure a just transition for the societies that are here and have a responsibility towards our common heritage, to protect our cultural heritage,” the prime minister stressed.
Despite the climatic disasters that our country has suffered, a new Greece is emerging”, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized today in his intervention at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate Change Convention, which is taking place in Dubai.
Mr. Mitsotakis referred to our country’s actions against climate change, while he spoke about the need to protect the cultural heritage of societies.
The Prime Minister pointed out that our country has reduced the use of coal by 8%, while – as he said – our economy is growing rapidly, reducing pollutants by 43% since 2005 and we are turning to Renewable Energy Sources, having one of the best performances in the EU countries. .E. The penetration of wind energy in our country last year was the 7th in the world, the Prime Minister said, adding that wind and solar power generate half of our electricity needs.
Mr. Mitsotakis noted that we are renewing our homes with energy in an unprecedented way and building an energy storage chain for our industries, while taking very seriously the importance of shipping decarbonization.
“We will soon increase our capacity in offshore power generation systems and our energy investments are focused on resilience,” the prime minister said, adding that we need the technologies that reduce costs. Also, Mr. Mitsotakis noted that we should invest more resources and reduce the adjustment gap, and that the European Union has an important role to play in this matter.
The prime minister made a meaningful reference to respecting countries’ pasts, saying:
“As we build the future, we cannot forget the past. We should ensure a just transition for the societies that are here and have a responsibility to our common heritage, to protect our cultural heritage. And I believe that this is where we will find the wisdom to build development in harmony with humanity,” he said and concluded: “Our challenges are enormous, but we cannot diminish the strides we have made.”
The intervention of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in detail
Excellencies, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
The evidence for the climate crisis has never been clearer. Likewise, the benefits of a faster transition to a zero-emissions economy have never been more apparent. Greece embodies this economy perhaps better than many countries. In just a few weeks we experienced wildfires that burned over 1% of our country’s land area and rains that brought in a single day more water than most places receive in a year, causing unprecedented flooding. And yet, alongside this climate disaster, a new Greece is emerging.
We have reduced our carbon usage by more than 80%. We are growing our economy at a much faster rate than the eurozone average, while reducing our emissions. Overall, our emissions have fallen by 43% since 2005 as we increasingly shift towards Renewable Energy Sources. This is one of the best performances among European countries.
Last year, wind and solar penetration was the seventh highest in the world and our installed capacity was the fifth highest on a per capita basis. Wind and solar now generate more than half of our electricity and protect us from the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The environmental, economic and geopolitical benefits of a rapid transition to Renewable Energy Sources have never been more apparent.
We are renovating our homes and offices at an unprecedented rate. We are building a value added chain in carbon capture and storage for our heavy industry. Our islands are “laboratories” for the most advanced practices in terms of sustainability.
As a global leader in maritime transport, we recognize the responsibility to decarbonise shipping as we maintain our competitiveness and ensure a level playing field globally. We will soon tap into one of our greatest untapped potentials, offshore wind energy, and specifically the Aegean winds, an energy source that will literally lead to the redrawing of the region’s energy map.
Our energy investments are in line with our commitment to resilience. The early warning system, the emergency number ‘112’, has proven to be a lifesaver. One message can literally make the difference between life and death. We need more cost-effective technologies of this kind that can be applied on a larger scale.
Our societies are not prepared for the climate crisis that is already upon us. We need to allocate more resources to resilience. The shortfall on the adaptation front is as significant as the shortfall on greenhouse gas emission targets. Europe has an important role to play in this direction. As we build the future, we cannot forget the past, we must ensure a just transition for the communities that brought us here.
We have a responsibility towards our common cultural heritage to protect the monuments threatened by the menace of climate change. In this way, I firmly believe that we will discover the ancient wisdom, how to build growth and thrive in harmony with nature. This wisdom will come from every corner of the earth. We have so much to learn from each other and from our ancestors. This challenge concerns both artificial intelligence and the intelligence of our ancestors.
Dear colleagues, the challenge we face is enormous, but we cannot downplay the progress we have made. Instead, let us draw strength from it as we enter the next and most important part of our journey together.
Thank you very much.
Source: RES-MPE
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