Over the years, pollution and greenhouse gas emission has become a crucial problem in Greece. Though a bit slowly but surely, the Greek government has started responding to these problems, by implementing laws which promote a better environment. And it’s not only laws that are paving the way for a more eco-friendly Greece. The energy market is also starting to go through some transformations. With abundant natural attributes needed for renewable energy production, Greece’s renewable energy sector is bound to play a major role once infrasructural developments are set into motion.
Some of these developments, such as wind power, are already moving forward and are due to expand considerably. There are currently over 1 000 wind turbines installed throughout Greece, and this is expected to double by the end of 2010. With this expansion, Greece should meet its EU target of 20% energy coverage from renewable sources.
The future of the solar energy sector also looks quite bright, due to the excellent climatic conditions. Although this industry is still in a start up phase, and there are several legislative barriers which delay advancements, once restrictive obstacles are overcome, legal procedures needed for implementation are shortened, and incentives are clarified and made more easily available, things should pick up at a very fast pace.
While Greece is still having a hard time tackling waste recycling issues, considerable improvements have been with the widespread distribution of blue dumpster bins (the “recycle bins” for domestic waste and packaging). And although still lagging behind its European counterparts, the substanital increase in blue bins over the past years is just one of the factors which reflects a determined drive for a new environmental culture in Greece.
