Draft bill will bring green transition fast
A draft law dealing with the climate crisis and approved by the cabinet on Thursday seeks to introduce significant changes in peoples’ daily lives and in the way companies operate.
Among other things, it bans the installation of heating oil burners from 2025 and – most importantly – their use in all buildings from 2030. At the same time, polluting firms are obliged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared to 2022, while from 2023, solar panels must be installed in all new commercial buildings with a surface area exceeding 500 square meters. And, from 2025, all new buildings located in areas at risk of fire or flood should be insured.
By the end of March 2023, moreover, listed companies, banks, mobile and fixed telephony groups, logistics firms, electricity and gas companies and retail chains with more than 500 employees will be required to publish annual carbon footprint reports.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attaches special importance to the legislation, which, he believes, will put Greece among the leaders in dealing with the climate crisis and not the laggards as has been the case so far.
“The transition to a circular and sustainable economy is a national priority for Greece,” Mitsotakis told Kathimerini.
If this law is actually implemented, it will impact people’s thinking regarding many of the decisions they make: what car to buy, how to heat their homes and how to build them. Since, starting in 2030, only the sale of cars with zero emissions will be allowed – and that excludes those that run on gasoline or diesel – gas stations will gradually be replaced by charging stations.
