Principles and Proposals, 2022-2030

In the context of its participation in the “Initiative1821-2021” and following the development of the Action Plans for the University of 2030 and for Public Health in the 21st century, Bodossaki Foundation presents the Environment and Climate Action Plan for the period up to 2030. The Action Plans are developed under the auspices of H.E. The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou and will be made available to the competent State authorities and other departments, for utilisation.

The Environment and Climate Action Plan was presented as a discussion document on 29 November at the Athens Concert Hall, in the presence of H.E. the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

For Bodossaki Foundation, environmental protection is a fundamental prerequisite for public health, for the country’s sustainable economic life and for social well-being. The Environment and Climate Action Plan presents a “snapshot” of the state of the environment in Greece today and concludes with proposals for cross-cutting reforms that will help achieve the desired levels of environmental conservation.

The Action Plan, which is available here, was developed by a Scientific Committee established following a relevant invitation by the Foundation and consisting of the following members:

  • Dimitris Karavellas, CEO, WWF Greece, as the Scientific Committee’s Coordinator
  • Despoina Vokou, Professor Emeritus, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
  • Dimosthenis Sarigiannis, Professor, School of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)

Theodota Nantsou, Head of Environmental Policy at WWF Greece, also participated as a scientific partner in the formulation of the Action Plan. In addition, 17 scientists with an international presence, coming primarily from the academic community, contributed their constructive comments to the Environment and Climate Action Plan for the period up to 2030.

The Action Plan is organised in seven main sections, which focus on the major environmental challenges currently facing our generation and expected to also be face the next one: 1. Climate stability, 2. Conservation of biodiversity, 3. Clean air, 4. Healthy soils and clean waters, 5. Circular economy and conservation of natural resources, 6. Human health and the state of the environment, 7. Active Civil Society.

Each section presents the existing data and puts forward proposals for improving the country’s performance and achieving a coherent and effective environmental and climate policy. Viewed in their entirety, these proposals form a package of 10 cross-cutting reforms, aimed at unlocking the country’s best forces for a climate-neutral and ecologically sustainable future:

  1. Holding of two debates in the Parliament annually, at the level of party leaders, on the country’s progress in all environmental protection areas, on the degree of achievement of the sustainability indicators and on the path towards climate neutrality.
  2. Establishment of an independent environmental authority to strengthen the mechanism of environmental inspections and the verification of compliance with the environmental laws and regulations.
  3. Completion of spatial planning and abolition of off-plan construction.
  4. Sound legislation, with emphasis on simplicity, clarity, scientific documentation of the regulations introduced, and broad and transparent consultation.
  5. Establishment of a National Environment Agency.
  6. Establishment of a network of local environmental quality observatories, whose data will be made available publicly in open databases.
  7. Establishment, backed by cross-party consensus, of an enhanced framework for consultation and for achieving the effective participation of society in the decision-making process.
  8. Development of a framework for environmental education.
  9. Establishment of a system of green indicators, which will be presented annually as part of the State Budget.
  10. Clear shift of public investment policies to supporting climate-neutral activities.

It is the wish of the Foundation and the Scientific Committee that these reforms act as a springboard for extensive dialogue, broad consensus and political will for the sustainable future of our country.

On 29 November 2022, at the Athens Concert Hall, the Action Plan was presented as a discussion document by Mr. Karavellas and was discussed in the following panels:

“Crucial Challenges”

Moderator: Despoina Vokou, Professor Emeritus, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)

Panel members:

  • Konstantinos Gogos, Professor, School of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
  • Konstantinos Lagouvardos, Research Director, National Observatory of Athens
  • Spyros Pandis, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras

“Solutions and Reforms”

Moderator: Theodota Nantsou, Head of Environmental Policy, WWF Greece

Panel members:

  • Vassilis Antoniadis, Senior Partner & Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group
  • Lucy Kiousopoulou, Lawyer specialised in Environmental Protection Law and in Spatial and Urban Planning Law
  • Agis Tsouros, former Director of Policy and Governance for Health and Wellbeing, WHO Regional Office for Europe; Adjunct Professor, Global Health, University of Boston

“The role of science, society and politics”

Moderator: Dimosthenis Sarigiannis, Professor, School of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)

Panel members:

  • Antonis Mavropoulos, Founder & CEO, D-Waste consultants; Member of the International Advisory Board of UNEP’s International Environmental Technologies Centre (IETC)
  • Konstantinos Kartalis, Professor, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Member of the EU Scientific Committee on Climate Change
  • Katerina Christofilidou, Journalist