Dr. Avgerinopoulou at Columbia University’s International Conference on Climate and Energy in Greece
“Greece is emerging as a model for green transition, energy security and ocean diplomacy”

Dr. Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, Member of Parliament for Ilia, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Protection, and Special Envoy of the Greek Prime Minister for the Oceans, participated as a speaker at the international conference entitled “The Evolving Climate and Energy Landscape in Greece”, organized by Columbia Global Centers Athens of Columbia University.

The conference, held at the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, brought together leading representatives from academia, politics, the energy sector, and business to discuss developments in Greek energy and climate policy, the green transition, and the challenges of energy security in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

During her intervention, Dr. Avgerinopoulou highlighted the significant progress Greece has achieved in recent years in the fields of green transition and climate policy, emphasizing the rapid reduction in lignite use and the substantial penetration of renewable energy sources into the national energy mix, with more than 50% of electricity consumption now generated from renewables.

She also stressed the importance of energy security following the European energy crisis, noting that Greece is evolving into a strategic regional energy hub through diversification of energy sources, infrastructure investments, and enhanced interconnections. Particular emphasis was placed on island interconnections and the development of “green islands,” while she also referred to the importance of accelerating energy storage infrastructure across all stages of the energy cycle, as storage solutions can significantly reduce energy costs for consumers.

Finally, Dr. Avgerinopoulou underlined that Greece is making substantial use of resources from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility to promote investments in renewable energy, energy interconnections, green transport, sustainable infrastructure, and climate resilience initiatives.