Her announcement Greece in condition climatic of emergency with the aim of mobilizing the entire public administration in the fight to stop the climate crisis, requested the MEP of the Greens and Secretary of the “KOSMOS” party, Petros Kokkalis.
The reason was what came to light with the annual “Europe’s Climate Report 2023”where the main findings of the report come to confirm what we already know about the acceleration of the climate crisis and its effects on humanity.
More specifically, the average temperature in Europe in 2023 it was 2.6 degrees above that of the pre-industrial period, far from its watchdog 1.5 degrees, which has been agreed in the context of the “Global Paris Agreement”. At the same time the rainfall was against 7% higher than normalan increase that has qualitative characteristics as it mainly concerns rapid rainfall which usually results in catastrophic floods phenomena.
Petros Kokkalis’ post in detail:
“On Monday, April 22, it was published byn European Copernicus Agency, the annual “Europe 2023 Climate Report”. The main findings of the Report come to confirm what we already know about the acceleration of the climate crisis and its effects on humanity.
More specifically:
The average temperature in Europe in 2023 was 2.6 degrees above that of the pre-industrial period, far from the 1.5 degrees caution limit agreed as part of the “Global Paris Agreement”. We should also note that the three warmest years ever recorded in European history occurred after 2020.
Each year will be warmer than the last. Rainfall was 7% higher than normal, an increase that has qualitative characteristics as it mainly concerns rapid rainfall which usually results in catastrophic flooding.
For 2023 only:
- Economic losses exceeded 13 billion euros, of which 81% was related to the floods, affecting at least 1.6 million Europeans. In Greece, the storm Daniel flooded at least 700 square kilometers of land.
- The total forest areas burned in Europe exceeds 5,000 square km, roughly the size of London, Paris and Berlin combined.
- In Greece, 960 sq. km of forest areas were burned, i.e. twice the size of Athens and almost 1/5 of the total forest area burned in Europe. Unfortunately, the fire that burned the Evros is the largest forest fire recorded in Europe.
- At the same time, heat stress, a parameter that takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation, reached record levels in 2023 in Europe, while in Greece the number of days with extreme heat stress reached 40 in Central Macedonia and Thessaly.
THE Exhibition sounds the alarm about the lack of alignment of public health policies with rising temperatures due to the climate crisis. Between 2000 and 2020 deaths related to heat stress increased by 94% with human losses ranging from 55,000 to 77,000. The worrying thing is according to the Report, that only 1/5 of the “National Energy and Climate Plans” of the EU countries refer to specific measures for public health. The same unfortunately concerns Greece, at National Plan for Energy and Climate (ESEK) which lacks any public health policy regarding climate impacts.
In Hellas, one of the main hot spots of the climate crisis at the European and global level, the Mitsotakis government is proceeding throughout its government term in the complete deregulation of the rules for protecting the environment and preventing the climate crisis. The continuous condemnation decisions by the Commission for the violation of the acquis communautaire regarding the absence of plans for flood risk, marine spatial planning and the protection of Natura 2000 areas are indicative of the anti-European direction of the current government.
Anti-environmental bills are added to these Hatzidaki/Georgiadis that allow hydrocarbon extraction and other heavy exploitation in sensitive ecosystems, the seafront bill that frees up building everywhere, the deliberate delay for years of the national zoning for the RESopting out of Civil Protection Resilience and Recovery Fund, the Dutch company’s Master Plan of consultants which on the one hand allows fat fees for the company’s expedients and on the other hand the privatization of the water asset and shacks in the much-suffering region of Thessaly instead of ecosystem restoration.
THE WORLD recognizing the urgent situation that has arisen from the climate crisis, in line with the findings of science, requests:
- Declaration of Greece in a state of climate emergency drawn up with the resolution of November 2019 of the European Parliament, with the aim of mobilizing the entire public administration in the fight to stop the climate crisis.
- Full harmonization of Greece with the acquis communautaire and European legislation. The proclamations about unclaimed mountains and unclaimed beaches are pointless if the studies on the Natura areas and the national zoning for RES are not completed, while the coastline will remain unprotected as long as Greece does not ratify the Barcelona Protocol for Integrated Coastal Management.
- Immediate review of the 2016 National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and activation of the National Climate Change Adaptation Observatory, which is envisaged in the National Climate Act but remains on paper.
- Elaboration of a National Strategy for the effects of the Climate Crisis on public health and inclusion of a package of measures in the ESEK.
Finally, O WORLD welcomes the contribution of the National Observatory of Athens to the preparation of the Exhibition and will continue to support with all its strength the struggle of the researchers for the autonomy of the Foundation from the central government”.
