Some environmental pressures declined and the energy mix changed
Greece’s share of environmentally related tax revenue in GDP is among the OECD’s highest
Greece adopted ambitious targets for 2030 but the transition to climate neutrality is challenging
The conservation status of habitats and species has improved
After a severe recession, the economy is recovering
The crisis has weighed on well-being indicators
The share of fossil fuel in the energy mix is high
Energy intensity decreased more slowly than in the OECD
Road transport is predominant
CO2 emissions from new cars have fallen significantly but the vehicle fleet is old
Most air emissions decreased faster than economic activity
Greece has one of the highest rates of mortality from air pollution
Material consumption dropped as construction and coal extraction declined
Municipal waste generation has increased since 2013 and the landfilling rate is high
Agricultural use of fertilisers, pesticides and water has increased in recent years
Water abstraction levels are high
Greece has many infringements of EU environmental law, especially on waste
The number of national-level inspections has dropped despite high non-compliance
Regional authorities maintain a stable inspection presence, with Attica playing a major role
ISO 14001 certification has been steadily increasing
Revenue from energy taxes increased markedly
Tax differentiation has helped boost sales of diesel cars
Effective tax rates on CO2 emissions are relatively high
The fossil fuel consumption support level is among the highest in the OECD
Fossil fuel consumption support has decreased since 2012
A deficit of EU ETS allowances and rising prices make coal-based power costly
Public investment in environmental protection has decreased
Effective use of EU funds is key to catching up on environmental infrastructure
Changes in support programmes have stopped investment in solar PV
Transport investment has been mostly dedicated to road transport
The public environmental R&D budget has grown but green patent applications are declining
Employment in waste management is growing but value added in circular economy is low
GHG emissions have steeply declined, but the economy’s carbon intensity remains high
Energy-related emissions fell due to lower energy demand and growth in renewables
Solar and wind power generation capacity has grown significantly
Transport emissions fell during the crisis, but are on the rise again
Forest fires caused many deaths in 2007 and 2018
Agriculture will be the sector most severely affected by climate change
The conservation status of habitats and species has improved (graph)
Greece reports fewer invasive alien species than some neighbouring countries
Indirect expenditure is much higher than direct expenditure
Tourism accounts for a large share of the Greek economy and has been growing
Organic farming has increased less rapidly than in most other OECD countries
Aquaculture accounts for a large share of total fisheries