(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, NOV 22 - Greece this week signed a clean
energy deal with the EU in a bid to fast-track the green
transition on its fragile islands threatened by overtourism and
climate change. Hundreds of Greek islands are facing major
challenges including water scarcity, said Dimitris Lianos, the
mayor of Naxos, the largest island in the Cyclades archipelago,
where the deal was signed Thursday with the European Union and
the European Investment Bank to finance decarbonisation
projects. The symbolism of signing it there was hard to ignore.
Like on most of Greece's many islands, farms on Naxos are
imperilled by drought. The 1.6-billion-euro fund ($1.67 billion)
will leverage the islands' main assets -- wind and sun -- to
provide clean energy at affordable costs. Investing in "green"
energy sources will "allow the islands to achieve their
ecological transition", said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
"Renewable energy will help the country become self-sufficient
and reduce energy costs," he said. Greek islands depend heavily
on liquid fossil fuels for their electricity supply, taking a
toll on the environment and driving up costs. (ANSA-AFP).
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
