COP28: Mitsotakis Opens Pavilion and Announces Poros as Next GR-Eco Island (video)

ime Minister Mitsotakis opened Greece’s pavilion this afternoon at COP 28 in Dubai by talking about Greece’s ambitions in the green transition, sharing a panel with the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and announcing Poros as the next GR-Eco Island.

Together with Kerry, Mitsotakis discussed the upcoming 2024 Our Ocean Conference and challenges the globe is facing amid climate change and effective solutions to tackle the problem. The Greek PM later held a special event with COP 28’s President Sultan al-Jaber where he announced that the next GR-Eco Island initiative will be run on Poros island, fueled by a collaborative partnership with Masdar/Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD). The President expressed his honor and pleasure to be part of the project and the two Parties concluded the session with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the pavilion.

In his opening address at the pavilion, the PM noted that he has been attending COP conferences since 2007 and highlighted that there are two COPs that take place every year- the one with the technocrats that negotiate over legally binding agreements, and the one with “everyone else.” He said that the second category, which contains all stakeholders that collaborate through side events represents the “coming together” around climate action that is sometimes more interesting.

He also expressed his pride that Greece comes to COP with its “head high,” having reduced emissions the most out of all countries, 43pct since 2005 to be precise, and admitted that reductions are partially due to the impact of the economic crisis on the country.

The Prime Minister promised that the Greek pavilion has many events in store that will advance discussions on climate action, particularly on green shipping and carbon capture, and accentuated that climate action is key for Greece which is on the frontline of the impact of climate change. He closed his remarks with statements that Greece will continue to work on adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as how technology can be implemented to accelerate transformation.

The Greek pavilion is significant to the country because it highlights Greece’s climate diplomacy positions through multisectoral and multistakeholder panels and events that will run from today December 1 until December 10. The program has been put together by the Greek Ministry of Environment, in coordination with other Greek ministries, and primarily focus on the latest developments in green energy and climate action, as well as related best practices.

The advent of a Greek pavilion this year, for the first time, can be seen as a strategic step indicative of Greece’s ambition to be a key player in the Eastern Mediterranean’s energy sector and in the green transition. Many events will be livestreamed that the pavilion’s dedicated feed.

In reference to the 2024 Our Ocean Conference, Greece was announced last year as its host. The event is an initiative of the US Department of State and started in 2014. In 2024 it will be held in Athens at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center on the 16th and 17th of April and aims to draw attention to the critical role that healthy oceans play in ensuring the sustainability of life on our planet. The six areas of priority are: marine protected areas, sustainable blue economy, climate-ocean nexus, maritime security, sustainable fisheries and marine pollution.

The GR-Eco Islands initiative embraces the green and digital transition to transform the country’s islands to climate neutrality. The Strategic Framework for the initiative was made possible through the passing of Greece’s National Climate Law (Law 4936/2022). At the Pavilion today the PM signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Masdar/Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) to transform Poros island into the “The next Green-Smart Island” project and outlined the many projects related to the holistic green transition of the island.

This year’s COP boasts 188 pavilions and over 70,000 attendees and was kicked off yesterday, November 30, through remarks by COP 28 President Sultan al-Jaber.

Source: to vima.com