Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change and its impacts in a wide ranging interview with Bloomberg, on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Mitsotakis highlighted the immediate challenges of climate crisis, calling upon Europe to step up its efforts in providing the countries that are bearing the burden of environmental changes with a much needed collaboration and financial support.
“Climate crisis is already here” the prime minister stressed, adding “I want to ensure that Europe provides more cooperation as well as increased recourses to countries on the front lines of climate change.”
He further pointed out the need for accelerated action, acknowledging however, that in recent years the EU has been making significant strides towards climate transformation, but these changes must gain momentum.
Reflecting on the situation in Greece, Mitsotakis stressed the need for implementing long term strategies a realization that is derived from the climate disasters Greece experienced such as the recent floods and wildfires.
“We’ve come to this realization due to the climate disasters we’ve faced, in our own country including recent floods and climate-related damage in Spain,” Mitsotakis said.
“Therefore, we must focus on long-term mitigation efforts and, of course, on helping our people cope with climate disasters. That’s why funding is necessary—not just to support poorer countries in their transition but also to assist more developed economies in dealing with the consequences,” he stressed.
The prime minister also addressed Europe’s broader energy transition goals, noting the continent’s commitment to cutting down on fossil fuel use and ramping up renewable energy sources by 12%. “We are ready to adapt as well,” he stated.
However, he claimed that the loss of human life due to climate change is what matters most. To prevent further casualties, he called for proactive measures to optimize the use of water and other critical resources.
The Greek Prime Minister’s comments come at a time when Europe is grappling with the dual pressures of meeting ambitious climate targets while managing the socio-economic impacts of the transition to a greener economy.
