
On November 29th 2024, CCHub had the pleasure of participating in the Peloponnisos Forum for Local Government, which took place between November 29-30, 2024, in Mystras, Greece, bringing together political, local government, academic, and technocratic leaders.
Under the central theme “Climate Change – Sustainable and Resilient Development – Best Practices,” Maria Logotheti, CCHub Chair & CEO, participated in the first panel titled ‘ Climate Crisis or Climate Change’ together with Professor Emmanuella Doussis, University of Athens, UNESCO Chair on Climate Diplomacy, ELIAMEP moderated by Mr Georgios Kostakos, representative of FOGGS and sparta.komvos, former member of the UN Secretariat.
Ms Logotheti, spoke about the gap between the ambitious goals set by the European Union to address the multiple impacts of climate change and the building of resilience to the systemic challenges of the 21st century, and their effective achievement. Bridging this gap will require a systemic transformation in the functioning and planning of all involved entities mainly at local level, Municipalities, enterprise organisations, or research institutions.
She highlighted the necessity of effectively harnessing the true potential of municipalities by creating a reliable and easily accessible support mechanism. Concluding her speech, she emphasised that, in order for the Greek Municipalities to effectively respond to the challenges set by the Greek legislative framework such as the National Climate Law or the Resilience Strategy Law, three key areas have to be addressed: decentralisation, funding and training.
Professor Emmanuella Doussis highlighted the need for global coordination to address the causes of climate change, namely the extensive use of fossil fuels. This shοuld occur despite the increasingly unstable international environment, characterised by a multipolar and fragmented nature, with multiple centers of power attempting to impose their own agendas.
Prof. Doussis emphasised that international cooperation, conducted within the framework of annual climate conferences, could yield results if it focuses more on practical solutions and less on new targets. In each of the polluting sectors of the economy, the use of fossil fuels should be replaced by clean technologies and practices. New technologies have already been developed, and markets, infrastructures, business models, and jobs are being reshaped to adapt to these technologies. Cooperation in specific sectors and coordination in supporting the right actions could be helpful. For example, the immediate upgrade of electrical grids would help accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources.