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Prometheanism and the Greek Energy Zugzwang

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Turning Down the Heat

Abstract

Greece is bound by the climate policies and targets of the European Union (EU) but succeeded, after tough negotiations, in securing a 25 per cent increase in its greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2008–2012 as part of the EU’s burden-sharing agreement, rather than a decrease in emissions. In terms of domestic policies to reach this target, the main strategy employed by Greek governments has been to move away from reliance on domestically available and cheap lignite towards natural gas and renewable energies for power generation. Other measures such as nuclear energy and energy taxes were never seriously considered due to widespread public opposition, and generally Greek governments have shied away from more aggressive approaches.

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Authors
  1. Iosif Botetzagias
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cardiff, UK

    Hugh Compston (Reader in Politics) (Reader in Politics)

  2. University of Plymouth, UK

    Ian Bailey (Senior Lecturer in Human Geography) (Senior Lecturer in Human Geography)

Copyright information

© 2008 Iosif Botetzagias

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Botetzagias, I. (2008). Prometheanism and the Greek Energy Zugzwang. In: Compston, H., Bailey, I. (eds) Turning Down the Heat. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230594678_11

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