Greece accelerates green energy push despite pandemic downturn

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Though energy investment is set to fall globally this year, Greece is on track to meet ambitious 2020 green targets. 

Early in May this year, the country reached a climate milestone with no electricity generation coming from the burning of lignite, a form of coal with particularly poor energy and pollution characteristics. The rise of renewables and the waning of coal in electricity has been notable over the last few years.

Last year, the government unveiled an ambitious National Energy and Climate Plan to ensure that two-thirds of Greek electricity production comes from renewable sources by the end of the decade, with the elimination of coal usage for energy by 2028.

The new law is also helping the government to clear a backlog of around 1,900 applications for green energy proposals that have languished for a dec...