In a country that is rich in sun, wind, and water, fixating on fossil fuels seems unreasonable. The scientific community has warned us about the consequences of the planet overheating, and we now know that fossil fuels are to blame more than anything else. As technology evolves and the climate crisis threatens our lives, energy production must be covered by renewable energy sources, mainly the sun, wind, water and geothermal sources. Clean energy is our ticket to a better world for all. As long as it is used in a balanced and sustainable way, as is the case with all activities. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are environmental technologies that provide solutions for the reduction of greenhouse gasses against climate change. As such, they must ensure the protection of nature and the environment in the places where they are installed, and there must be strict conditions as regards their placement and operation.

Renewable energy sources and energy efficiency provide the solution to our era’s greatest environmental challenge: the climate crisis. We now have the technology and knowledge to build a world with a stable climate, which is safer for all. However, we must all unite and work intensively to make this come true. For decades we have been providing solutions to climate change based on scientific data and always in dialogue with agencies and local communities. We participate in consultations and colloquiums, we document and submit policy proposals for clean energy, and we encourage the participation of local communities in the process of energy transition, with a vision of fighting against energy poverty and for climate justice.

In 2017 we worked on Tilos island, aiming for a hybrid system to cover a major portion of the island’s energy requirements with clean energy. This might have seemed like science fiction a few years earlier, but it became a reality thanks to everyone’s daring and collaboration. In early July of the same year, the installation of a medium-size solar park and wind turbine was completed, while the installation of batteries to ensure electricity supply for the whole island when it is cloudy or the wind is not strong enough was completed in January 2018. With the implementation of the TILOS  programme, the island became the first “green” island in the Mediterranean, and it is now an example for other non-interconnected islands, providing a path towards independence from polluting and expensive oil, which costs Greek citizens more than €700 million a year. We are proud of the TILOS programme and the path it opened, while it received two awards for this pioneering action, in the framework of the most important congress in Europe on matters of sustainable energy policy, EUSEW.

At a time when climate crisis remains one of the most important challenges for all humanity, reducing our environmental footprint via energy efficiency (buildings, transportation, energy appliances) and replacing fossil fuels with cleaner energy sources is our path to a better and safer world with a stable climate. This is the only way for us to survive and prosper. Together, we can succeed!