Law no. 4936/2022. National Climate Law - Transition to climate neutrality and adaptation to climate change, emergency provisions to address the energy crisis and protect the environment.

This Law, consisting of 45 articles, aims at creating a coherent framework for improving the adaptive capacity and climate resilience of the country and for ensuring the gradual transition of the country to climate neutrality by the year 2050, in the most environmentally sustainable, socially fair and economically efficient way. In order to achieve this long-term goal of climate neutrality, the Law provides for net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, taking into account the projections of the National Energy and Climate Plan, drawn up in accordance with article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the governance of the European Union and Climate Action. The Law provides for the establishment of specific measures: to strengthen adaptation to climate change at the lowest possible cost; to mitigate emissions from power generation, the building sector, transport and business; to define indicators for monitoring progress towards achieving the relevant objectives and procedures for evaluating and readjusting the objectives. The Law defines the following relevant terms: greenhouse gases; emissions; decarbonisation; climate neutrality; mitigation of climate change; green infrastructure; adaptation to climate change; carbon budget; vulnerability; governmental committee for climate neutrality.
The Law concerns the drafting of the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change, as a text of strategic orientation, with the aim of drawing up: guidelines on climate change adaptation, assessment of the expected climate changes in the country, based on the effects of climate changes on the various sectors of economic and social activity, identification of the priority sectors that need adaptation measures for climate change; and of the Regional Plans for Adaptation to Climate Change, including assessment of the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change on various sectors, proposed measures and actions for the priority sectors and areas. The Law provides for revision of climate goals; definition of five-year sectoral carbon budgets; definition of general policy measures in order to achieve: energy savings and the increase of energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy; the gradual elimination of all fossil fuels and their replacement by renewable energy sources in all the sector of the economy, to avoid impacts on the natural environment, biodiversity and the landscape; the gradual substitution of natural gas by renewable gases such as biomethane and green hydrogen; promotion of sustainable urban mobility and the use of public transport; the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from waste management and the promotion of the circular economy; the increase of greenhouse gas absorptions by natural ecosystems; sustainable urban development planning and the promotion of sustainable agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and food production.
The Law focuses on measures to promote zero emission vehicles; municipal emission reduction plans and measures to reduce emissions from buildings; the use of natural resources, in particular land, soil, water and biodiversity, according to the sustainable availability of these resources; assessment of impacts of emission of pollutants, and assessment of risks to human health, cultural heritage or the environment. Matters covered by this Law include: transformation of the development model of the islands and their transition to climate neutrality; financial resources and incentives; public participation and monitoring; roles of committees on climate change; international cooperation on climate change; emergency environmental provisions; provisions to address energy crisis, protection of forests and waste management.