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- Ελληνικά
The Director General of the General Directorate of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr. Kostas Hadjipanagiotou participated as a speaker at the 17th Supply Chain and Logistics Conference and Exhibition held yesterday in Nicosia with the aim of highlighting the prospects and challenges in the supply chain and the need to implement greener practices by transport and supply chain companies.
In his speech, Mr. Hadjipanagiotou stressed that the circular economy is a holistic approach that calls for a redefinition of the dynamics of our supply chain, highlighting the opportunities that arise from the integration of circularity in the economy such as new revenue streams, enhancing the reputation of brands and cultivating a culture of responsible business practices. He added that the State, recognizing the importance of the transition from the linear to the circular economy model, is promoting policies and measures in this direction such as the National Action Plan for the Circular Economy of the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry and the "Pay as I Throw" and "Sort at Source" measures which have been proven to reduce the quantities of mixed municipal waste that end up in treatment plants and/or landfills and are planned to be implemented soon on a nationwide basis.
Hatzipanayotou also referred to the transition to green energy, noting that investing in renewable energy is a strategic move towards energy resilience that aligns with global sustainability goals and places our trade and industry among the leaders in responsible practices. He noted that government sponsorship schemes to promote Renewable Energy have helped increase the share of green energy in the national energy balance and central planning for energy utilisation of both livestock and municipal waste will contribute to this.
Referring to the goal of achieving zero emissions by 2050, he said the direct costs associated with reducing emissions should be seen as an investment in a future where industries and commerce thrive in a sustainable way. Beyond the shift to a circular economy and the adoption of green energy, he stressed the need for further actions to achieve this goal, such as increasing energy efficiency, which the State has over time supported financially through various grant schemes that promote the use of new and limit the introduction of older technologies. He added that carbon sinks should be added to the offset, in line with the national targets set by the new European institutional framework for sinks from land use and forestry, with measures already announced by the State such as increasing forest cover on land abandoned by farmers.
In conclusion, he stressed the need to unify all these actions under a single national strategy. "In this regard, the state has already proceeded with the preparation and adoption of the National Energy and Climate Plan and the Long Term Strategy for Low Emission Development, two strategies that have the ultimate goal of reducing national emissions by 32% by 2030 compared to those of 2005 and zero emissions by 2050, respectively. Two strategies that position our national actions in a coordinated and holistic way towards the objectives of the European Green Deal", he concluded.
(EN/ΘΘΘ/ΝΓιάν)
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