The climate crisis is an accelerating global emergency with deep environmental, economic, and social consequences. It demands coordinated international action and robust implementation of commitments to limit global warming and ensure a just transition. In this context, the annual COPs (Conferences of the Parties) serve as key moments for global climate diplomacy. COP29, set to take place in Baku, will focus on operationalizing climate finance mechanisms and setting the groundwork for a new collective quantified goal on finance; an essential issue for bridging the gap between ambition and implementation, especially for vulnerable nations. Looking ahead, COP30 in Brazil will mark a milestone moment as the first COP in the Amazon region, expected to emphasize biodiversity, nature-based solutions, and the protection of forest ecosystems.
This event aims to explore how the evolving outcomes of these COPs affect national and regional climate policies, with a specific focus on countries like Greece. Situated at the intersection of European energy networks and climate vulnerabilities, Greece must navigate the dual challenge of aligning with the EU’s Green Deal ambitions while managing local energy demands, economic constraints, and environmental risks such as wildfires and sea-level rise. Through a multi-stakeholder discussion involving representatives from EU institutions, national delegations, and civil society, this panel will address implementation gaps, assess the role of Member States in shaping EU climate leadership, and identify concrete steps for turning international commitments into national action.
It intends to raise and highlight current problems that have been insufficiently addressed, to identify current EU strategy, as well as to propose adequate solutions in protecting national and as well as pan-European interests.
MEP Nikolas FARANTOURIS