Bank of Greece conference on the environment
World Environment Day was celebrated by the Bank of Greece with the third annual conference by the London School of Economics’ Hellenic Observatory in cooperation with the LSE’s Greek alumni association. This year’s theme was «European Strategy for Sustainable Development and the Role of the Energy Sector in Greece.» Keynote speakers were Timo Makela, the director of sustainable development and integration and the directorate general for the environment in the European Commission, LSE professor of European studies Iain Begg and Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis. Bank of Greece Governor Nikos Garganas opened the conference along with Dimitris Paraskevas, head of the LSE Greek alumni association and the head of the Hellenic Observatory, as well as Professor Kevin Featherstone of the LSE’s Eleftherios Venizelos Chair. The conference focused on the need to develop new smart technologies to increase energy efficiency as well as promote technological development in Europe in keeping with the Lisbon Strategy’s broader development goals. Mention was also made of Greece’s activities in supporting the production of clean energy. The event was attended by many distinguished members of the political, academic and business worlds, British Ambassador Simon Gass, former minister and head of the Public Power Corporation Yiannis Paleokrassas, the former head of the Federation of Greek of Industries (SEV) Theodoros Papalexopoulos, Captain Panayiotis Tsakos and members of the Capital Market Commission, among other guests. Lord Paddy Ashdown, a former Liberal Party leader, gave a very interesting speech on the environment and international security at the post-conference dinner which followed at Tudor Hall. The conference was sponsored by Fortis Bank, Lexus-Toyota, the Public Natural Gas Company, Alpha Bank and Kathimerini.
