Time for a serious environment policy
When matters of the environment are left in the hands of the Public Works Ministry, it is only natural for the country to be exposed to criticism and end up having to pay fines that will ultimately take a toll on productivity. The United Nations report was so explicit that its tone may even be seen as sarcastic toward Greeks. The Public Works Ministry has been «erroneously» measuring pollution levels according to 1990 standards, with the result that Greece appears to be cheating the Kyoto Protocol. To make matters worse, the UN is demanding that Greece reduce its pollution levels within the next four years, to an extent that will harm our already small industrial production. The tragicomic affair of Greece’s delegation to the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali and the fine now being imposed against the country point to what is already obvious: namely, that Greece must get serious about its environmental policy and that such a policy cannot be spearheaded by a Public Works Ministry.
