Chios Leads the Way with a Pilot Programme for Climate Change Mitigation

Starting from Chios, the State, local authorities, the academic community and civil society—led by young people—collectively expressed their commitment to the new, pioneering Chios Climate Chance programme (https://helmepa.gr/ccc). The programme is implemented by the Maria Tsakos Public Benefit Foundation and the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, in cooperation with the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA), aiming to enhance understanding of climate change, promote mitigation of the phenomenon and support citizens’ adaptation.

The official launch of the Chios Climate Chance programme yielded significant conclusions and exceeded expectations in terms of participation, through an intensive, high-impact three-day programme of activities held on Chios, engaging and mobilising a wide audience.

The activities began on Monday, 6 March, with presentations on climate change and marine pollution at the 3rd Kindergarten and the 4th Primary School of Chios, the 3rd Kindergarten of Vrontados, and the TEENS Maritime High School, accompanied by the electric van and HELMEPA’s much-loved seagull mascot. That same afternoon, the first focus group was held with representatives of local organisations and institutions of Chios—one of a total of ten to be conducted—to record residents’ perceptions, concerns and expectations regarding climate change mitigation and adaptation. The findings will serve as the foundation of the awareness-raising campaign.

On Tuesday, 7 March, the Climate Change Conference took place at the Homerion Cultural Centre. Distinguished academics, representatives of the State and members of the business community shared their perspectives on climate change, its impacts on professional and personal life, the necessity of adapting to new conditions, and the need to understand these emerging requirements and coordinate actions at local, national and international levels. The conference evolved into a dynamic forum for dialogue and interaction, strengthening understanding as a key component of individual and collective commitment to behavioural change in addressing climate change.

The conference was opened with addresses by the Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Alexandra Sdoukou, the Chair of the Hellenic Parliament’s Environment Protection Committee, Dionysia Avgerinopoulou, Members of Parliament for Chios Notis Mitarakis and Stavros Michailidis, Metropolitan Markos of Chios, Psara and Oinousses, the President of the Maria Tsakos Foundation, Efthymios Mitropoulos, and the President of HELMEPA, Semiramis Paliou.

A special presence was that of H.E. the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Greece, Mr Xiao Junzheng, who delivered a greeting and warmly congratulated the co-organisers on the initiative.

The conference was also addressed by Captain Panagiotis Tsakos—founder of the Tsakos Group of Companies, the driving force behind the Maria Tsakos Foundation, a supporter of maritime education and initiatives benefiting people, youth, society and, above all, the island from which he launched his international activity. Captain Tsakos reaffirmed his long-standing support for such initiatives and urged younger generations to prepare for a world unfamiliar to previous generations, while also returning to their roots to build a new Greek society based on traditional values, ensuring the survival of both humanity and the planet.

In declaring the official opening of the conference, Minister Vassilis Kikilias emphasised that the climate crisis is already here and that those on the front line of response within the governmental mechanism are being reinforced in terms of human and material resources, evolving to address its impacts effectively. He concluded by committing that the border island of Chios would be adequately “shielded” against forthcoming climate threats.

Deputy Minister Alexandra Sdoukou stressed that adaptation to climate change is no longer optional but mandatory, and that Greece—with its complex geography and extensive coastline—is at the forefront of climate impacts. She highlighted efforts to transform Greek islands into green and sustainable ones, powered by renewable energy sources, alongside a wide range of complementary interventions such as electromobility in transport, integrated waste management, development of port infrastructure and upgrading of public facilities, with the aim of improving residents’ quality of life and visitors’ experience. Of particular importance is the energy interconnection of the islands; she announced an upcoming tender by ADMIE for the interconnection of the North Aegean—including Chios—an €863 million project expected to be completed by 2027–2028.

The President of the Maria Tsakos Foundation, Efthymios Mitropoulos, stated that addressing the climate crisis is a duty and responsibility shared by all. He noted that environmental protection has always been a core concern of the Foundation, and that the devastating fires of 2012 on Chios triggered a series of actions by the Tsakos Group and the Foundation, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preventing and managing disasters, and raising public awareness of climate risks. Within this framework, the Foundation decided to participate in the Chios Climate Chance programme, which will contribute to simplifying and enhancing understanding of climate change challenges and risks within the wider local community through cooperation with local stakeholders.

Keynote speakers Konstantinos Kartalis, Professor of Environmental and Climate Physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Member of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, and Yiannis Maniatis, Professor at the Department of Digital Systems of the University of Piraeus and Board Member of the Maria Tsakos Foundation, presented scientific evidence on the rapid pace of global climate change and its impacts on people’s lives. They highlighted that the wider Mediterranean region, to which Greece belongs, is considered a climate “hot spot” due to its accelerated absorption of climate impacts, underscoring the need for timely policies with clear timelines. While Greece is among the leading and most effective countries in renewable energy production, improved coordination among stakeholders, more efficient resource management and a shift in public mindset are still required.

The General Director of the John S. Latsis Foundation, Eva Lianou, referred to the role of civil society organisations in addressing the public’s understanding gap regarding the climate crisis, emphasising the importance of educational and awareness-raising actions that can foster a more conscious environmental mindset, particularly among younger generations. She also noted that the complexity of climate change requires collective effort from all societal partners—the scientific community, institutions, professional and social organisations—clarifying that support for the CCC pilot programme is linked to the initiative “Climate Academy: An Open School for Climate Change” implemented by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, co-funded by the John S. Latsis Foundation and the Maria Tsakos Foundation, within the framework of the Initiative ’21 for Climate Change and the Environment (https://www.protovoulia21.gr/).

The President of HELMEPA, Semiramis Paliou, focused on understanding as the central pillar of the CCC programme, a prerequisite for adopting a new mindset and identifying solutions to the climate crisis. Understanding the causes of the crisis, the severity of its impacts, the evolving context and the tools to be developed to address it are integral to effective response. HELMEPA will contribute its extensive experience and expertise to ensure the programme’s success, drawing on 42 years of human-centred work designing and implementing initiatives specifically addressing climate change—a phenomenon directly affecting oceans, shipping and life on land and at sea.

The General Director of HELMEPA, Olga Stavropoulou, explained that Chios is the first location to implement the pilot programme, offering a model that can be replicated in other regions in Greece and abroad. The programme’s inclusive and human-centred design is structured around three pillars: Understanding – Mindset – Opportunity, highlighting “opportunity” (hence the use of Chance rather than Change in the title). The primary goal is a shift in mindset and ways of thinking, through understanding climate change and how society can adapt to and mitigate it. Chios Climate Chance is addressed to all residents of the island, regardless of age, educational level, profession or institutional affiliation, focusing on everyone who lives, works and creates on Chios and in the wider municipal area, including Oinousses and Psara.

The conference concluded with an open discussion panel featuring Georgios Daniil, Mayor of Oinousses; Eleni Polychronopoulou, Vice President of Technical Environmental Protection S.A. and Board Member of HELMEPA and the Maria Tsakos Foundation; Tasos Kartsimadakis, Director of Ship Inspections and Assessments at the Tsakos Group of Companies; and Maria Lekakou, Professor at the Department of Shipping and Business Services and Dean of the School of Management Sciences at the University of the Aegean, moderated by Dr Valia Avgoustidi, Head of Science and Environment at HELMEPA. The panel demonstrated through concrete examples that constructive dialogue and productive cooperation among all stakeholders are both possible and essential in addressing shared challenges.

The three-day programme concluded with an experiential activity—an underwater clean-up at the Chios Fish Market—implemented in cooperation with volunteer divers from MEPP. More than 90 children and teachers from kindergartens and primary schools of Chios, as well as students from the TEENS Maritime High School, participated. At the same time, HELMEPA representatives provided information on seabed litter and the importance of protecting the oceans.