Greece sets up ministry to deal with climate crisis; appoints ex-EU commissioner its head

After devastating wildfires, Greece on Monday, 6 September appointed a former European Union commissioner to lead a new ministry for addressing the impact of climate change. Christos Stylianides, who earlier served as commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, will head the ministry of the climate crisis and civil protection. 

The ministry has been set up after wildfires ravaged Greece as it burned more than 1,000 square kilometres of forest in Evia and southern Greece. After his appointment, Stylianides asserted that he accepts all challenges and expectations that come with his role.

Christos Stylianides named as Climate Crisis Minister

As the new minister, Stylianides will head firefighting, disaster relief and policies to adapt to rising temperatures resulting from climate change. After being appointed as minister, Stylianides said, "I have accepted (the role) with the full awareness of the challenges and expectations that come with it," Associated Press (AP) quoted him as saying. He added, "Climate changes have overtaken us" and efforts must be made in order to bring change."

Stylianides, a Cypriot national, will receive Greek citizenship before being sworn in as minister on Friday, 10 September, the government spokesperson said. The appointment of Stylianides was announced on Monday after former armed forces chief and defence minister Evangelos Apostolakis withdrew from the post. General Evangelos Tournas, a former Greek Air Force chief, was named as deputy minister. To protect the residents from rising temperatures, the Greek authorities in July appointed a chief heat officer, senior climate scientist Eleni Myrivili. However, the government officials accepted their mistakes over the failure in controlling the blazes in Evia. 

In August, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the devastating wildfires as "the greatest ecological catastrophe of the last few decades". Speaking at a news conference in Athens, Mitsotakis informed that authorities had faced around 100 active blazes every day. Hundreds of wildfires broke out across the country, which overwhelmed Greece's firefighting abilities to the limit. To control the fire, the Greek government had urged other countries for help. Firefighters, planes, helicopters and vehicles had arrived from European and Middle Eastern countries in order to help the Greek authorities in controlling the fire.

(IMAGE: AP)

(Inputs from AP)