The question of the integration of energy policies in urban regeneration policy in Greece

Abstract

Climate change is one of the major challenges of the 21st century with cities playing a critical role in adapting and mitigating its effects. Achieving the goal of climate neutrality set by the European Union is largely linked to the energy renovation of the existing building stock. Energy renovations should follow an integrated urban approach, with urban renewals being the tool for their implementation. However, national energy and climate policy seems unlikely to be effectively implemented in already built-up urban areas, unless there is an improvement in the framework and processes for the implementation of urban regeneration programmes. For this purpose, in this paper the degree of adoption of European guidelines in the Greek institutional framework is recorded, the challenges that are posed and must be addressed are highlighted, as well as the need to integrate energy policies into the urban renewal policy, in order to avoid situations that are difficult to reverse in the future.