Sustainability

The European Commission proposed a long-term environmental strategy for cleaning up and protecting the Mediterranean Sea. This unique ecosystem, it said, is deteriorating as environmental pressures such as pollution and construction increase.

The European Union’s Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said last month that a proposal will shortly be submitted to the European Commission (EC) that includes airlines in the EU’s existing Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). This proposal, he continued, includes all airlines, regardless of origin, that fly in and out of the EU. Airlines would be included in this scheme by 2011, and will either have to reduce their emissions or buy carbon permits.

The use of solar energy, water resources with the implementation of new technology, as well as the design of buildings that host tourism facilities that take advantage of renewable sources of energy lead to a reduction in operating costs, improvement of the commercial image of the tourism business, contribute to the protection of the environment and are an example for the local communities.

Once again this summer, from June through September, Forum magazine’s campaign “Beautiful Greece is a Clean Greece” gave bathers a chance to enjoy spotless and well-organized beaches.

The forest that runs along the Nestos River in Greece’s northeastern corner, one of the largest of its kind in Europe, is regaining its former stature. As it regenerates it will once again become a source of life for communities near one of the country’s largest flowing bodies of water.

The Poseidon Hotel on the Athens area Paleo Faliron seafront is one of the very rare local hotel units that has been able to cover all the strict prerequisites required to fly the coveted European Union Blue Flag designated only for clean beaches and excellent swimming waters.

The tourism boom around one of the world’s most popular summer holiday destinations, the Mediterranean Sea, is endangering freshwater supplies and tourists in the area must cut their consumption, the environmental group WWF said in an announcement last month.

Kostas Laliotis, environment and public works minister, announced the completion of a 7-year cleanup program for Greek coastlines that cost some 18.7 billion drachmas.

The Candia Maris on Crete, the first hotel in Greece and the third in the Mediterranean (and among only 100 units internationally) to possess the coveted ISO 14001 environmental management certification, has created a “Green Team” to help clean up Greece. All members of the team are hotel employees who volunteered for the task.

The Hellenic Tourism Organization’s secretary general, Evgenios Yiannakopoulos, called the country’s environment and animal protection organizations and associations to a meeting recently. He wanted their thoughts on how they and the tourism sector could best cooperate within the area of the environment in general.