“The government is investing in the Blue Economy with specific projects such as the completion of the announcement for the ports of Alexandroupolis and Kavala.”
This was stated by the Minister of Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis at the 2nd Blue Economy Forum on the topic of the great prospects of the Blue Economy for Greece.
The conference, held online, is a joint initiative of the Delphi Economic Forum and the Institute for Sustainable Development of the European Public Bureau (EPLO) to highlight the benefits of the green and blue economy and the foundations it sets for achieving recovery.
According to today’s announcement, the agenda also focused on sustainable blue investments, its financing tools, but also the coastal and maritime tourism economy.
The Minister of Development and Investments, Adonis Georgiadis, pointed out that the government is investing in the Blue Economy with specific projects such as the completion of the announcement for the ports of Alexandroupolis and Kavala, while the president of the Superfund, Grigoris, also spoke about the issue. ESG criteria will be used in the Superfund investments and how they focus on all aspects of sustainability including reducing food waste. The European view on the Blue Economy and mainly on the jobs that exist in the sector was completed by the MEP, Stelios Kimbouropoulos.
The President of the Hellenic Development Investment Bank, Professor Haris Lambropoulos, developed the financial tools for investments in the green and blue economy and the Bank’s announcements for financing. The Director of the EU Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy Policy, Christos Oikonomou, highlighted the EU’s new approach to the Blue Economy in the framework of the Europe Green Agreement on the Conservation of the Oceans, new technologies and the BlueInvest initiative.
Funding for the Blue Economy has skyrocketed in recent months
The Vice President of the European Investment Bank, Ricardo Mourinho Félix, in his discussion with the Director of the EPLO Institute for Sustainable Development, Spyros Kouvelis, stressed the importance of the Blue Economy in reducing poverty and promoting sustainable stressed that the European Investment Bank has many financial tools to reduce risk for private investors, such as the Blue Invest Fund set up with the EU, while in the discussion that followed the head of the European Commission, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Andreea Strachinescu highlighted the new EU Strategy for the Sustainable Blue Economy and the economic sectors along with financial instruments such as BlueInvest and InvestEU.
Funding for the Blue Economy has skyrocketed in recent months, and it was reported that although funding is available, there is little availability of suitable projects, and more nature-based solutions are needed, as highlighted by fund managers from Andera Partners, Ocean 14 Capital , SWEN Blue Ocean, Sustainable Investments LLC. Dorothee Herr, a spokeswoman for the Union for Conservation of Nature, said the Union, although an environmental organization, works to protect biodiversity and develop RES or fish farming investments, for example. In the discussion that followed, the Deputy Minister of Development and Investment, Giannis Tsakiris, stressed that “the development of the Blue Economy in a country like Greece with hundreds of kilometers of coastline and countless islands is a one-way street. “Hand in hand with green and digital growth and through the financing programs of the new NSRF 20221 – 2027, they will lead the country and the economy to the next day, the main characteristics of which will be sustainable and holistic development”.
The conference ended with the discussion revolving around Greece and investment opportunities in the blue economy.
The conference was closed by the director of the Institute for Sustainable Development of EPLO, Spyros Kouvelis, who pointed out the importance of the integration of ESG criteria and how the tool and methodology for ESG evaluations, Verimpact, created by the Institute and Verture was started by the Principles of Sustainable Blue Finance.
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