European Green City Index - Siemens

European Green City Index | City Portrait
Athens_Greece
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Population: 3.4 million
GDP per head, PPP: € 29,641
CO2 emissions per head: 5.92 tonnes*
Energy consumption per head:
Percentage of renewable energy
88.77 gigajoules*
consumed by the city: 2.66 %
Total percentage of citizens walking,
cycling or taking public transport to work: 65.5 %
Annual water consumption per head: 106.88 m3 Share of waste recycled: 10 %
* Estimate
Although Greece’s capital, Athens, accounts
for just under one-third of its total population,
it contributed approximately one-half of
the country’s GDP in 2007. As has occurred in
other developed cities, there has been a shift
from industrial production to business-related
services, such as shipping and tourism, over the
past decade. In 2001 industry accounted for
16.7% of total gross value added in Athens. By
2006 this figure had fallen to 13.2%.
Athens ranked 22nd out of 30 countries in
the European Green Cities Index with a score of
53.09 out of 100. The city’s overall score was
constrained by its air quality, its performance on
waste and land use, and the green credentials of
its buildings. However, its score was bolstered by
its environmental policies on water and transport.
Athens’ environmental programme is divided
between the city and various ministries at the
national level. With several overlapping jurisdictions,
the city must often receive approval from
a designated ministry in order to move ahead
with an initiative, which can delay the planning
and implementation of programmes.
CO2 emissions: Precise data on carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions are not available for Athens, but
based on estimates made from fuel combustion
in the city, it ranks joint 17th overall, with
Budapest. It emits approximately 6 tonnes of
CO2 per inhabitant per year, slightly higher than
the 30-city average of 5 tonnes. At the national
level, the government aims to ensure that CO2
emissions are no more than 25% higher in 2012
than they were in 1990.
Initiatives: Athens has been extending its subway
train network since before the Olympic
Games were held in the city in 2004, in order to
reduce transport-related emissions.
Energy: Athens ranks 15th overall in energy,
largely because of its high levels of energy con-
sumption per head — nearly 89 gigajoules per
inhabitant in 2006, compared with a 30-city
average of about 81 gigajoules. Less than 4% of
Athens’s energy is derived from renewable
sources, compared with the 30-city average of
about 7%.
Initiatives: To boost the availability of renewable
energy, around 270 wind turbines have
been established around Athens, with a total
capacity of around 160,000 kw.
Buildings: Athens ranks 22nd overall for buildings,
in large part because of the city’s lack of
energy-efficient building standards or incentives.
With residential buildings consuming an
estimated 695 megajoules per square metre per
year, Athens ranks behind other cities with high
average temperatures.
The city is also held back by an absence of
energy-efficiency regulations for new buildings
and incentives to construct efficient new buildings
(or retrofit old ones).
Initiatives: Although not yet implemented,
there is a bill under discussion at national level to
introduce energy performance certificates.
Transport: Athens ranks 17th overall for trans-
port. The city has an extensive network of buses,
many of which are fuelled by compressed natural
gas (CNG), as well as yellow trolleys (electric
trams). However, there is currently no network
of cycle lanes or fast lanes for car-pooling. An
estimated 56% of people take public transport
to work, while a high degree of personal vehicle
use persists, resulting in severe congestion.
Initiatives: Athens has converted about 20% of
its fleet of some 2,000 buses to run on CNG,
which reduces overall emissions.
Water: Athens ranks 15th overall for water and
2nd among cities with hot climates. The city
consumes nearly 105 cubic metres per person
per year, almost identical to the 30-city average.
It ranks slightly worse than average for water
system leakages, with an estimated leakage rate
of 25% (the average is about 23%).
Waste and land use: Athens ranks 23rd for
waste and land use, in large part because of its
poor green land-use policies. It does score well
(12th) for its municipal waste production, with
around 465 kg of waste produced per inhabitant
per year, below the 30-city average of 511 kg.
The city has some strong initiatives under way to
promote recycling activities. It also has a policy
to contain sprawl in the city centre, but this does
not apply to the suburbs. As a result, there is a
significant degree of suburban sprawl.
Initiatives: Athens has highlighted recycling as
the core of its environmental agenda. Separate
bins have been provided for glass, metals and
batteries since 2005.
Air quality: Athens ranks 25th overall for air
quality. There is a daily public report on air pollution
levels in Attica (Athens and its surrounding
areas), measuring a range of emissions such as
nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate
matter. However, the government has not
stipulated specific targets for air quality. While
Athens has high nitrogen dioxide and particulate
matter emissions, it has low levels of ozone
emissions.
Initiatives: Athens has attempted to improve
air quality by limiting traffic within the city. This
has been achieved in part by allowing vehicles
with odd-numbered licence plates into certain
zones in the city on odd-numbered dates vehicles
with even-numbered plates on even-numbered
dates.
Fluid education
The water utility, EYDAP, has hosted an educational
programme called “The Water Cycle“
since 2002. This programme is targeted at local
students who visit the EYDAP headquarters,
and aims to increase awareness about rational
water-resource management and
wastewater treatment. The educational programme
includes a detailed overview of water
supply and sewerage facilities in the city from
ancient times to today, including information
on the transfer of water from reservoirs to water
treatment plants and the treatment of water
to make it potable. The Water Cycle programme
has helped to raise awareness among
younger generations about the significance of
water throughout Athens’s history and about
how to reduce the wastage of water. EYDAP
aims to use knowledge about water to stimulate
interest among the city’s youth in environmental
areas.
Environmental governance Energy
6
42 43
Air Quality
CO2
10
8
4
2
0
Buildings
Waste and Land Use Transport
Water
Athens
Best
Average
Environmental governance: Athens ranks
21st, along with Dublin, in environmental governance.
The city’s environmental programme is
divided between the city authorities and various
ministries in the national government, creating
some confusion with respect to the boundaries
of jurisdictions. While there is a dedicated environmental
authority in Athens, many issues
relating to the environment are dealt with by the
Athens division at the Ministry of the Environment
or by the Ministry of Transport. Consequently,
the city’s environmental programme is
piecemeal and provides few actual targets.