CLIMPACT: Crete Joins Greece’s Fight Against Climate Change

• Crete actively participates in Greece’s national climate initiative, CLIMPACT.
• Key leaders highlighted innovative strategies for tackling climate issues.
• Focus areas: agriculture, tourism, and public health.
• Collaboration with local universities boosts research and solutions.
• Air pollution monitoring is driving better quality of life across the island.

On February 18-19, 2025, climate experts gathered at the French Institute in Athens for the national CLIMPACT meeting. Leading the charge for Crete were two key players: Giannis Anastasakis, Deputy Governor for Climate Change, and Lena Kargaki, head of the Climate Change Department for the Regional Environmental Directorate.

CLIMPACT is a national network run by Greece’s National Observatory of Athens. It ropes together researchers, scientists, and institutions to study and manage climate change’s impacts.

Giannis Anastasakis took the mic to outline Crete’s adaptation goals. His message? The island is done playing defence. Crete needs to step up in agriculture and tourism, two areas tied to the local culture.

He also called for unity between Crete’s academic heavyweights and the regional government. It turns out that those research budgets aren’t just for writing papers that no one reads. They’re vital for shaping real policies and crafting interventions like irrigation improvements or sustainable tourism efforts.

Anastasakis also made it clear that individual lifestyle changes are no longer optional.

Air Quality: Lena Kargaki Drops Some Data

Lena Kargaki, meanwhile, joined a heavy-duty panel on air pollution. Flanked by top scientists, she showed how Crete’s regional government isn’t just monitoring air quality; they’ve got a whole spy network of five stations taking constant measurements. If a particle of smog so much as sneezes, Crete’s got its number.

This partnership with the University of Crete and the Technical University of Crete feeds critical data to decision-makers. The results? Better air, fewer health problems, and a smug sense of accomplishment for anyone trying to breathe on the island.

Crete is at the frontlines of climate disaster, with warming seas, extreme weather, and tourism pressure making things more challenging. Participating in CLIMPACT shows real effort—not a quick Instagram post about saving the planet but actual systems designed to fix what’s broken.

Without interventions, agricultural yields drop, tourism reels from heatwaves, and the air gets so bad you’d rather swim in traffic than in Greece’s seas. That’s what Crete’s leaders are trying to prevent.

Want to keep an eye on this climate saga? Click here for all the updates in Greek.