Development strategies and problems of renewable energy sources in Greece

The main trend in developmental theoriesnowadays is the Sustainable Development theorythat sets environmental protection as a prerequisitefor economical growth. This approachwas established in the conference held in Rio,Brazil in 1992. Thus, after the Conference aninternational framework was created (AGENDA21, Green Bible, Habitat II, Agenda, UrbanAgenda) within which actions, having as commoncharacteristic the developmental model ofsustainable growth, are coordinated.Energy production and its use are consideredresponsible for the largest part of climatechange. Consequently, energy policy becomesan important factor for the protection of the environment.According to the principles of sustainablegrowth this policy should have not onlyeconomic but also socio-ecological aims and requiresactions "from beneath", an element givinglocal authorities an important role in energypolicy.This paper illustrates the policies concernedwith the energy orientation of the country, therenewable energy applications and the entanglementof the country in fossil fuels, e.g. energysources harmful for the natural environmentand in the long run hinders the adoptionof new technologies. Furthermore, the paperoutlines the actions needed to be developed,through a down-top process, in order to achievesustainable development and protect the environment.