Building on the example of Paros and its plastic-free policy, the small island of Tilos in the Dodecanese has now become the first Greek island to be entirely energy self-sufficient. This new environmentally friendly initiative was sponsored by EU funds as part of the Horizon 2020 program. Heavy investments in renewable energy were made, with solar panels installed on the center of the island and wind farms built opposite of the Turkish coast. A charging station for electric vehicles has been introduced on the island and owners of electric vehicles can use it free of charge, furthering the potential of the initiative to lead to a reduction in CO₂ emissions. The island produces more power than it uses and the excess power is stored in batteries to be used in other projects or even be sold to the Greek Public Cooperation for profit.

With a population of around 800 people and tens of thousands of tourists every year, Tilos comes to join European islands such as the Croatian Krk, the Dutch island of Ameland, the Irish Aran Islands, the Portuguese Azores, the Scottish Isle of Gigha, the Swedish Gotland, the Spanish Menorca, El Hierro on the Canary islands, the Italian Pantelleria and the Danish Samso who can now take pride of the ecological footprint. This move is expected to have a beneficial effect on the tourism of the island, as environmentally conscious visitors are expected to prefer Tilos as a vacation destination as a reward for its good practices.

You can learn more about the Horizon 2020 program on the official website.