“Eco-Schools” Programme

With the aim of promoting environmental education across as many school units in Greece as possible, the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation joined forces with the Bodossaki Foundation and the Piraeus Bank Group, supporting for the 2024-2025 school year the “Eco-Schools” programme, implemented by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN) for the past 30 consecutive years. The Programme has been recognised by UNESCO as the most effective Green Accreditation initiative contributing to the goals of the Global Partnership for Green Education, which aims to radically transform educational systems worldwide by 2030. For the 2024-2025 school year, the Programme seeks to expand the network of Eco-Schools in Greece by 150.

Through this international environmental education programme, implemented in Greece with the approval of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, HSPN aims to highlight the value of environmental awareness and action by cultivating in students and educators green skills, a strong ecological consciousness, and a sense of responsibility for protecting the planet and addressing the environmental crisis. Within the framework of the Programme, students undertake initiatives such as waste management through recycling and composting, energy and water conservation, biodiversity promotion, and climate action — all contributing to the enhancement of environmental literacy. These hands-on applications of environmental education are disseminated throughout the school community, reshaping the school environment and turning each school into a model of knowledge and practice for the local community.

• 400 educators from across Greece participated in the first online training session under the “Partnership for Green Education in Greece” initiative held in December 2024.
• The “Eco-Schools” programme is the world’s largest Education for Sustainable Development initiative, implemented in 95 countries and engaging 20 million students.
• Since the establishment of the Eco-Schools Network, 176,800 students and 8,000 teachers from 795 schools across Greece have participated, while 607 schools have been awarded the “Green Flag” for their successful initiatives.