Annual Report_WWF GR_FY2023

2023 was a busy, exciting and challenging year for WWF Greece and our partners. This (fiscal) year has been the first year in the implementation of our ambitious 2022-2030 strategy. Having set ourselves very demanding targets for 2025 and bold goals for 2030, it was important to initiate work on all fronts, and start off with a dynamic roll-out of activities. As reflected in the report, we have to a large extent succeeded in making this happen.

We are proud to share with you the progress and key achievements from July 2022 to June 2023. In the plethora of actions recorded, it is clear that progress has been made at many levels while impactful results are already being achieved, despite the formidable challenges that continue to make our work more difficult. A selection of highlights follow:

• Creation of a coalition of Greek environmental NGOs, working together to secure the conservation of a number of iconic species.

• Innovative restoration activities in the National Park of Sounio involving volunteers and many partners, with a strong potential for scale-up on a national level.

• Withdrawal of environmentally-degrading provisions of certain new laws from the Greek parliament, following our targeted advocacy and communication actions.

• Strengthening the capacity and confidence of civil society groups in impactfully exercising their environmental rights.

• Publication of a detailed legal proposal for a science-based, ecologically safe and socially inclusive spatial planning system for the transition to 100% renewables by 2035.

• Working together with partners we celebrate a 70% reduction in the incidence of poisoning of raptors and a 27% reduction in collision risk to sperm whales from ships.

• Pilot case study on fire prevention in Chios island through the innovative technique of prescribed burning.

• Dynamic roll-out of nature based solutions with work in Thessaly, a pilot project involving the creation of green infrastructures (small stone dams) on Paros, and further expansion of NbS work to Evia and Ios.

• 217tn marine litter retrieved from 15 km of coastline by volunteer groups.

Internally, the year was also marked by many important activities, aiming at achieving our strategic target of a more impactful and resilient WWF. New strategies on people & culture, and footprint reduction were put in place and are already in their first phases of implementation. Our overall income has grown by 20% compared to the previous fiscal year, while our supporter base continues to grow, recording an 11% in number of supporters compared to last year.

Perhaps the most notable development of the last year however, has been our very intentional effort to more actively embrace the philoso-

phy of ‘together possible’. Working together with civil society, engaging volunteers, pursuing strategic partnerships with a broad array of stakeholders, being an active citizen of the WWF network: this is the only possible way we can achieve our mission and we must insist on building this even further.

With the support and engagement of our partners, supporters and allies, to whom we are immensely grateful, we will continue our efforts to help build a future where humans and nature can harmoniously coexist.

© Panos Laskarakis

Nature is our life support system. It provides us with water and food security, it mitigates disaster risks, it’s the best defense against climate change and is linked to so many crucial elements of our livelihoods and wellbeing.

Greece is home to 18% of Europe’s fauna: 23.130 animal species have been recorded in the country’s terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and another 3.500 in the marine environment. In reality, the number of animal species is estimated at 50.000. The conservation of species and their habitats has been a long standing priority for WWF Greece, and features prominently in our 2023-2030 strategy. We have recently joined forces with a number of established environmental NGOs in Greece, under an ambitious initiative that brings together our conservation experience and knowledge, with the aim of protecting a number of iconic species of Greece.

Area-based conservation, coupled with targeted policy work, is our main approach for reversing the rapid biodiversity loss of the last decades, focusing on increasing the effectiveness and surface cover of protected areas, and restoring ecological corridors and flows in ecosystems.

Protected areas secure the inherent conservation value of a specific area that is unique

SAFEGUARDING NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS

Safeguarding natural ecosystems has been at the core of WWF’s conservation work since 1961

and irreplaceable in supporting the overall ecosystem services of nature. In Greece, protected areas (PAs) cover roughly 28% of its terrestrial and 20% of its marine environment, while the government has committed to to reach 30% by 2030. However, existing protected areas are neither sufficiently managed nor financed. Thus, our efforts are mainly focused on improving the PA legal framework and their management effectiveness, as well as promoting environmental stewardship. Society’s acknowledgement and recognition of nature’s role in human wellbeing is slowly emerging, and while this is positive as a trend, building a people-nature relationship in which individuals and groups will be actively embracing conservation will clearly require more effort. Within this context, WWF Greece also focuses on promoting inclusiveness in management and capacity building of state actors in PA management.

In our new 2022-2030 strategy we are also highlighting the importance of human-wildlife coexistence. Our work on this focuses on achieving an enabling environment that ensures the coexistence of wildlife and people as part of a social consensus, in order to reduce conflicts and their consequences. Building on our experience on this topic, we will help to shape and promote solutions together with civil society and specific business sectors.

PROTECTED AREAS

Our vision

Greece is enhanced with effectively and inclusively-managed, ecologically-representative and well-connected networks of protected areas providing benefits for society, the economy and climate stability.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

• Substantial increase of the areas that are formally protected with conservation measures and zoning of activities established through presidential decrees and management plans (also a desired outcome of the next session “Species”).

• Measurable improvement of management effectiveness of PAs/MPAs where WWF is working (improved METT or equivalent score).

• Measurable contribution of WWF Greece to the expansion and resilience of the protected areas network.

Our action during 2023

We submitted a detailed report to the European Commission regarding the Habitats Directive and the continued non-compliance of Greece to the relevant ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU. This was

done in order to put pressure on the Greek government to take meaningful action towards the effective protection of the Natura 2000 network. In parallel, we submitted comments and proposals in the public consultation process regarding five regional Special Environmental Studies (SES) that will determine specific conservation

measures in Natura 2000 sites. However, there continue to be delays and complex processes in the completion of the relevant studies and the necessary issuing of Presidential Decrees and adoption of management plans. These delays inevitably hinder the effective long-term protection of these areas.

Towards the improvement of management effectiveness of PAs/MPAs where WWF Greece is working, we are sharing our knowledge and experience from our dedicated 10-year work on Gyaros MPA with the relevant authorities in order to empower them in assuming the responsibility of guarding the MPA and cooperating with the Hellenic Coast Guard. Under this framework, we have organized specialized trainings and capacity building on the operation of

the remote surveillance system of Gyaros MPA, to the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency’s (N.E.C.C.A.) Central Aegean Unit staff.

In parallel, we enhanced the knowledge and understanding of more than 300 civil servants of competent authorities of protected areas all over Greece, through dedicated webinars on protected area management and governance while we have reached more than 200 protected areas’ stakeholders through our e-learning platform.

In addition, we have increased the visibility of Greek protected areas and raised awareness of the general public, through various social media platforms. The nation-wide nature photo competition “Click on Nature” focusing on Natura 2000 areas

attracted more than 1,037 participants and 3,700 photo submissions.

On the legal front, we have initiated legal processes against a highly problematic administrative decision that imposed superficial sanctions on an individual landowner for violating the National Marine Park of Zakynthos regulations, causing serious environmental degradation.

In order to contribute to the expansion and resilience of the protected areas network, we have developed a detailed policy brief and proposal for achieving the goal of 10% strict protection areas in Greece, as foreseen in the European biodiversity policy.

ICONIC SPECIES

Our vision

For wildlife and humans to thrive, collective action and coalitions are a necessity. With this in mind, WWF Greece developed the Iconic Species Initiative, a partnership between seven environmental Greek NGOs. We are joining forces, combining our knowledge and sharing our experience to achieve more on nature conservation and deliver greater impact. The aspiration of our partnership goes beyond achieving the important results during the course of the project. We aim to bring a long-lasting impact in how the Greek conservation community works together, in order to bring about change.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

• Improved stewardship and inclusion in decision making for nature conservation

• Moving from human - wildlife conflict to co-existence

• Minimizing human induced pressures to iconic species.

• Enriching our knowledge through applied conservation research.

Our action during 2023

During 2023, we have actively worked together with key stakeholders towards the adoption and implementation of appropriate conservation measures to address key pressures, threats and gaps for the conservation of vulnerable and endangered fauna species and their habitats.

Dedicated support from the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation has backed the establishment of a consortium of seven eNGOs, coordinated by WWF Greece, with a shared vision and commitment to conserve iconic species of Greece. The partnership aims to coordinate activities targeting different species, scale-up efforts for improving policies and their implementation, co-create solutions for countering key threats and amplify the voice of conservation in the public discourse in order to create an enabling environment that ensures human - wildlife coexistence.

With the significant new funding secured from the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, we began the inception period of the “Conserving the Iconic Species of Greece” programme by investing a small part of the funding to secure vital WWF Greece work on cetacean, vulture and monk-seal conservation, in addition to key interventions in the nature policy arena. In particular, we worked for selected human-wildlife conflicts: Poisoning of vultures in the National Park of Dadia in Thrace, and ship collisions threatening the population of sperm whales in the Hellenic Trench -the deep water gorge that expands from the south of Crete to the Ionian. We have achieved a reduction of up to 70% of poisoned animals while the total collision risk to sperm whales is reduced by 27% due to the commitment of the largest company transiting the area of Hellenic Trench to re-routing measures. In addressing key threats to iconic species, we evaluated predation pressure by ghost crabs on Caretta caretta hatchlings in Sekania beach using new technologies.

We also continued stewardship of the protected areas of Zakynthos, Gyaros and Dadia.

Focusing on the five targets of the initiative, we called and coordinated our partners to submit their proposals. Following the preparatory internal steps, the set-up of this unique partnership was completed with the agreement on 7 new conservation projects:

Improve conservation status of protected shark and ray species. Increase outreach, awareness and research on Greece’s unique biodiversity.

Creation of an enabling environment that ensures coexistence of humans with large carnivores with emphasis to grey wolf (Canis lupus).

Preserve the existing pairs of the three vulture species in Thrace, through actions to manage and reduce the threats that endanger their populations.

Increased protection and conservation of cave-dwelling bat species and highly specialised or steno-endemic cave invertebrates in Greece through the protection of their cave habitats.

Improve the conservation status of the Egyptian vulture in Epirus by means of a more effective conservation of its breeding and foraging grounds.

Address gaps in the knowledge of the causes and factors contributing to the death, injury, and disease of wild animals in order to facilitate the design and implementation of targeted and customized wildlife protection and conservation measures.

Restore the ecological functions of lake Lesser Prespa, by rehabilitating the Agios Germanos River that will avert decline of endemic fish species and preserve the valuable life that it maintains, including the largest breeding colony of Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) in the world.

Sharks and Rays, other less known marine species (elasmobranch species)

Large carnivores with emphasis to the wolf (Canis lupus).

iSea

the Cinereous, the Griffon and the Egyptian Vulture and Golden Eagle.

CALLISTO, Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society.

Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace.

Cavernicolous bat species. Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research (HISR).

Egyptian Vulture. Hellenic Ornithological Society.

Βirds of prey, nocturnal birds, waterbirds, wading birds, large carnivorous mammals (particularly red foxes, golden jackals, badgers, and martens), and bats.

Nine endemic fish species are directly targeted: Prespa Trout, Prespa Barbel, Prespa nase, Prespa minnow, Prespa loach, Prespa spirlin, Prespa chub, Prespa bleak, Prespa roach.

Hellenic Wildlife Care Association, H.W.C.A. (ANIMA).

Society for the Protection of Prespa.

Finally, we are supporting a substantial investment in developing the capacity of the conservation community itself, by setting the basis for a number of grants to support young scientists together with the Hellenic Zoological Society and the Societas Hellenica Herpetologica.

Despite these efforts, much still needs to be done, with significant gaps in relevant government policy.

RESTORATION

Our vision

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2021–2030 as the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. In front of the critical need to reverse habitat degradation, the EC proposed a Nature Restoration Law that sets explicit restoration targets for nature in Europe. In this promising external environment, we aspire to contribute by implementing restoration pilot projects that can be scaled, as well as by identifying key habitats in need for restoration.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

Our action during 2023

Sound restoration activities should start with the proper selection of areas in need of restoration and the application of suitable methods and tools. During 2023, we managed to reforest 20ha burned forest in the National Park of Sounio. This location, apart from being a valuable forest area unable to naturally regenerate after multiple fires, is also a declared ar chaeological site of great cultural significance.

• 15% of areas important for biodiversity and ecosystem services benefit from restoration measures that encompass both ecological and social dimensions.

• In response to the EU restoration policy, Greece has sound restoration supportive policies, plans, strategies and institutional arrangements.

• Specific actions taken to improve ecological connectivity (in no. of areas).

We thereforework together with the antiquities bureau and have developed a planting plan that respects the historical val ues of Sounio.

By altering the species mix of the original reforestation study, increasing species number and percentage of broadleaves, the initiative aims to increase both the resilience of the forest ecosystem to fires and create a protective natural barrier for the nearby communities. The results will be evaluated through monitoring survival and growth rates of the plants.

Additionally, by combining field work with innovative techniques, and in cooperation with the Institute of Mediterranean and Forest Ecosystems, we have experimentally applied new direct sowing methods in order to protect the seeds from being eaten in their early stages by animals. If this succeeds, this may radically change the success of reforestation projects on a national scale. The example of the Sounio project gave us the opportunity to come together with others to share knowledge, experiences and solutions. A characteristic case is that of the NGO “We4All” who changed their entire design and planting practices based on the guidance provided by WWF Greece.

Accelerating our efforts to restoration, we created a small forest nursery in North Evia that, focusing on 10 native species affected by the catastrophic wildfires of 2021. This nursery will produce 10-15 thousand plants annually in order to increase the naturalness and functions of the new forest to be created.

Restoration is also important at the landscape level. Within this year, we secured private funding as well as public support from the forestry authorities to restore the habitat variety within the protected area of Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest in order to increase biodiversity and support ecological processes.

This activity is mainly implemented by the Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace.

Natural recovery is the best restoration following a fire. We monitor and safeguard post-fire regeneration and natural succession of burnt forests of Northern Evia, Geraneia Mt (Korinthia prefecture), Pateras Mt (Attica) and the area between Portes and Valmi villages in northwestern Peloponnese. Our vigilance led to two official complaints about illegal activities in these areas while the mapping study of the regeneration potential of recently burned areas is a valuable tool as proven by the GIS data requested by the

relevant authorities. Following the 2022 fire and together with SPBT we also monitor the progress of natural regeneration in the forest of Dadia and the response of the relevant services for the implementation of necessary works.

As an active member of WWF’s network, we contributed significantly to a number of European policy initiatives. In the context of strengthening the EU’s nature policy, we actively contributed to the efforts of WWF EPO and other national eNGOs in support of the proposed regulation for nature restoration in EU negotiations.

HUMAN-WILDLIFE COEXISTENCE

Our vision

An enabling environment that ensures human - wildlife coexistence as a social consensus has been created through co-design and implementation of intersectoral and equitable solutions for addressing human-wildlife conflict impacts on wildlife, social dynamics and livelihoods.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

In the Hellenic Trench, WWF Greece together with research and conservation groups, namely IFAW, OceanCare, and the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute has worked with key companies of the shipping industry to engage them to adopt and implement mitigation measures (i.e. rerouting) to reduce collisions with sperm whales. As a direct result, major shipping companies that cross the main sperm whale habitat committed to implement measures in

ed information about the main areas of risk to sperm whales in the Admiralty Sailing Directions used by the majority of international shipping. Both Greek and German shipowners associations and the Hellenic and International Chambers of shipping officially promote measures to their members while the French shipowners association has also recommended to its members to adopt the measures.

• An enabling environment for the reduction of collision of sperm whales. (Shipping companies and unions agreement, NAVTEX issued measures for avoiding collision, other policies in place and awareness increased).

• Collision of sperm whales in the Hellenic Trench is reduced.

• A compensation system for fishers to reduce bycatch and deliberate killing of marine megafauna.

Our action during 2023

During 2023, we have continued our efforts to enhance human – wildlife coexistence in areas of ecological importance, where WWF Greece with its partners are working.

the majority of their journeys for saving sperm whales in the Hellenic Trench. These commitments are expected to reduce by almost a third the risk of total collision between ships and sperm whales in the Hellenic Trench and the mortality of the species. We highlighted the issue beyond national boundaries and thus the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office has includ-

Despite these positive results, the Greek shipping sector remains reluctant to implement the adoption of mitigation measures for addressing the interaction of ship strikes with endangered sperm whales in the Hellenic Trench.

The proposal of WWF Greece, for the establishment of a national financial support system for mitigating marine mammals and fisheries interactions was positively received by the competent authorities but has yet to be adopted as an official policy and will require more work and active lobbying.

In Thrace, WWF Greece has been working for years to conserve and protect vultures alongside with the local communities. Since the illegal poisoning against large carnivores is eventually the main threat for vultures in Greece, promoting coexistence with wildlife is the solution.

We operated an anti-poison dog unit and we also actively engaged with local stock breeders to empower them to adopt appropriate mitigation measures, such as livestock guarding dogs, fladry lines and electric fences, in order to reduce their losses to wolves, and raise awareness against poisoned baits.

Biodiversity highlights 2023

● Environmentally-degrading provisions of certain new laws were withdrawn from the Greek parliament, following our targeted advocacy and communication actions.

● Gyaros MPA became one of the few strictly protected MPAs in Greece with a full ban of all fisheries activities in September 2022.

● An official memorandum of understanding establishes our collaboration with NECCA, the Ministry of the Environment and Hellenic Coast Guard, - these authorities now take over full responsibility of the surveillance system of the Gyaros MPA.

● 27% reduction of total collision risk to sperm whales in the Hellenic Trench as a direct result of our overall outreach efforts and implementation of measures.

● For the first time a partnership of seven eNGOs join forces and work together to protect iconic species of Greece.

● 5 active territories of Egyptian vultures recorded in Thrace following the alarming low of 3 in 2019.

● 13 species of broad-leaved plants, some of which were no longer to be found in the area, were reintroduced in the Sounio forest area.

● Greece voted in favour of the proposed regulation on nature restoration in the Environment Council meeting in June 2023, thanks in part to our work.

© F. Bassemayousse / WWF France

FINANCIALS

Safeguarding Nature, sources of income

Safeguarding Nature, sources of income

Public sector funding 17%

Public sector funding 17%

3%

Foundations 55% WWF Network 25%

3%

Foundations 55% WWF Network 25%

Safeguarding Nature, distribution of expenses (1,2 m)

Safeguarding Nature, distribution of expenses (1,2 m)

cutting

Species 32%

Protected Areas 43% Restoration 21%

As the severity of the climate crisis escalates, exacerbating wildfires, droughts and broken extreme weather records negatively impacting both humans and natural ecosystems, mitigation becomes a matter of increasing urgency. Science1 has set the bar high: in order to limit warming to 1.5oC, the aim is zero greenhouse gas emissions ASAP, and definitely before 2050 (WWF’s global climate neutrality target year is 2040)

Since 2019, Greece has improved its policy on climate change, with major milestones being the adoption of the national climate law in 2022 (which WWF advocated for with a robust legal proposal), the commitment for lignite phase-out by 2028, the significant increase in the potential of renewable energy and the active support of the European climate targets for 2030.

PURSUING CLIMATE STABILITY

Building a climate resilient future is a matter of survival, for humans and nature.

1 IPCC. (2018). Global Warming of 1.5 ºC. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/

However, this progress is far from being aligned with achieving climate neutrality, as at the same time our country is leading in Europe in investments for the expansion of fossil gas infrastructure and actively supports hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in the Ionian Sea, Crete and Epirus. Under the pretext of the energy crisis, the Greek government is pushing for a deeper dependence on fossil gas, while also prolonging the operation of old and highly polluting lignite plants. Hence,

Greece is destined for decades of commitment to economically harmful forms of energy and infrastructure that will have little or no benefit to society.

It is among our key priorities to pursue the climate stability of Greece and to ensure climate democracy and a resilient economy and society, by proposing ambitious policies and nature - based solutions, developing policy and legal interventions - both proactively and reactively - and advocating for a just transition for all.

© Konstantinos Papantonis / Photography competition Click to Nature –LIFE-IP 4 NATURA

MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Our vision

Greece needs to achieve a reduction of at least 65% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through a socially just and environmentally sustainable transition of the power and other key economic sectors.

Our focus areas towards this reduction of greenhouse emissions are: Increasing the deployment of energy efficiency and properly-sited RES solutions, putting a stop to hydrocarbons exploration, ending coal extraction activities, developing 1,5-aligned pathways for the land-transport and shipping sectors and promoting building energy efficiency measures.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

Our action during 2023

Although this year was characterized by environmental challenges coupled with an unprecedented energy crisis, significant steps were made towards mitigating climate change through interventions, campaigns, studies and collaborations.

As an underpinning action in the framework of our climate change work to provide a platform for the Greek science sphere to engage in public discourse with credible and factual information, we joined forces with the ClimateBook scientific

• The increase of the share of renewables in electricity generation.

• Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings and advocating on an ambitious target on buildings’ efficiency (in the framework of NECP).

• Ensuring the official commitment of the Greek government for the inclusion of the land transport and/or shipping sector in the ETS.

• Halting any new oil and gas extraction plans with focus on critical marine areas.

team to increase the scientific and fact-based familiarization

of Greek mainstream media on climate change and its consequences.

We paved the way towards achieving the 1.5-degree target by mapping the most significant institutional and political gaps as well as the shortcomings at the implementation level on Greece’s path towards climate neutrality and environmental sustainability in Greece. On top of this, throughout the year we actively monitored the National Energy and Climate Plan’s revision process advocating for more ambitious targets and the proper implementation of public participation requirements.

Towards enhancing the share of clean energy and facing the upcoming challenges, we developed, in a transparent and participatory way, a proposal for an ecologically sustainable and socially just spatial planning system for RES and forwarded it to national policy-makers thus providing them with a solid solution for basing the national framework for nature-friendly RES development. Additionally, we are particularly proud to have collaborated with the University of Patras and the National

Technical University of Athens for an innovative study on scenarios and impacts of clean energy (the Wind and Biodiversity Atlas). More specifically, in order to best serve the climate objective of transitioning to an electricity system with 100% renewable energy production by 2035, our joint initiative aims to support the public debate with science-based scenarios for the evolution and spatial organization of the energy system, specifically with relation to biodiversity sensitive areas.

The buildings sector’s contribution to energy consumption and CO2 emissions in Greece as well as the EU as a whole is significant. With the largest part built before 1980, the Greek building stock is extremely energy intensive and in urgent need of renovation. During the revision of the National Energy and Climate Plan, we advocated for an ambitious Near Zero Energy Buildings target as well as priority for vulnerable households in renovation practices. Due to lack of internal capacity, we were unable to act more

on this target yet due to its importance towards climate neutrality, we intend to formulate additional targeted work in the coming years.

Finally, we continued to build the case against the negative climate, environmental and social impacts of hydrocarbon concessions and made targeted legal interventions focusing on phasing out fossil fuels extraction.

CLIMATE RESILIENT SOCIETY AND ECONOMY

Our vision

Without the active participation of civil society in decision-making combined with the development of a nature-positive economy that prioritizes nature related risk reduction, equity and justice, climate resilience will utterly fail.

We raise our voice to promote climate democracy where participatory and just solutions are implemented ensuring that society and economy are adapted to the climate crisis by 2030.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

Our action during 2023

In a dire and often hostile political setting, we are proud of our continued efforts in advocating for a robust environmental democracy and helping civil society exercise the environmental rights enshrined in the Hellenic Constitution and EU law.

In pursuit of our target for no new oil and gas, we continue our diligent monitoring of all developments in relation to the marine and onshore areas offered to oil companies for exploration and drilling for hydrocarbons. In 2023, our joint request with

• Raising the flag of unequal vulnerability due to climate change and effectively addressing the issue under the national legal framework.

• Safeguarding sound environmental governance and environmental rights: access to information, access to public participation and access to justice by developing, submitting and mobilizing the implementation of policy proposals to the government.

• Incorporating green budgeting in Greece’s national budget.

Greenpeace and the Pelagos Institute for the annulment of an

administrative decision authorizing the environmental terms and conditions of the hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation programmes in S-SW Crete was rejected. This did not stop us. We also reviewed the environmental assessment (EIA) on onshore hydrocarbon research drillings in the Epirus concession area. We participated in four national public consultations in order to defend the right to public participation during the environmental permitting procedure, the environmental rights in general and a high level of environmental protection.

In pursuit of our specific aim for climate - resilient adaptation through just and participatory solutions, we submitted detailed comments to numerous draft laws and participated in parliamentary hearings. The most notable of our statements in the context of new legislation concerned the restructuring of the national Regulatory Authority of Energy, in which we made the case for a comprehensive right to water which would be essential for a truly sustainable green transition. In the context of area-specific consultations, in which we contribute only

when issues of strategic policy arise, we raised the flag of the fundamental need for an independent and robust environmental inspections system, which is badly missing in the Greek environmental governance system, thus allowing for extensive and often destructive illegal actions. In the consultation of the environmental permit of a gold mining project in Northern Greece, we commented and provided data-specific criticism on specific provisions which seriously undermine the already crippled institution of independent inspections.

We are proud to lead an ambitious initiative in support of active civil society groups, pursuing full application of the right to public participation in environmental decision-making. Thanks to important financial support through the EEA Grants, we organized four civil society training workshops, focusing on the effective exercise of environmental rights. The workshops were attended by a total of over 170 active citizens and representatives of local environmental groups, the scientific community and public administration services.

In pursuit of our specific aim for 1.5℃ alignment of Greece’s economic policies, we concluded an intriguing collaboration with the international think tank 2 Degrees Investing Initiative. In the context of a project funded by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) we developed the Greek version of the “MyFairMoney” platform in order to clarify the landscape and support investors and institutions to make the right choices in sustainable investing. The platform contains a sustainability assessment for more than 650 investment products available in the Greek market. Additionally, we organized an online event for the dissemination of the research reports on the implementation of the EU’s markets in financial instruments directive to representatives covering the entire spectrum of the Greek banking sector.

In the broader EU context, the year presented several challenges. The two parliamentary elections caused a policy stasis. The Ukraine war brought a rollback in energy policies and a cost-oflife crisis. These challenges give rise to emergency regulations which by definition undermine the right to public participation. Environmental policies are crucial for overcoming this crisis, but decision-makers are reluctant to take action.

Honoring our role as an active member of WWF’s network, we also contributed significantly to a number of European policy initiatives. Most notably, we addressed a briefing note to the Ministry on the EU’s emergency regulation for the acceleration of the deployment of RES, making the case against a rollback of nature legislation. We also addressed an urgent call on the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister to reject the adoption of the EC’s proposal for EU’s Taxonomy Regulation in so far as it classifies fossil gas as ‘sustainable’ and we support the initiative of our European Policy Office (WWF EPO) which filed a legal case challenging the EU Commission’s initiative to include fossil gas in the taxonomy of ‘sustainable investments’.

© Marianna Plomariti / WWF Greece

NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS

Our vision

Nature can play a game-changing role towards tackling the inevitable negative impacts of climate change to humans. However, this role is only recently starting to be understood by stakeholders, is recognized by the governments and included in key global agreements. By utilizing solutions that are linked to nature, we can effectively address the climate and biodiversity crisis in the long run.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

Our action during 2023

In 2023, we managed to bring nature based solutions to the public discourse for the first time. The active involvement of local authorities and stakeholders in designing and implementing key interventions is a prerequisite in order to make a long-lasting change. Acknowledging this, we have put efforts to engage local communities and relevant

• Promoting and showcasing Nature based Solutions (NbS) in Greece.

• Nature based Solutions (NbS) are adopted by local communities.

used traditional knowledge on green infrastructures (small stone dams) to tackle water scarcity, enrich aquifers and create small oases for biodiversity on the dry island of Paros. We are further developing our work in Thessaly and expanding our NbS work in two more areas (Evia and Ios islands).

2 Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are defined by IUCN as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”. This is the most widely accepted definition, while based on this, the Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in the spirit of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, has recently adopted a very similar NbS definition.

authorities on the value of NbS in addressing drought, flood and forest fires, while also collaborating with scientific bodies and important external partners (e.g. European Investment Bank). Our work in Thessaly and Western Crete included the promotion of NbS against flood risks, concerning mainly restoration of rivers, riparian forests and natural flood-plains. Moreover, we have

Nature based solutions are also important defenses against the increasing wildfire risks as fires become more intense. The management of forest vegetation and/or of forest fuel with methods similar to what nature has provided or continues to provide over time increases the resilience of both ecosystems and societies to the challenges of mega-fires ultimately connected with the climate crisis. To reduce the risk for local communities we developed, together with the Agriculture University of Athens and fire specialists, coherent new specifications for local fire prevention action plans and completed a consultation process with local and national stakeholders. We are very happy to have signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Municipalities of Kissamos and Kalamata for the pilot implementation of these plans.

In parallel, we have successfully completed the two-year innovative project for the implementation of the prescribed burning method in Chios island. After testing different

Climate highlights 2023

● Strengthening the capacity and confidence of civil society groups in impactfully exercising their environmental rights and, ultimately, building a stronger environmental democracy through four training workshops.

● Public consultation and publication of our detailed legal proposal for a science-based, ecologically safe and socially inclusive spatial planning system for the transition to 100% renewables by 2035.

● Conclusion of the first study of different scenarios for the spatial planning of renewables along with a data-supported assessment of their impacts on biodiversity and economy.

● Our comments οn the EIA on onshore hydrocarbon research drillings utilized by other civil society organizations (CSOs) with similar concerns.

parameters on the ground, we prepared and submitted a draft policy proposal to the Forest Directorate for the integration of this valuable method into national legislation.

● Impressive participation of 17 key representatives covering the entire range of the Greek banking sector in our webinar on the implementation of the sustainability components of the EU’s markets in financial instruments directive (MiFID II).

● NBS principles being incorporated into Thessaly’s hydrological technical studies.

ANNUAL REPORT 2023

Climate stability, sources of income

Climate stability, sources of income

Public sector funding 17%

Sponsorships 10%

Sponsorships 10%

Foundations 56%

Foundations 56%

WWF Network 17%

WWF Network 17%

Climate stability, distribution of expenses (0,56 m)

Climate stability, distribution of expenses (0,56 m)

Cross cutting 4%

Cross cutting 4%

Nature Based Solutions

Nature Based Solutions

45%

45%

Climateadaptation 18%

Climateadaptation 18%

Climatemitigation 33%

Climatemitigation 33%

The way we live and our daily choices on how we produce and what we consume, shapes our environmental footprint and directly affects the future we create for the generations yet to come. We need to understand that the impact of our choices on the land, water and atmosphere, i.e. the natural resources needed to provide our products and the generated waste today has a long lasting effect on the planet and now is the time to accelerate our transition to a sustainable way of living. If current trends continue, we would need 2.8 planets to meet our needs.

The footprint refers to all manmade activities and natural processes on the planet. Based on a thorough analysis of the external trends, among the most disruptive ones affecting the natural environment are over exploitation of resources (marine and terrestrial) and waste management while regarding societal consequences tourism’s growing impact is highlighted as one of the main pressures. Thus, our focus is on: sustainable food, pollution, fisheries and tourism, as the most critical areas for the ecological footprint of the greek society, where we can provide solutions and tools to consumers and producers.

SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION OF GREECE’S ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

Why reducing ecological footprint is important to ensure a sustainable future.

FOOD

Our vision

The food system has entered the climate and nature debate as a major driver for resources exploitation and depletion, biodiversity loss and pollution. Our focus is on implementing holistic approaches through mainstreaming national regulations on sustainable food cycle, reducing meat consumption and achieving low levels of food waste in order to halve Greece’s food footprint by 2030.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

Our action during 2023

Measuring waste is the beginning of everything: “if you don’t measure, you can’t reduce”. During this year, our efforts are focused on the retail sector and we are working together with AB Vassilopoulos, one of the top 3 retailers in Greece, towards the ambitious goal of reducing food waste in its supply chain by 50% by 2025. After succeeding in overcoming internal organizational barriers of the compa-

• Measuring food waste in the primary sector, food service and retail.

• Developing policies, raising awareness through various channels with friendly tools and promoting best practices (50% of food waste comes from households)

• Halving meat consumption.

• Developing and mainstreaming a new legislative framework for sustainable food supply, production, consumption both, at european and national level.

ny, our collaboration led to the finalization of a comprehensive action plan to reduce waste in its operations and agreed to extend our collaboration until the end of 2025. Moving ahead,

we are focusing on measuring food losses at AB’s suppliers (producers and processors) and training so that they may include food waste reporting obligations as part of their agro-assurance agreements with the company. In parallel, new pilot measures with significant impact are being implemented in the AB super markets, such as dynamic pricing and the display of “best before” dates on a dedicated discount shelf.

Promoting the reduction of wasteful consumption and raising awareness of consumers on the links between food waste and the climate and biodiversity loss crises and their own choices, will utterly contribute to the minimization of waste on a national level, since households are responsible for most of the generated waste. Dedicated communication waves, with AB Vassilopoulos, were also launched to raise citizen awareness and facilitate the necessary behavioral change. Change will take time but an ambitious policy framework can help towards this direction. Thus, we put forward detailed proposals in anticipation of the, soon to be published, National Waste Pre-

vention Plan, by the Ministry for the Environment.

Towards, reducing meat consumption and shifting to sustainable diets, the Eat4Change programme continued with great success. Through a major and diverse communication campaign, we were able to inform and reach millions of citizens, with a focus on young people, about the need to change their eating habits. Through the Tiktok platform alone, we reached 2 million citizens!

On the advocacy front, a new regulation on sustainable food systems is planned for adoption at European level. WWF Greece has been involved in the joint initiative of the European WWF offices and other civil society organizations, to influence the draft proposal that the European Commission is expected to present at the end of 2023. Moreover, the new Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is pushing in the direction of achieving sustainable food systems and practices

(eco-schemes) until 2027. At the same time, at the national level, we prepared a policy paper on Green Public Food Procurement, i.e. on how the public sector, the largest purchaser of food in Greece (hospitals, army, schools), can include green criteria in public food procurements and we will further advocate for this after the national elections.

Andrea Bonetti

WWF Greece

WASTE

Our vision

Legally binding agreements that set the rules for waste management and address the full life cycle of plastic, while enabling the business sector and society to move towards the elimination of plastic and waste leakage. This is a particularly ambitious vision, considering that Greece presently holds one of the worst positions in the European ranking, regarding adoption of a circular economy model and regulated waste management.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

Our action during 2023

Transforming the waste management system is complex and requires the government to take action and adopt policies on waste management measures. Despite the fact that we have been systematically advocating the necessity of a national green waste management plan, deep concerns remain as the Greek government is presently insisting on promoting waste incineration. Through a policy brief, we are pinpointing the problematic aspects of the current national waste management action plan while we are also mapping

• Closing of 30 uncontrolled waste disposal sites in Greece.

• Developing and advocating for a green National Waste Management Plan (NWMP).

• Greek government supporting a legally binding treaty on plastics.

• 85% reduction of marine litter found on beaches (threshold 130 items/100m of coastal).

tify uncontrolled - illegal waste disposal sites in Greece through an innovative AI system.

Additionally, under our initiative “Adopt a Beach’’ citizens are actively taking action against marine litter pollution. In 2023, 51 new teams (153 teams in total) joined the initiative adopting 169 beaches in total. At the same time, we have upscaled the efforts on a regional level by engaging two more Mediterranean countries in the initiative (Türkiye & Tunisia).

our potential partnerships and synergies with others, in order to strengthen our voice. In this framework, we are joining forces with the organization “Save Your Hood”, in order to map and iden-

Based on the findings, it is evident that the Greek government is falling behind in the implementation of the existing legisla tion towards the reduction of single-use plastics. Almost none of the adopted beaches meet the EU threshold value (20 items per 100m of coastline) nor the Barcelona Convention’s threshold value of 130 items per 100 m that defines a beach as having a good environmental status. With regards to the composition of marine litter that havebeen identified in the monitoring activities, plastics prevail:The bulk of the litter collected on Greek beaches (about 84%) is plastic (artificial polymeric materials), while over 50% of the total litter recorded consists

of just five items: cigarette butts, small pieces of plastic (2.5-50cm), plastic straws, plastic bottle caps and small polystyrene pieces (2.5-50cm). On this front, we have been working -through synergies- to ensure that Greece is in favor of a legally binding treaty towards plastics reduction.

We compiled four briefs (4) analyzing the content of the plastics global treaty and regularly provide information to the national delegation when necessary.

Engaging with one of the biggest hotels in Greece to fight against single use plastic can act as a best practice example for others to follow. Within this framework, we are working closely with Costa Navarino in order to create a mechanism for the reduction of unnecessary plastics in its operations. The most demanding measure, the total replacement of plastic water bottles with glass ones and the installation of water coolers was completed in April 2023. Despite the large increase in guests in 2022 (>40% increase compared to 2021), a significant reduction in plastics per guest-night of 24% has been achieved, keeping Costa Navarino on track to achieve the elimination of unnecessary single use plastics. Next year we will expand our work by mapping the accommodation and catering sector in Western Messinia in order to identify barriers and opportunities for developing and implementing plastic reduction solutions at the local level.

FISHERIES

Our vision

Healthy fisheries are linked to sustainable food security throughout the Mediterranean communities, including the ones in Cyclades in Greece. Climate change consequences, such as intrusion of invasive species and high water temperature, as well as human pressures (overfishing, accidental catches, inadequate fisheries management and regulations) have seriously reduced fish stock levels. With the deterioration of marine ecosystems, fishers are inevitably also facing severe income loss.

We are promoting sustainable fisheries with the active involvement of the fishing communities and with a special emphasis on small-scale fisheries.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

Our action during 2023

WWF Greece has worked alongside fisheries communities and this year we are proud of the set up and operation of the 1st voluntary co-management committee on fisheries management with the active participation of all relevant stakeholders of the North Cyclades, including fisheries authorities. Through this scheme, we jointly decided sustainable fisheries management practices (6 major categories of measures) towards the reduction of fishing pressure such as the use of high tech monitoring devices and support to sustainable fishing tourism. The measures were voluntarily adopted and implemented by two of the main fishing communities in the region supporting the efforts to conserve marine ecosystems. However, many

steps are needed to move from voluntary adoption to mandatory measures while horizontal fishing regulations, related to all fishing activities, are needed to effectively protect fish stocks and habitats.

• Promoting a legal framework where participatory processes are explicitly foreseen in decision making on sustainable fisheries management.

• Fishers’ capacity is improved, regarding implementing sustainable fishing practices, alternative fishing activities and market access approaches.

We have supported the exploration of alternative livelihood opportunities for fishers as they protect fish stocks, locally and nationally, through a feasibility study for better market access for small scale fisheries (SSF) that implement sustainable fishing practices. In parallel, we provided guidance to local fishers for adopting a sustainable fishing tourism model. Working so close with communities gives the opportunity to witness the obstacles and challenges they need to overcome. The lack of financial and technical support to fishers in order to implement sustainable fisheries measures is a major obstacle. To support them, we organized trainings on how they can secure financial resources from EU sources in order to switch to a more sustainable model. Another crucial factor is the unstructured governance of the small scale fisheries sector that hinders the development of entrepreneurship that could improve their livelihoods.

While still on the same topic, we worked together with the

Hellenic Centre for Marine Research and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in order to raise awareness and promote the consumption of invasive fish species. Such a shift would reduce fishing pressure on other commercial fish species. Through a series of activities, we promoted the consumption of these species nationally by showcasing their nutritional and dietary value.

Finally, we have developed a legislative proposal on the integration of participatory processes in national fisheries legislation and together with targeted stakeholders we are actively advocating for its adoption.

Footprint highlights 2023

● For the first time in Greece, a retailer, AB jointly with WWF Greece, encourages people to think prior buying in the supermarket in order to avoid food waste at home.

● 286 EU organizations and trade unions co-signed a resolution calling on the European Commission to accelerate the adoption of an ambitious regulation on sustainable food systems.

● 217tn marine litter retrieved from 15 km of coastline in 2 years by volunteer groups.

● More than 40% increase in the beaches adopted (compared to 2022), active par ticipation of youth groups (e.g. schools, scouts).

● Guest-related plastics on Costa Navarino have been reduced by 38% in 2022 compared to baseline 2019

● Fisheries authorities, fishers, and other stakeholders recognized the value of co-management as a model for local fisheries management.

FINANCIALS

Footprint reduction, sources of income

Footprint reduction, sources of income

Footprint reduction, distribution of expenses (0,5 m)

Footprint reduction, distribution of expenses (0,5 m)

Cross cutting 3%

Cross cutting 3%

The magnitude and severity of global environmental challenges simply means that none of us -no matter how big or strongcan bring the necessary lasting impact alone.

WWF Greece has always strived to be an agent of collaboration and collective action: to build alliances within and beyond the boundaries of civil society space, to support the efforts of kin NGOs and to empower smaller NGOs and citizen movements to develop effective interventions.

The past years, and especially after our latest strategy was agreed, have seen our organization taking even bolder steps towards this direction: Supporting the efforts of small organizations, systematically providing guidance and empowerment to grassroots citizen initiatives, leveraging funds to support the boader ecosystem and building inclusive initiatives for action, are not only part of our working culture but explicit strategic targets to be pursued.

Amongst all our partners and collaborators, a key place is reserved for our continuously growing constituency of individual supporters. Side by side with our donors and funders, they are the ones who provide the fuel that keeps our efforts going: Financial support, trust, continuous encouragement.

Collective action can bring long lasting change our joined voices are louder than each and one of us separately.

TOGETHER WITH YOUTH

Our vision

By 2030, Greek youth are more aware of sustainability issues and are taking the necessary steps to reduce their environmental footprint, by changing their behavior to protect the environment and becoming ambassadors of sustainability.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

Increasing

Our action during 2023

During 2023, our work reached and engaged young citizens with diverse perspectives and different backgrounds. We worked to educate and empower them to develop their own activities with the aim of creating a pool of active citizens that will actively participate in core climate and environmental matters.

We have worked with school-children, both teenagers and younger ones, culinary students and youth organizations not merely to raise awareness but to actively involve them and empower them to develop their own initiatives.

Here are a few influential initiatives in 2023:

Under the newly launched initiative “Students: Act for climate”, that aims to involve students in creating a carbon neutral school, we worked with educators and trained students ofall ages to design actions on reducing their schools’ carbon footprint. We were astonished by the innovative ideas from both primary and highschool students, and the spirit and passion of the teams involved while overcoming complex edu cation processes. We are proud of the support we provided to

educators, inspiring them, honoring their effort and adapting continuously to their needs. A network of advisors and mentors was created to bridge our team with the educators. Healthy diets reflect a healthy planet.- This is the message we promote through our “Eat4Change” project, with ideas on how young people can change their dietary habits to move to a more sustainable way of life. We are proud for our very first youth team “Food4Thoughters” that already includes 15 active members willing to take action. However, for them to be able to design their own initiatives we need to increase their level of commitment. During this first year, priority was given to their interests and available time to ensure their participation and increase their engagement to the team by developing flexible tasks and actions and including them in our pre designed activities. In parallel, we trained vocational culinary students resulting in the creation of their own sustainable diet recipes and we empowered and motivated representatives of 21 youth organizations, including the National Scouts and Greek Guides, to launch their own trainings and actions.

© Andrea bonetti / WWF Greece

TOGETHER WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS

Our vision

By 2030, a community of 100+ dedicated volunteers of WWF Greece has been created. Through their action, volunteers are acting as ambassadors of sustainability and contributing to the impact of the organization’s programme.

WE WORK TOWARDS:

• Developing engaging activities in order to steadily increase the number of WWF volunteers’ team.

• Enhancing the environmental awareness/training/education of our volunteers in order to make them ambassadors.

Our action during 2023

During 2023, we celebrated the creation of a dedicated volunteer group that supported our work on reforestation of the Sounio National Park.

Through a variety of more than 20 activities in Sounio, including tree planting and seed collection, we managed to increase

the number of like-minded people that engage in our work. We are happy to welcome our 125 unique WWF volunteers in addition to 105 members of local organizations that join our initiatives. Also, under our “Adopt a beach” project, the newly fledged WWF volunteer team “adopted” Agios Kosmas beach in Attica and conducted clean-up and litter measurement. Priority was also given to join forces with residents and local groups in order to ensure local engagement.

Based on participants’ feedback, they highly appreciated the opportunity to renew their connection with nature, especially after the 2 long years of pandemic, highlighting also our constant overall support and response to their needs. Co-creating activities, valuing and integrating their feedback and enabling them as much as possible, are key elements for preserving a volunteer community. We plan to continue our efforts with the ambition not only to maintain their engagement but further extend and deepen our connection to the point that our volunteers actively contribute to our work and act as our ambassadors.

© Andrea bonetti / WWF Greece

TOGETHER WITH OUR SUPPORTERS

Our vision

The support, trust and encouragement we receive from society is the cornerstone to our dedicated efforts to tackle environmental challenges, for both nature and people to thrive. For the next few years we are committed to growing the base of our most valuable partners: our individual supporters.

Our action during 2023

During 2023, we increased our donors’ base by 1.600 new donors, recording a 31% increase in Small donors income compared to the previous fiscal year (1,45 million Euros in 2023, compared to 1,11 million Euros in 2022). This achievement is the result of the combined efforts to develop new fundraising products and apply innovative approaches.

In particular, we adopted an innovative pathway to donors’ recruitment through ongoing

testing on campaigns, upgraded assets, product development and content. A highlight of this effort was the successful launch of a new FR product “Plant a tree” and a more performance-driven approach in the implementation of our key annual campaigns (xmas, valentine’s day, etc). We also furthered our recruitment and loyalty toolbox through the full deployment of our telemarketing program, a valuable tool for engaging our supporters and implementing funding petitions. Telemarketing has also been used in the framework of the qualitative survey conducted in order to gain insights from our supporters. We also completed a number of feasibility assessments for the development of new recruitment segments (esp. visitors to Greece and expatriates).

In addition, we successfully engaged our audiences in political petitions and communication campaigns (such as Earth Hour, forest fires campaign, etc) through which we secured more than 13.000 new leads (new interested members). In parallel, we launched a new series of monthly on-line discussions

on major environmental issues such as climate change, forest fires a1.48nd plastic reduction. Finally, we are excited to host the first annual supporters’ event, in which more than 100 of our supporters attended and visited our new building. Giving them the opportunity to meet and interact with our staff and see where we work brought them even closer to us and strengthened the sense of belonging and contributing to our cause.

An impactful organization needs to always maintain and further increase its supporters’ base. Towards that direction, we plan to re-evaluate the performance of our Face2Face team and adjust accordingly. Further, we will invest in renewed engagement of our -actual or potential- middle donor base, counterbalancing the unfortunate shrinking of our major donors’ community, while we are now developing strategies in order to successfully engage foreigners (tourists, expatriates) in securing individual donations. Among the key priorities for the coming year is also the implementation of a new ambitious database management infra-

structure and methodology. In conclusion, listening to our supporters’ point of view and perspective helps us get valuable insights on how to bring them closer to our work. We have recently conducted a qualitative survey with more than 2.000 participants and the results are being analyzed to provide valuable insights.

Andrea Bonetti

WWF Greece

TOGETHER WITH OUR DONORS, PARTNERS AND ALLIES

Our vision

Our philanthropic partnerships are critical in supporting our conservation goals. Together we are building a community of partners who are sharing the ambition for the protection of natural ecosystems, climate stability and footprint reduction.

Our action during 2023

We express our gratitude to a community of dedicated philanthropic partners and recognize their valuable contribution to our work and this year’s results.

2023 was marked by the closing of the MAVA Foundation, a strategic partner that has been supporting our efforts since the establishment of our organization. Since its inception, MAVA has been a tremendous partner

to the international conservation community and WWF Greece, and we want to thank the founda tion for its inspirational leadership, its amazing support and its spirit of collaboration.

For the last 20 years, the A.G. Leventis Foundation, is a long-standing valued partner of our conservation work and has steadily supported the implementation of our activi ties. Last year it continued to provide core funding for some of our most important activities and policy work.

A coalition of Greek foundations, together with the National Bank of Greece, termed “Initiative 21”, embraced and supported an integrated forest program in the light of the devastating wildfires of 2021. In this framework the

A. G. Leventis Foundation sup ported our pilot reforestation in the SounioNational Park, the monitoring of the natural regen eration in areas affected by wildfires around the country and the cooperation with targeted municipalities for the development of

pilot local fire prevention action plans. Theguidelines for developing localfire prevention action plans andthe implementation of a pilot plan in a second area, were madepossible thanks to the support of Bodossakis Foundation, while the foundation to gether with the National Bank, supported an engaging environmental educationprogram for fire prevention.

The ambitious programme for strengthening the capacity of more than 150 volunteer firefighting teams, with the coordination of Desmos, is supported byA. I. Martinou Foundation, theIoannis S. Latsis Public BenefitFoundation and the NationalBank of Greece.

We are proud of the beginning of a 5-year flagship programme for the conservation of iconic species in Greece, through the collective action of seven other national environmental organizations, thanks to the crucial support of the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation.

The European Climate Foundation, a long term partner of our

organization in energy and climate issues, is supporting our work on promoting an equitable, participatory and robust climate governance system in Greece and the development of “climate book”, a digital space for analyzing in layman format, climate science data.

The innovative environmental education program “Students for climate action”, is implemented thanks to the donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and with the support of A. G. Leventis and Bodossaki Foundations.

WWF Greece, as an active member of our network, collaborates at regional level and is granted valuable support by WWF International ("Mediterranean Adopt a beach" program, with theessential support of AUDEMARS-Watkins Foundation) and WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative (Transforming the Small Scale Fisheries and Blue Forests programmes).

WWF Belgium is a strategicprogrammatic and fundingpartner of our organization (flagship marine programmes),while WWF Sweden has been sup porting the protection of the most important nesting beach for loggerhead turtles (Sekania) for the last 10 years.

TOGETHER WITH OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS

Our vision

The corporate sector has a clear role and responsibility in averting the biodiversity crisis, pursuing climate stability and actively embracing sustainability in the way it does business. Together we aim at changing behaviors and delivering specific results for the protection of nature and climate stability.

Our action during 2023

We are proud of the corporate partnerships that we have built together, for driving sustainable business practices, influencing value chains and supporting conservation projects.

AB Vassilopoulos is a long term corporate partner, who, with the support of WWF Greece, committed to a bold

goal of halving its food waste from farm to fork and offering sustainable seafood options to its customers.

TEMES, with the support of Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation and WWF Greece, undertakes a leading role to eliminate single-use plastics and minimize plastics entering the Costa Navarino resort.

At international level, WWF has been working with Bolton Foods (Rio Mare seafood) since 2017 to improve the sustainability of its supply chain and help protect the oceans through the development of marine protected areas.

The pilot implementation of an innovative forest management technique, prescribed burning, was made possible thanks to the support of Procter & Gamble, while the cause related

marketing mechanism of IKEA of Fourlis group, supported actions to mitigate the effects of forest fires and activities of ANIMA organization for the rescue and treatment of wild animals, in fire-affected areas.

Eurobank and WWF Greece, long term partners for conservation, created the first ‘green’ card, which actively supports the environment. Since 2001, WWF Eurobank Visa has supported the implementation of multiple marine and terrestrial programs. PRAKTIKER is supporting the development and operation of a newly established small forest nursery in North Evia.

We would like to sincerely thank those corporate partners that hosted the “face to face” team of WWF and gave us the opportunity to inform and engage hundreds of citizens on environmental challenges.

Engagement highlights 2023

We are thankful for our individual supporters, who stand by us, giving us the strength and resources to continue.

• 2.000 supporters engaged in our forest restoration activities.

• > 18.000 individual supporters.

• >400 students trained and developed creative proposals on how to reduce the footprint of their schools. The ideas are already implemented with the support of local municipalities and other NGOs.

• >100 vocational culinary students empowered to sustainable diets and their role.

• Engage, for the first time, students from 9 technical high schools to take action for the climate crisis.

• >170 active citizens trained to impactfully exercise their environmental rights and, ultimately, building a stronger environmental democracy.

• >150 teams are taking action against marine litter pollution by “adopting” 170 beaches.

• >700 volunteers join our actions.

© Hannah Busing / Unsplash

FINANCIALS

Mobilizing society, sources of income

49% Sponsorships 4% Public sector funding 15% Mobilizing

Youth

Engagement 42%

15%

Foundations 32%

Cross cutting 15%

Cross cutting 15%

Civil society 42%

IMPACTFUL AND RESILIENT WWF GREECE

Our vision

WWF Greece is an impactful, resilient and recognizable civil society organization, a dynamic member of the WWF network that is continuously learning, innovating and evolving. We operate with transparency and accountability, we aim to minimize our own environmental footprint in how we work, and achieve our targets through a dynamic team of committed individuals, within a broader ecosystem of partners and synergies while securing the necessary stability and flexibility needed to fulfill its mission and implement its strategy. Below we present key interventions during 2023.

People and culture

Our world is undergoing critical changes that impact the work environment in unforeseen ways. The post-pandemic era finds employers worldwide facing the challenge of continuously adapting to new circumstances: An economic crisis,

vast breakthrough technological advancements and a cultural shift occurring in the workplace with a new generation of people entering the workforce.

WWF Greece as part of an international network that aims to create

a world where people and nature thrive, is committed to facing these challenges and creating a work environment, where its people have everything they need, to focus on what matters the most: achieving impact for the planet.

To realize this commitment, starting in 2023, we rolled out a strategy for ‘people & culture’ where we emphasize specific priority areas. We have created a pathway for strengthening our organizational culture by focusing on fostering effective

leadership to address key HR issues (e.g. role definition, team building) and supporting open collaboration. Our aim is to create an exceptional employee experience, while simultaneously securing and developing the talent we need for achieving our goals through a dynamic team of committed individuals.

During the first year of implementation, we set in place all the necessary mechanisms that will serve as a basis for further developing HR related actions for achieving our strategic goals. So far we have:

• Renewed our compensation & benefits policy, after reviewing market conditions in collaboration with external experts.

• Updated our recruitment procedure to correspond to contemporary recruiting trends.

• Enriched our onboarding procedure to offer a more cohesive WWF experience to our new colleagues.

• Reviewed and updated some of our core policies to strengthen our transparency and accountability.

• Developed our existing performance management process towards continuous feedback to eliminate communication barriers, to ensure better alignment of individual targets with strategy goals and to strengthen the relation between performance and employee recognition.

© Alexandros Kokkinidis / WWF Greece

WALKING THE TALK

As an environmental NGO, and in line with the policies of our international network, we have had footprint reduction policies in place for many years. Our move to a new privately owned building however, gave us an opportunity to enhance these policies and see them within the broader context of ‘walking the talk’.

This policy is being gradually implemented, through the development of necessary procedures and standards. An important challenge related to accurate measurement of “scope 3” emissions, i.e. emissions from the products and goods we use, to acquire a clear picture of the ‘hidden’ impacts of our operations. We have become part of the WWF’s network group “’Walk the talk” and

through this group, we are learning and adapting. It is very encouraging that although we have only just started implementing our new footprint reduction policy, we are close to the way offices such as WWF UK and Switzerland, much more advanced in these policies, are addressing this issue.

Andrea Bonetti

WWF Greece

July 2022 - June 2023

WWFtotal income FY 2023

Donated income Foundations

Donated income supporters

Public sector

WWFtotal income FY 2023

Donated income from Foundations

WWF network

Corporate income

Other income FY 2023

WWF network

5,21 million Euros

Donated income from supporters

5,21 million Euros

Public sector funding

WWF network

Corporate income

Other

WWF total expensesFY 2023

National programme (and regional cooperation)

Communications

Fundraising

Finance and People

Funding to WWF network

WWF Programmatic expenses FY 2023

Goal 1: Safeguarding Nature

Goal 2: Climate stability

Goal 3: Footprint reduction

Goal 4: Mobilizing society

Cross cutting conservation and policy

WWF Greece

WWF GREECE

(01/07/2023 - 30/06/2024) in euros

Surplus and Deficit Statement

(01/07/2023 - 30/06/2024 in '000s )

Surplus and Deficit Statement

WWF Greece

WWF GREECE

- 30/06/2024) in euros

Surplus and Deficit Statement

Surplus and Deficit Statement

WWF Greece

119-121

Charilaou Trikoupi street

114 73 Athens

Τel.: +30 210 3314893

Fax: +30 210 3247578

e-mail: support@wwf.gr

Why we are here

To stop the degration of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

wwf.gr

panda.org

© Fotis Kafetsis / Photography competition Click to Nature – LIFE-IP 4 NATURA