Clean up Greece is an environmental NGO, based in Athens and has been active since 1993. Clean up Greece is official partner of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) of UNEP and affiliated to the organizations “Clean up the World”, WECF – dollarpean Women for a Common Future and EEN - EPHA Environment Network.

“Clean up Greece” has established an Annual Student Conference, one of the main environmental education programmes, in order to give  children and youths the opportunity to express their views and to actively participate in current environmental issues in Greece. Every year, approximately 350 participants aged between 10 and 18 from a variety of schools in Greece, as well as qualified representatives of state and public institutions attend this important conference. 

The Annual Environmental Youth Conference,was established in 2000 and has been successfully taken place in the last years in Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion/Crete and Patras with participation of 5.500 students discussing themes as:  “Environment & Olympics 2004”, “The city I would like to live in”, “My Neighbourhood”, ”Water - a Drop of Life”, “Clean Energy”, “Sustainable Schools”.

The 7^th Environmental Youth Conference with title “Sustainable and Toxic Free Future” in the framework of the dollarpean Life/ENV Programme ‘SB-Med’ was organized in the following cities:

 ·        Athens                      

 The Conference in Athens was held at the Goethe Institute on the 26^th February 2006.  Mrs Carla Baer Manolopoulou opened the Conference with her speech and was followed by Mr George Kasimatis, Director of the Greek Office of the dollarpean Parliament, Mr Francesco Saverio Civili  UNEP/MAP Coordinator, Ms Christina Marouli , PhD Monitoring Expert  and  Dr. Alexandra Togia,  Project Manager Environmental Division.

 ·        Thessaloniki           

The Conference was organized at the Goethe Institute of Thessaloniki  on the 15^th February 2006 and was attended by students from the area of Thessaloniki. Mrs Carla Baer Manolopoulou  greeted the students with a short speech and was followed by Mr Vassilios Toulikas, from the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, Mr Evangelos Kosmidis- Environmentalist ,Assistant to Mrs Tzampazi MEP , and  Mr Mattheos Tsoungas, Consultant of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.  

 ·        Heraklion Crete     

The Conference in Heraklion was held in the “Theatrical Station” on the  24^th February 2006 . Greetings were addressed by Mr Sifis Aggelidakis - Vice Prefect of Heraklion, Mr George Parasiris – Vice Mayor of Heraklion, Mr Epaminondas Sarris – President of the Environment Committee- Mr Stelios Daliadakis  and Mr Manolis Iatrakis – from the Ministry of Education.   

 Mrs Maria Sfakianaki from the Environmental Education of the Ministry of Education present her thesis: “Sustainable Future without Chemicals and Inspiration in the Environmental Education”.

  During the 7th Students’ Conference 1.200 students presented their research, thoughts as well as proposals with speeches, slides and Video.

CONFERENCE SPONSORS:  UNEP/MAP, EEN - EPHA ENVIRONMENT NETWORK,    Praktiker Hellas, Wella Hellas

CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS:  Goethe Instituts (Athens/Thessaloniki), Hotelia, ÌINOAN LINES, SKAG, OSE, BIC, Hotel LATO,  WECF