Eurobank: Rehabilitation program of the wider fire-affected area in Ancient Olympia

Eurobank is implementing a comprehensive Recovery Program for the wider fire-affected area of ​​Ancient Olympia, remaining faithful to its commitment to contribute to the long-term actions of the State for the protection and reconstruction of the natural wealth of the country threatened by climate change.

The Bank, having actively participated in the restoration of the area from the great fires of 2007, stands again next to the local community of Ancient Olympia, a place with strong symbolism and special cultural heritage for the country and the world community. Implements a network of actions that will contribute, among other things, to the reconstruction of the natural environment, the support of local producers and the raising of awareness, especially of young people, on issues of prevention and protection. These actions, focusing on Ancient Olympia, are part of the overall donation announced by the Bank last August, for the sustainable reforestation of burned areas from the catastrophic fires of the summer of 2021.

The Restoration Program of the wider fire-affected area of ​​Ancient Olympia is developed in four axes:

Reinforcement of fire-affected areas

With the donation of 20,000 olive trees, the Bank actively participates in the restoration of privately owned olive groves of the Municipality of Ancient Olympia (www.olympia-trees.com). This is an Initiative of the Region of Western Greece, the ARETE Fund and the AMKE “International Relations of Culture”, with overall planning & coordination by the Honorary President of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Giannos Grammatidis. Within the framework of this initiative, a total of more than 150,000 olive trees will be donated to local producers.

Tree planting program for reforestable areas

Eurobank is launching a long-term partnership with We4All, a non-profit environmental organization with extensive experience in reforestation.

Through this cooperation, more than 15,000 properly selected trees will be planted in the wider area of ​​Ancient Olympia and the Prefecture of Ilia. We4All’s environmental energy for 2022 will be supported by the General Directorate of Capital Markets (Eurobank), linking, for the first time, tree planting with the distribution of Investment Products (Structured Products) of the Bank. In this way, Eurobank customers, choosing the placement of funds in the specific products, actively assist in the action of tree planting, strengthening the positive footprint for the Greek forests and the natural environment. The tree planting will be carried out under the guidance of the Authorities and specialized agronomists and the areas that will be restored will receive the necessary care for three years to ensure the viability of the project. This action is part of the Eurobank Group’s initiatives for environmental protection and its strategic direction towards sustainable development.

With the help of We4All, additional tree planting actions are launched outside the borders of the Prefecture of Ilia. More specifically, Eurobank, in the context of its participation in the global initiative Priceless Planet Coalition of Mastercard, is committed to offer a significant number of trees around the world, but also in areas of Greece that have relevant needs, the planting of which will begin in the near future. .

Implementation of training activities for teachers & students

Eurobank in collaboration with the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, which has 70 years of experience in environmental education programs, supports the planning and implementation of actions to enhance the resilience of the communities of the Prefecture of Ilia to forest fires, through prevention. The actions will be included in the Learn for Forests Program, approved by the Ministry of Education & Religions for the last 20 years. Provided:
-Cleaning of forests with educational characterby schools and volunteer groups.
-Educational seminars to primary and secondary school teachers.
-Information actions of students and their families for the value and means of prevention, with the production and distribution of audiovisual material.

Voluntary tree planting by Eurobank employees

With particular sensitivity for the environment and especially for the forests of our country, the voluntary groups of Eurobank employees will participate in a tree planting action in the wider area of ​​Ancient Olympia that will take place within the 2nd planting season of 2022. More specifically, the teamUp TeamUp and the charity group WeShare will carry out their campaign in collaboration with the NGO ethelon and the Panhellenic Voluntary Campaign Let’s do it Greece, as part of the voluntary reforestation initiative with the slogan “Roots that unite us”. It is worth noting that similar actions will follow for the restoration of burned areas in Attica and Evia.

The two groups, which include a large number of Bank employees, have implemented numerous voluntary actions in recent years, both for the environment and to offer solidarity to vulnerable groups, institutions, unions and other non-governmental organizations.