Final Event – Press Conference

The Final Event – Press Conference of the INTERREG NEXT Black Sea Basin project Step2CleanPlan was successfully held on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, at the premises of ANATOLIKI S.A. in Thermi.

The event marked the completion of the implementation of the Step2CleanPlan project, which aims to strengthen the capacity of local decision-making bodies to align with European strategies and climate change adaptation plans.

The event opened with a detailed presentation of the project’s results and activities by Mr. Tassos Chatzieleftheriou. Key deliverables of the project included the development of a Guide for local stakeholders , designed to support municipalities in climate change planning, the organisation of two study visits — one in Bulgaria and one in Greece — as well as the implementation of a three-month training programme on climate change issues addressed to local government officials. Overall, representatives from seven (7) different local government bodies (Municipalities and the Region) of the Thessaloniki metropolitan area participated in the project’s activities from Greece.

The second part of the event focused on the Municipality of Kalamaria, which served as the project’s case study area. Ms Vasiliki Papadopoulou, General Director of ANATOLIKI S.A., initially presented the Municipal Emissions Reduction Plan (MERP) of the Municipality of Kalamaria, which was developed by ANATOLIKI S.A. To date, the Municipality of Kalamaria has achieved an 18% reduction in emissions compared to 2019, while the implementation of the proposed actions is expected to increase this reduction to 30%. She then presented the Study on Sustainable Management of Organic Waste for the Municipality of Kalamaria, prepared within the framework of the Step2CleanPlan project. The study demonstrates that the utilisation of organic waste through separate collection and biogas production can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfilling.

The event was attended by local government officials, mainly from the Municipality of Kalamaria, as well as representatives of the media. Following the presentations, a lively discussion took place focusing on the utilisation of the studies and plans presented, highlighting the importance of the practical application of the project’s results.

The Step2CleanPlan project, co-financed by the INTERREG NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme, has left a substantial legacy by providing practical tools and strategies that contribute to the transition towards a more sustainable and environmentally responsible local development model.

The Step2CleanPlan project has a total budget of €504,504.00, a duration of 18 months, and was implemented by the following partnership: