We’re Ziad and Nadin – brother and sister that share a vision to merge socially responsible entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Greece.
Having spent many years working abroad in the UK and the Middle East, and equipped with the belief that sustainable development is the future, we were ready to come back home to Greece in order to play our part in the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Before coming up with the idea for Astydama, we took a look at the world around us: ongoing climate change, rapid urbanization, a surge in population, and thought about how we can help the environment cope.
With our shared belief that every human being has the right to live in a sustainable environment, we decided that combining social entrepreneurship and investments in green ventures would be our way of taking action.
And so, Astydama, our family-run business based in Athens, was born.
Like us, Astydama represents a crossroads between Greek and Middle Eastern heritage. The company name marries the Greek word ‘αστυ / asty’ meaning the city, or urbanism with the Arabic word ‘الاستدامة / estidama’ which means sustainability. It embodies the underlying concept we believe in: nurturing a flourishing Eastern Mediterranean landscape through local sustainable development ventures.
At Astydama we’re committed to investing in and developing low carbon buildings, organic agriculture and renewable energy projects – sustainable design is integrated in each of our ventures. We make it easy for individuals and companies who are passionate about sustainable living to invest in green ventures around Greece by handling the full project cycle on our end. You can read more about our projects here.
There’s no denying that our planet is suffering – that’s why companies and individuals are finding ways to reduce their environmental footprint. Although there’s a long way to go in order for our planet to regain its vitality, Astydama is our way of making small changes that have long-term benefits for the communities and places that we develop in.