Dr Aravella Zachariou is the Head of the Unit of Education for Environment and Sustainable Development (ESD), in Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. She worked as Ass. Professor for ESD in Kapodistrian University of Athens and Aegean University in Greece as well as in Frederick University, Cyprus. She is participating in international organizations and networks for Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development (MIO, ENSI, GUPES, GLOBE) and since 2017 is the Chair of the UNECE ESD Steering Committee. She is also chairing the Mediterranean Committee for “the Action Plan for ESD in the Mediterranean Region”. She led also the task force “Education and climate change”, which is part of the Cyprus Initiative for Climate Change in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East”. She is participating in various working expert groups in EU (working group for learning of Environmental Sustainability, working group Green and digital in school education), UNESCO ESD NET 2030.

Her research involves the integration of education for environment and sustainable development in formal and non-formal education as well as in teacher professional development and more specifically on ESD and green competences. Her research work published in international scientific journals for EE/ESD and also, presented in international and worldwide conferences. She is author and co-author of various books, handbooks and educational tools on EE/ESD. She is participating in various EU projects (Erasmus, Life e.tc.) for ESD/ESS, WSA, ESD and Green Competences as a senior expert, researcher and coordinator. She is consulting editor in Journal of Environmental Education, and she is reviewer in series of Scientific Journals on ESD/EE. She is member in various National Committees related with the Environment and Sustainable Development. Recently has been appointed to chair the committee for revising the ESD curricula in Cyprus and she is leading the committee for revising the Cyprus National Action Plan for ESD and Green Transition 2030.