Share to advance climate challenges

Under the motto “Share to advance”, more than a thousand professionals, nearly 800 speakers and around 6,000 visitors have participated in CONAMA 2024, a biennial meeting in which the main contemporary environmental challenges are addressed: biodiversity; energy, efficiency and climate change; circular economy; water management; mobility; urban renewal; rural development; environmental quality and health; waste; and economy and society.

As Alicia Torrego, president of the CONAMA Foundation, points out, “it is a space where perspectives, sectors and generations intertwine to respond collectively to the urgency of change. The search for solutions to the global ecosocial crisis, the impact of climate change and the transition towards sustainable models, from innovative and multidisciplinary perspectives.

As could be expected, the tragic impacts of DANA in Valencia and other areas of our country, which revealed the urgent need to adapt our models, procedures and infrastructure to the reality of the current climate crisis, have occupied a prominent place in the debates. In the opinion of experts, the climate crisis poses a great challenge because it forces us to work on two fronts simultaneously, such as mitigation and adaptation.

In the case of the first, it is about alleviating the effects of crises caused by fourth-generation fires and extreme climate phenomena, such as heat waves, droughts and floods, the recurrence of which is increasing. Regarding adaptation, it is so urgent to take measures to avoid or reduce the potential impacts derived from climate change, as well as to promote better preparation for recovery after damage.

In general terms, the debates these days have revolved around the need to advance climate resilience, establish effective ecological transition policies, promote renaturalization and strengthen territorial planning to respond comprehensively to the challenges posed by change. climatic.

Waste and circular economy

Among the debates, waste management and the circular economy have occupied a prominent place, for two reasons: the first is because before the end of the year, producers of commercial and industrial packaging must adapt to the new extended responsibility regime and, also , because the official publication of the European Packaging and Waste Regulation (PPWR) is expected, which entails important changes in the sector.

The second, because it is evident that one of the challenges facing today’s society is the reduction of waste and the maximization of efficiency in the use of raw materials, throughout the value chain of all. industrial sectors. Putting it into practice requires connecting public strategies with the industries of each territory and with the interests of citizens, creating new circles of value.

The Energy, Efficiency and Climate Change axis has occupied a prominent place in the discussion forums focused on storage, hybridization or the renewed National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, recently approved, which marks the roadmap for climate action in Spain and represents a clear commitment to competitiveness. In addition, other key issues for the energy transition have been addressed, such as mobility, the decarbonization of transport or the implementation of low-emission zones.

Business sustainability and international summits

Business sustainability today occupies a central place on the corporate agenda, driven by the trend in investments and regulation that seeks to guarantee transparency and rigor, avoiding greenwashing. Different experts have spoken about all of this, analyzing its evolution, its impact and the challenges that organizations must overcome to comply with the regulatory framework.

In recent weeks, attention has been focused first on the Biodiversity COP16 held in Colombia and on the COP29, which has just closed its doors in Azerbaijan. And the Congress has not missed the opportunity to take stock of both international meetings, in a session organized by the Spanish Group for Green Growth (GECV), made up of more than 60 leading companies in their sector, which defend that the transition Eco-friendly is not only essential, but also a great economic opportunity.

Disinformation and AI

Two current issues have also made their way onto the Congress agenda, the phenomenon of misinformation and the ethical implications derived from the use of Artificial Intelligence. Regarding the first, the havoc caused by misinformation has been highlighted, both in the short and medium term, becoming a scourge that not only makes work difficult in times of crisis management but also in the search for solutions.

In the case of ethical challenges in the use of Artificial Intelligence, those derived from transparency, biases and equity were put on the table; privacy and data protection.