I International Ecoislas Forum on February 2 and 3, 2023 in Infecar

 

Island territories must move forward on this sustainability journey together, as it will bring significant benefits for our future generations. With this objective in mind, the first Ecoislas International Forum will be launched on February 2 and 3, which was created with the intention of providing a space for discussion, proposals and promotion of measures aimed at promoting the integral transition towards a greener socioeconomic model, more profitable, more self-sufficient and more environmentally sustainable and with an insular focus.

 

Promoted and financed by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and organized by Infecar, Ecoislas will have four large thematic areas: the circular and blue economy; energy, water and mobility; adaptation to climate change; and regenerative tourism.

 

 

The president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, and the technical coordinator of Economic Development, Energy Sovereignty, Climate and Knowledge of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Raúl García, have presented this Wednesday, January 11, this I Ecoislas International Forum. “We have decided to bring together inspiring speakers in Gran Canaria, as well as promote attractive work sessions that encourage imagination and creativity in the face of the challenges of decarbonization and the transition towards a cleaner and greener model”, stated Antonio Morales.

 

 

“The International Ecoisland Forum wants to value island spaces as real laboratories for new management and innovation models. On the other hand, it also aims to create a space for collaboration between public, private and scientific institutions in order to promote innovative resilience measures on islands in the face of the challenge of climate change ”, he added.

 

In this way, the event will feature international, national and local speakers who will present good practices and discuss the needs and solutions provided in each of the four major areas that make up the program.

 

 

 

As Raúl García has explained, “the Forum will last two days, Thursday, February 2, from 9.00:19.00 a.m. to 3:9.00 p.m., and Friday 17.00, from XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. Thus, those interested in being part of this event can purchase on the web www.foro-ecoislas.es your ticket to attend either a single session or both that make up the complete program. The price of the same is 7,50 euros, for one day, and 15 euros, for two, in case of being a student; and 15 euros and 30 euros, respectively, in case of being a professional”.

 

With all this, the Ecoislas International Forum is designed for a visitor profile interested in knowing the challenge of green employment as a site to reduce unemployment levels; access specific information related to the four major main themes; establish collaborations between public, private and scientific institutions to promote innovative measures to face the challenge of climate change; and know the policies aimed at mitigation and adaptation to climate change. 

 

Speakers poster

 

This first Ecoislas International Forum will have four plenary sessions, led by Manuel Maqueda, professor of Applied Circular Economy and Regenerative Economy at Harvard University; Bernard Fletz, Belgian biologist and philosopher; Leen Gorissen, biologist specializing in Ecology and Regenerative Design and Bioinspiring Innovation; and Christian Felber, promoter of the Theory of the Common Good. 

 

“Although the team of specialists is made up of four experts in the field, after this, the Ecoislas program is made up of four different spaces with parallel sessions in which each of the areas that make up the program will be deepened. These spaces will include debate tables and practical case sessions, in which more than 40 speakers will take part and in which, in addition to Gran Canaria, islands such as La Palma, Lanzarote, Tenerife, the Balearic Islands, Cyprus, the Greek Islands and Gotland (Sweden)”, pointed out Raúl García. 

 

Greening The Islands

 

This first International Ecoisland Forum will also host, in parallel, the presence of experts from Greening the Islands, an innovative organization that supports the self-sufficiency and sustainability of islands around the world. During the event, it will present its annual report, some of its members will participate in the debate tables and will also present their annual awards.

 

Greening The Islands is a company committed to building a network for self-sufficiency, sustainability, resilience and improving livelihoods on islands and remote locations. 

 

Programme

 

With all this, the program of the first Ecoislas International Forum will begin at 9.30:2 am on Thursday, February 10.30 with the plenary session led by Manuel Maqueda. After him, starting at XNUMX:XNUMX am, there will be three parallel sessions, one dedicated to the Energy, Water and Mobility block, which is called 'Energy Communities on Islands'; another on the circular economy and the blue economy, entitled 'The cultivation of algae as an emerging sector on islands'; and, finally, a block on Adaptation to climate change, entitled 'Energy transition agendas on islands'. 

 

At 12.00:13.00 noon, the presentation of the annual report of Greening The Islands will take place and, after this, from 13.30:XNUMX p.m., different practical cases will be presented in parallel sessions. The morning session will end at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. with the presentation 'Ecoislas: the challenge of the future'. 

 

Already in the afternoon of Thursday, February 2, starting at 16.00:17.00 p.m., it will be Bernard Fletz who will be in charge of the plenary session. At XNUMX:XNUMX p.m., three other blocks of parallel sessions will take place, in this case on the circular economy and blue economy, under the title 'Good practices in circular economy on islands'; Adaptation to climate change, called 'What is the model of urbanizing or deurbanizing the ecological transition?'; and, finally, the Energy, water and mobility block, with the title 'Sustainable mobility on islands'. 

 

Starting at 18.00:XNUMX p.m., two new blocks of parallel sessions will be held, this time on Energy, water and mobility, one of them on 'Storage and green hydrogen: a solution to move towards decarbonisation' and, another, on 'Implications present and future of sustainability on islands'. 

 

For Friday, February 3, the day will begin with the plenary session at 9.00:10.00 am, by Leen Gorissen. After it, starting at XNUMX:XNUMX am, the parallel sessions will begin, this time on regenerative tourism, under the name 'Perspectives and experiences of regenerative tourism in island environments'; Circular economy and blue economy, on 'Entrepreneurship initiatives in circular economy'; Adaptation to climate change, called 'Smart technologies for fire prevention and forest management'; and, finally, Energy, water and mobility, with the name 'How are the islands going to save the planet?'.

 

Starting at 11.30:XNUMX am, there will be four more parallel sessions on Energy, water and mobility, entitled 'Climate neutrality in the context of islands: the way forward'; another of this block on 'Water and energy: strategic allies'; one from the Circular Economy and Blue Economy block, with the name 'Barriers for entrepreneurship in the circular and blue economy'; and, finally, a block on Adaptation to climate change, on 'Opportunities for coastal areas'. 

 

At 12.30:13.00 pm, new case studies will be developed and at 15.30:XNUMX pm, Christian Felber will present the last of the plenary sessions. Already for the evening session, Greening the Islands will carry out its awards ceremony from XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. 

 

This I Ecoislas International Forum has Cajasiete, as an official collaborator; with the participation of Greening The Islands, European Projects and Mac Clima; and with the collaboration of the Island Energy Council, Spegc, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands Maritime Cluster, the Gran Canaria Island Water Council, the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform, the Canary Islands Technological Institute, Gesplan and the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria.