• This event will provide a space for discussion of proposals and promotion of measures aimed at promoting the ecological transition.
• Manuel Maqueda, Leen Gorissen and Christian Felber will lead three of the plenary sessions of this Forum.

The circular and blue economy; energy, water and mobility; adaptation to climate change; and regenerative tourism are the four main areas that will star in the first International Forum Ecoislas, which will take place on February 2 and 3, 2023 in Infecar.

Promoted and financed by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and organized by Infecar, Ecoislas 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, more profitable, more self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable socioeconomic model with an insular approach.

The energy crisis is damaging the world economy, the impacts of the health pandemic are still present and the climate crisis continues to threaten our present and our future. In these uncertain times, the Ecoislands International Forum will be a unique experience to learn from world leading experts from diverse backgrounds about the latest projects being implemented on islands around the globe.

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

In terms of names, the Ecoislas International Forum will have three renowned specialists for its plenary sessions, such as Manuel Maqueda, professor of Circular Economy and Regenerative Economics at Harvard University, as well as CEO of SUPER (Single-Use Plastics Elimination or Reduction); Leen Gorissen, PhD in Biology and specialized in Ecology, Transition Science, Regenerative Design and Bioinspired Innovation, as well as founder of Centre4NI (formerly known as Studio Transitio), a catalyst that helps organizations and companies to innovate like nature; and, finally, with Christian Felber, promoter of the Theory of the Common Good, who has been a professor at various universities such as the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the University of Graz, the University of Klagenfurt, the University of Applied Art in Vienna or the Schumacher College (UK).

In addition, they will be joined by prominent speakers coming to Gran Canaria from Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and the Balearic Islands, as well as top local speakers who will be shaping the full program of Ecoislas in the coming days.

With all this, the Ecoislas International Forum is designed for a visitor profile interested in learning about the challenge of green jobs as a source for reducing unemployment levels; accessing specific information related to the four main themes; establishing collaborations between public, private and scientific institutions to promote innovative measures to meet the challenge of climate change; and learning about policies aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Program

Although we are still working on the line-up of speakers and international, national and local experts that will make up this first International Ecoislas Forum, the program of the event is already taking shape, being composed of two distinct areas: the plenary sessions, which already have three confirmed experts, and the parallel sessions.

In this sense, on the morning of Thursday, February 2, a main plenary session will be held, accompanied by four parallel sessions dedicated to ‘Energy communities in islands’; ‘The role of regenerative tourism in the context of islands’; ‘Seaweed cultivation as an emerging sector in islands’; and ‘Energy transition agendas in islands’.

The afternoon session will feature a new plenary session, led by Manuel Maqueda, and two parallel sessions, the first of which will focus on ‘Sustainable mobility in islands’; ‘Good practices in circular economy in islands’; and ‘Renaturalization of urban spaces’; and the second on ‘Storage and green hydrogen: a solution to move towards decarbonization’; ‘Present and future implications of sustainability in islands’; and ‘Climate change and ethical challenges’.

As for Friday, February 3, the morning will feature two plenary sessions, led by Leen Gorissen and Christian Felber, respectively, and two parallel sessions.

The latter will delve into ‘How islands are going to save the planet’; ‘Renewables and energy efficiency in establishments’; ‘Entrepreneurship initiatives in circular economy’ and ‘Smart technologies for fire prevention and forest management’. Secondly, it will delve into ‘Climate neutrality in the context of islands: the road ahead’; ‘The role of the relationship between water and energy as a key to the future’; ‘Barriers to entrepreneurship in blue and circular economy’; and ‘Vulnerabilities of coastal areas’.

Greening The Islands

This first International Ecoislas Forum will also host, in parallel, the Greening The Islands awards ceremony and the presentation of some of their studies. Greening The Islands is an innovative company committed to building a network for self-sufficiency, sustainability, resilience and improved livelihoods in islands and remote places.