Guimarães launches Climate Pact 2030 on World Environment Day
After presenting the candidacy for European Green Capital 2025, and following the work it has been developing in the area of sustainability, Guimarães will mark the World Environment Day (5 June) with a conference on “Circular Economy and Environment”. The event, which will take place at the Laboratório da Paisagem, will be marked by the launch of the Climate Pact 2030 – an initiative that, in a collaborative action with the citizens and the business fabric of the territory, aims at its decarbonisation, with a view to climate neutrality.
Reflecting on greener purchasing, the industry and climate transition
The conference, whose motto will be #BeatPlasticPollution and is integrated in the European project Circular PSP, aims to explore national and international best practices in the area of circular economy and environment, addressing academia, business and municipalities. With the presence of the Mayor of Guimarães, Domingos Bragança, and the Pro-Rector of the University of Minho, Miguel Bandeira, for the opening session (at 10am), the conference includes three round tables.
Guimarães will discuss themes such as “Green Sustainable Purchases” – with the participation of Paula Alves (Coordinator of the Mission Team for Sustainable Purchases, of the Municipality of Lisbon), and economist Pedro Mota e Costa -, as well as the challenge of climate neutrality in industry. As this is a crucial issue in the decarbonisation issue and as the business fabric has a preponderant role in climate neutrality, this round table, dedicated to industry, will count on the participation of experts and companies, who will also sign the Guimarães Climate Pact, thus assuming their commitment with a greener future.
Another theme that will be under analysis is Research and Development and Innovation for the climate transition. Several research centres will address this issue with the participation of the municipality of Guimarães and the University of Minho. The conference will also feature two speakers: Inês Costa, from Deloitte Portugal, and António Cunha, president of CCDR-N.
Guimarães commits to climate neutrality by 2030
Even before the start of the round tables, the conference promoted by Guimarães to mark World Environment Day welcomes the launch of the Guimarães Climate Pact. Recognising the state of climate emergency and the need to act towards climate neutrality, the municipality will commit to decarbonise the territory, aiming to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, through a strategy of involving citizens, companies and institutions of the municipality in a collaborative action.
The pact foresees, among several metrics, the adoption of short, medium and long term decarbonisation strategies, placing the people of Guimarães as agents of change, by being challenged to contribute to climate neutrality strategies, through co-creation and active participation processes.
The conference “Circular Economy and Environment” will start at 9.30am on 5 June and will end at 5pm. Participation is free but requires registration, which can be made through the link: https://forms.gle/BFAGpwPbwXaTXLiL7.