Young people debate sustainability at the 10th Guimarães Eco-Parliament

This Friday, March 7, the Laboratório da Paisagem hosted the first session of the 10th edition of Eco Parlamento, an initiative of the PEGADAS programme, promoted by the Laboratório da Paisagem and the Municipality of Guimarães. Students from eight of the municipality’s school groups presented and debated innovative projects focussed on sustainability and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The session was attended by Adelina Pinto, Guimarães City Council’s Councillor for Education, who praised the role of the students over the last decade. ‘The Guimarães Eco-Parliament continues to establish itself as an essential platform for environmental education and active citizenship, encouraging our young people to be agents of change in their community,’ she emphasised.

This morning, the students presented their environmental solutions to a jury made up of representatives from the Landscape Laboratory, the United Nations University, the Guimarães CVE 2026 Executive Board, Vimágua and Resinorte. The projects covered topics such as waste, sustainable mobility, biodiversity and quality of life, demonstrating the commitment of young people from Guimarães to building a more sustainable future.

The participating school groups are Archaeologist Mário Cardoso (Dá Valor aos RRResíduos), Architect Fernando Távora (Fazer U.M.A. diferença!), Briteiros (Escola ComVida), Colégio do Ave (Guimarães, sente os rios), Prof. Abel Salazar (Casa A.M.A.). Abel Salazar (Casa AEPAS – Saber, Artes, Solidariedade e Natureza), Prof. Santos Simões (SER – Saúde, Sustentabilidade, Equilíbrio, Refúgio), Vale de S. Torcato (Trilho da Pedra Fina – História e Património) and Virgínia Moura ((Des)mobiliza-te).

After the presentations and debate, the first vote was taken by the external jury and the students themselves. The final session of the Eco-Parliament will take place on 16 May in the auditorium of the University of Minho.