I Congress on Environment, Climate Change and Society

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I Congress on Environment, Climate Change and Society

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The first congress organized by UNADE took place on 29 and 30 November and 1 December. Over three days, scientific and academic presentations were held on sustainable development and climate change, together with society as an essential part.

A fully virtual event that brought together more than 400 attendees, 33 speakers and 6 keynote speakers. All of them shared a strong interest in the balance between the environment and human society. The congress began to take shape before the summer. In September, registration opened so that those interested could sign up for the sessions. They could do so in two different roles: attendees or speakers.

Topics of the congress working panels

During the I Congress on Environment, Climate Change and Society, projects were presented on five topics related to sustainable development.

1. City, society and environment: the current reality regarding the development of cities and the impact this may entail was presented.
2. Environmental sociology: the role of human beings in relation to current environmental issues was addressed, highlighting the need for a cultural change to protect the environment.
3. Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda: the third panel was devoted to the SDGs and the issues they address (poverty, renewable energy, education, etc.).
4. Migration and climate change: environmental degradation and its consequences for human displacement were discussed, taking into account natural disasters and the unequal distribution of available resources.
5. Education and environment: the need to understand the environment from childhood through schools and educational institutions was presented, highlighting the importance of understanding the causes and consequences of the impact generated on nature.

Keynote speakers of the I UNADE Congress

Six keynote presentations were given by true experts and professionals in the thematic lines proposed for this congress:

• Master Elkin Vargas López – Urban laboratories: a strategy for innovation and sustainability.
• Architect Víctor Montero Dien – Regenerative development and design: beyond sustainability or the obsolescence of what we know.
• Doctor Samuel Saldaña Valenzuela – Curriculum, public policy and society: Effective actions within the framework of the UNDP SDGs.
• Doctor Víctor Fabián Forero Ausique – Cultural ecosystem services, environmental management strategies for green spaces in Colombia.
• Master Jeimy Alexandra Reyes Vargas, Master Adriana Paulina Giraldo Meléndez, Master Helmer Edgardo Monroy González – Natural lighting as a potential energy-saving factor in heritage buildings.
• Doctor Andrea Carolina García Cabana – Territorial planning as a tool for cities to mitigate climate change.

Speakers participating in the I UNADE Congress sessions

The I Congress on Environment, Climate Change and Society organized by UNADE brought together more than thirty speakers from different countries in Europe and America, who presented their projects and concerns on this subject.

During the three days of the congress, participants addressed topics of general interest with rigor and professionalism, presenting personal projects or discussing the most current problems faced by societies around the world. Both national and international speakers had time to answer attendees’ questions, giving rise to a two-way conversation that undoubtedly added greater value for everyone. In addition, some of the speakers were UNADE graduates. This is something that makes the university proud and demonstrates the high quality of its studies, which allows students to reach excellence in a field of knowledge.

Scientific committee

The scientific committee of this congress was responsible for its organization and, during the sessions, for moderating the presentations. It was made up of the following professionals, all UNADE faculty members:

• Jazmín Anai Ávila Treviño – Doctor in Biological Sciences.
• Mariana Flores García – Doctor in Architecture.
• Irene Becerril Arostegui – Doctor in Sociocultural Sciences.
• Hakna Ferro Azcona – Doctor in Ecology and Sustainable Development.
• Felipe Ángeles Puc Hernández – Doctor in Education.

UNADE’s environmental master’s degrees: education for the future

UNADE’s commitment to education and society is clear. That is why, with this congress, the university wanted to put on the table a topic of global relevance, giving a voice to experts in the environment and other disciplines that influence it.

In this way, the commitment it has acquired and which is part of the institution’s values is made evident. UNADE has international quality standards that endorse this effort to limit impact and guarantee the well-being of future generations. Moreover, the Universidad Americana de Europa contributes to training specialists in this area with the Master’s in Environmental Management and Auditing. Through it, students can train to be key players in sustainable development, promote the reduction of sociocultural impact, or create environmentally respectful projects. You can read the full presentations in the proceedings book published in the RIMI Journal (Ibero-American Multidisciplinary Research Journal).