BforPlanet Promotes Sustainable Development Goals in Barcelona

Fira de Barcelona remains firmly committed to sustainability and will be holding the first edition of BforPlanet from 7 to 8 July, the show focused on promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) in the private sector, a congress that will be the prelude to an event in 2022 with the aim of positioning itself as an international benchmark in the promotion of sustainable economic activity.

The event, which postponed its first edition scheduled for 2020 due to the pandemic, proposes an innovative two-year model to adapt to the situation generated by Covid-19. It plans to hold a launch edition this summer, in the form of a congress, at the Palau de Congresos at Fira de Barcelona's Montjuïc exhibition centre, and a second edition in May 2022, with exhibition space and a greater international presence. The event is supported by the Spanish Government, the Catalan Government and Barcelona City Council.

The President of the Board of Directors of Fira de Barcelona and BforPlanet, Pau Relat, said that "the firm commitment to this event, even in difficult situations, shows the extent to which sustainability and the promotion of the SDGs are strategic for Fira de Barcelona. We are very aware of the importance of the environment and we are conscious of our responsibility as a major platform for the exchange of knowledge and the promotion of social and economic change. It is everyone's responsibility to pass on a better planet to future generations.”

The talks in this first edition will be divided into two blocks. The first, titled “Leadership Summit”, will bring together speakers of international prestige, both experts and executives from large multinationals, who will present their corporate strategies in the field of sustainability and the SDGs. The second block will bring together examples of business activity around SDGs and how sustainability and the circular economy can generate new opportunities and business niches in areas such as mobility, generation and use of renewable energies, changes in lifestyle and diet, energy efficiency, reuse, recycling and dematerialisation, among others.

As Francisco Lombardo, co-founder of BforPlanet, points out, "we are at a key moment to analyse from a broad perspective how we are going to manage the post-Covid recovery, and SDGs are a real roadmap that can help us in this process, as was made clear at the 1st BforPlanet-Live Meeting we held in June last year."

The BforPlanet presentations can be followed via the event's digital streaming platform, allowing professionals from all fields and backgrounds to access the content of the event. In addition, BforPlanet wants to lead by example and will therefore implement a plan to achieve minimum environmental impact during the event.

Safety and prevention protocol

In order to ensure the utmost safety for attendees, Fira de Barcelona will implement its strict prevention protocol, designed in collaboration with experts in risk management and advice from the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. Large conference spaces and rooms that guarantee physical distancing, artificial intelligence to control the flow of visitors and the venue capacity, traceability of the attendees’ contacts, temperature control at the entrance points and enhanced ventilation and air renewal systems are just some of the measures that will be implemented during the event.

BforPlanet will be one of the events with which trade fair activity will resume throughout June and July. In addition to the event focused on promoting the Sustainable Development Goals, Fira de Barcelona will host MWC Barcelona, ISE Live & Online and Automobile Barcelona, among others, with the aim of being, once again, a driving force for the economy and its various sectors.