Católica is present at the largest international event on sustainable innovation
Diana Soares (Faculty of Education and Psychology - FEP), João Pinto (Católica Porto Business School - CPBS), and Manuela Pintado (Faculty of Biotechnology - ESB), teachers of the Porto Regional Centre of the Universidade Católica, were present in different panels of the Planetiers World Gathering (PWG), which took place in Lisbon. Isabel Capeloa Gil, President of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, was present at the opening of the event, one of the biggest at international level in the area of sustainable innovation, organized by Planetiers New Generation. The main objective is to gather in the same space the different national and international agents of change, to share the best solutions worldwide.
Diana Soares participated in the Forum "Education for Kids", having integrated the panel "The new educational paradigms". For the teacher, the PWG is an opportunity for "learning, sharing and inspiration". Diana Soares says that it is a "very remarkable" event, for the "sharing of innovative educational projects and the testimonies of those who integrate sustainability in their daily practice and in the life of the institutions they lead". The lecturer of Católica in Porto also adds that the event "reinforced the conviction that the projects that have been developed in FEP converge to the principles of common good and sustainability of the ecosystem."
João Pinto, CPBS lecturer, moderated the panel "Redesigning the economic model" and integrated the panels "Integrating sustainability into investment & financing decisions" and "From ESG to impact investing". "It was with great honour that I participated in Planetiers World Gathering 2022, not only to discuss topics such as regenerative business, leadership for sustainability and regeneration, but also in the organisation and moderation of the forum on sustainable investments and their forms of financing," he points out. "The big conclusion is that it is not enough to cause less harm, it is necessary not to cause any harm and that the way forward is to invest with impact," he concluded.
Manuela Pintado was present in the Forum "Agri-Food Systems", having integrated the panel "Discussion on above topics". The director of the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry said that "it was an enriching experience, collaborative and of immersion in the challenges and opportunities of our relationship with Planetiers. Manuela Pintado also adds that in the PWG she had the opportunity to "share and discuss in the agri-food forum examples of solutions, disruptive and circular innovations of valorisation of agri-food waste with high economic and environmental impact and promotion of industrial symbioses."
The Porto Regional Centre and Planetiers New Generation have a close relationship that results from the project they have in common: the INSURE.Hub. This is an international ecosystem of transdisciplinary knowledge that promotes circular, sustainable and regenerative business solutions, powered by disruptive technologies. It results from the mobilisation of the Catholic University, through its Faculties - Católica Porto Business School and Faculty of Biotechnology - and Planetiers. The initiative, which is already one year old, currently has more than 40 national and international entities associated, from the most diverse sectors. The 2nd INSURE.hub Conference will take place on the 17th November.
The Planetiers World Gathering, which took place from 24 to 26 October, at the Pavilhão Carlos Lopes in Lisbon, brought together companies, government organizations, academia, civil society and policy makers with the aim of focusing "efforts on the solution", which will bring the planet closer to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the UN.