The International Congress on Climate Action (CIACC) 2024, organized by the Ibero-American University Foundation (FUNIBER), the European University of the Atlantic (UNEATLANTICO) and the Private Foundation Business & Climate (FEC), opens at the Gran Casino Sardinero.
For the third consecutive year, the congress will be held until Friday at the facilities of the European University of the Atlantic. The event has the participation of 160 companies and representatives of 30 nationalities. In addition, the novelty of this edition is that it has been announced that the city of Santander will be the permanent venue for this important forum on climate action.
The mayoress, Gema Igual, attended the presentation at the Gran Casino Sardinero, where the official reception for speakers and participants was held. Also participating in the event were Elvira Carles, director of the Fundación Privada Empresa y Clima; Santos Gracia Villar, president of the Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana; Rubén Calderón, rector of the Universidad Europea del Atlántico; and representatives of the sponsoring companies such as AON, Banco Santander, Central Lechera Asturiana, Eurecat, Farside Ventures and Nortegas.
Igual expressed his gratitude to Elvira Carles, the organizers, including UNEATLANTICO and FUNIBER, and sponsors, stressing the importance of the city hosting this strategic event in the environmental field, consolidating itself as a highlight of the Santander summer. “Santander will be the center of the debate on crucial issues such as climate change and environmental policies, and the analysis of the conclusions and progress of the COP conferences,” said Igual.
For her part, Elvira Carles highlighted the joint effort of the organization with the City Council and assured that the congress is already part of the agendas of Spanish business leaders, as a forum for analysis between the different UN COP conferences on climate change.
Carles highlighted the high level of the speakers and the objective of transmitting the best practices and knowledge developed by administrations, organizations and companies on environmental issues. There will be six sessions on topics of immediate application and will discuss issues related to the Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the development of value chains and reliable offset projects, the measurement of climate impacts and risks, technological solutions for industrial challenges, geopolitics of energy and critical minerals, and sustainability reports aligned with taxonomy. In addition, more than 20 business experiences from different sectors will be presented.
During the afternoon, guests attended the opening ceremony. The event included a concert by the Municipal Band of Santander, a welcome by Jon Hernandez, expert in Artificial Intelligence, who opened the congress, and a dinner.