<p> The LURGAIA Foundation is a private non-profit organisation that has been working since 2002, in order to promote the preservation of the biodiversity and natural heritage, above all by restoring the ecosystems that are considered key for the recovery of endangered species, putting the highest energy into one of the ecosystems that has the major capacity to host this biodiversity: the forest.</p>

The LURGAIA Foundation is a private non-profit organisation that has been working since 2002, in order to promote the preservation of the biodiversity and natural heritage, above all by restoring the ecosystems that are considered key for the recovery of endangered species, putting the highest energy into one of the ecosystems that has the major capacity to host this biodiversity: the forest.

<p> Naima El Bani Altuna, whose mother is from Bergara and father from Casablanca, is a 28-year-old native of Bilbao who never imagined herself in the Arctic. She chose geology out of curiosity, because she didn't really know what she wanted to study. She knew she wanted to do something related to the sea and that she could give something back to society.</p>

Naima El Bani Altuna, whose mother is from Bergara and father from Casablanca, is a 28-year-old native of Bilbao who never imagined herself in the Arctic. She chose geology out of curiosity, because she didn't really know what she wanted to study. She knew she wanted to do something related to the sea and that she could give something back to society.

<p> Just back from Glasgow, where she attended COP-26, the United Nations climate conference, the environmental journalist and author of the book "Ecoansias" Irene Baños closed the open days programme of the Donostia Sustainability Forum with a conference on eco-anxiety and climate action.</p>

Just back from Glasgow, where she attended COP-26, the United Nations climate conference, the environmental journalist and author of the book "Ecoansias" Irene Baños closed the open days programme of the Donostia Sustainability Forum with a conference on eco-anxiety and climate action.

<p> Impact of climate change in some unique areas of Gipuzkoa.</p> <p> Our environment has changed a lot since the days of our grandparents… and it has not even been that long. Society makes progress and that implies changes both in lifestyle and in the environment. Today we are more than 7.8 billion people on Earth and we live in a globalized world. The most notable consequence of this is the climate change we are experiencing.</p>

Impact of climate change in some unique areas of Gipuzkoa.

Our environment has changed a lot since the days of our grandparents… and it has not even been that long. Society makes progress and that implies changes both in lifestyle and in the environment. Today we are more than 7.8 billion people on Earth and we live in a globalized world. The most notable consequence of this is the climate change we are experiencing.

<p> Caty Arévalo, a journalist specialising in environmental news, co-founder of EFEverde and winner of the BBVA foundation award for conservation of biodiversity in 2017, used the event "Windows of Opportunity to Save the Planet" to outline the concept of social turning points: changes with a big multiplier effect able to bring about large-scale transformations and make a major contribution to solving environmental problems.</p>

Caty Arévalo, a journalist specialising in environmental news, co-founder of EFEverde and winner of the BBVA foundation award for conservation of biodiversity in 2017, used the event "Windows of Opportunity to Save the Planet" to outline the concept of social turning points: changes with a big multiplier effect able to bring about large-scale transformations and make a major contribution to solving environmental problems.

<p> Nowadays There are fifty-one billion tons of greenhouse gases in the world and by 2050 the goal is to reach zero net carbon emissions.&nbsp;</p>

Nowadays There are fifty-one billion tons of greenhouse gases in the world and by 2050 the goal is to reach zero net carbon emissions. 

<p> <strong>Fermin Alvarez Agoues</strong>, 30 years old, from Zarautz, graduate in Geology from the University of the Basque Country, Master in Marine Environment and Resources (MER). Currently a PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin, studying sea level changes in the Atlantic Ocean.</p>

Fermin Alvarez Agoues, 30 years old, from Zarautz, graduate in Geology from the University of the Basque Country, Master in Marine Environment and Resources (MER). Currently a PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin, studying sea level changes in the Atlantic Ocean.

<p> We are in an unprecedented moment of transformation in the transport and mobility sector. "We will need to make an additional effort to adapt,&nbsp;do things differently, and probably set untraditional solutions," said María José Rallo at the UPV / EHU Summer Courses.</p>

We are in an unprecedented moment of transformation in the transport and mobility sector. "We will need to make an additional effort to adapt, do things differently, and probably set untraditional solutions," said María José Rallo at the UPV / EHU Summer Courses.

<p> "Buildings are capable of constructing interpersonal relationships if their design seeks to do this, as they are partly responsible for the excessive individualization that has emerged in recent years. This individualization is leading to a worrying increase of social problems such as loneliness, one of the biggest pandemics of the 21^st century, according to the WHO".&nbsp;</p>

"Buildings are capable of constructing interpersonal relationships if their design seeks to do this, as they are partly responsible for the excessive individualization that has emerged in recent years. This individualization is leading to a worrying increase of social problems such as loneliness, one of the biggest pandemics of the 21^st century, according to the WHO". 

<p> Andreu Escrivá author of the book "¿Y ahora yo qué hago? Como evitar la culpa climática y pasar a la acción" commented that in reality, the title should read "And what do we do now?"&nbsp; because climate change is a collective problem and the solutions have to be collective.&nbsp; We cannot be in individualistic approaches where "I have my little ecological plot. This is what suits capitalism and the companies that can sell us packs of climate solutions for our lives.&nbsp; We will buy them and think we are good green citizens instead of betting on the structural changes we need. The most important thing you can do is to join other people.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Andreu Escrivá author of the book "¿Y ahora yo qué hago? Como evitar la culpa climática y pasar a la acción" commented that in reality, the title should read "And what do we do now?"  because climate change is a collective problem and the solutions have to be collective.  We cannot be in individualistic approaches where "I have my little ecological plot. This is what suits capitalism and the companies that can sell us packs of climate solutions for our lives.  We will buy them and think we are good green citizens instead of betting on the structural changes we need. The most important thing you can do is to join other people.”  

<p> Daniel Calleja, the European Commission's Director General for the Environment, noted that the European Union is facing unprecedented challenges. Among these, the greatest of all is climate change, the great challenge of sustainability.</p>

Daniel Calleja, the European Commission's Director General for the Environment, noted that the European Union is facing unprecedented challenges. Among these, the greatest of all is climate change, the great challenge of sustainability.

<p> Mikel González: The speed of the energy transition will depend a lot on the degree of social support, and for this it is key that policies are socially just.</p> <p> With current technologies we could already decarbonize 80% of CO2 emissions.</p>

Mikel González: The speed of the energy transition will depend a lot on the degree of social support, and for this it is key that policies are socially just.

With current technologies we could already decarbonize 80% of CO2 emissions.

<p> The Donostia Sustainability Forum, organized by the Summer Courses of the University of the Basque Country and the BBVA Foundation, received Antonio Vercher in one of its sessions open to the public. Vercher is a Prosecutor of the Coordinating Prosecutor's Office for the Environment and Urban Planning since 2006.&nbsp;</p>

The Donostia Sustainability Forum, organized by the Summer Courses of the University of the Basque Country and the BBVA Foundation, received Antonio Vercher in one of its sessions open to the public. Vercher is a Prosecutor of the Coordinating Prosecutor's Office for the Environment and Urban Planning since 2006. 

Whether or not livestock currently have a role is the question. "We researchers would be very pretentious if we were to claim that it does. Some people say it doesn't on the grounds that, if we want to tackle climate change, we should all go vegan. Meanwhile, others say it does because there are more and more of us and we demand and need more food".

<p> Just as important as the risk of greenwashing is the risk of timewashing, i.e. the risk of inaction due to lack of data or incomplete regulation. The key is to start acting and be willing to make an impact on the environment in which you operate.</p>

Just as important as the risk of greenwashing is the risk of timewashing, i.e. the risk of inaction due to lack of data or incomplete regulation. The key is to start acting and be willing to make an impact on the environment in which you operate.

The Covid-19 crisis may serve as a lever to intensify the climate crisis.

The Covid-19 crisis may serve as a lever to intensify the climate crisis.

<p> In the interview between Arantza Aldezabal and Ana Galarraga it was stressed that not all greenhouse gases can be lumped together.</p>

In the interview between Arantza Aldezabal and Ana Galarraga it was stressed that not all greenhouse gases can be lumped together.

The Donostia Sustainability Forum held as part of the UPV/EHU-BBVA Foundation Summer Courses&nbsp;featured a dialogue on key environmental challenges and their communication to society between Matt McGrath, the BBC’s environment correspondent and winner of the 1st BBVA Foundation Biophilia Award, and Pedro Jordano, CSIC research professor&nbsp;in the Department of Integrative Ecology at Doñana Biological Station and&nbsp;committee secretary&nbsp;for the&nbsp;Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology.

The Donostia Sustainability Forum held as part of the UPV/EHU-BBVA Foundation Summer Courses featured a dialogue on key environmental challenges and their communication to society between Matt McGrath, the BBC’s environment correspondent and winner of the 1st BBVA Foundation Biophilia Award, and Pedro Jordano, CSIC research professor in the Department of Integrative Ecology at Doñana Biological Station and committee secretary for the Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology.

<p> La crisis climática, la biodiversidad, en definitiva, la sostenibilidad son seña de identidad de los Cursos de Verano de la UPV/EHU desde hace años. Una apuesta que se consolida en esta edición con cerca de 30 propuestas de reflexión veraz.</p>

La crisis climática, la biodiversidad, en definitiva, la sostenibilidad son seña de identidad de los Cursos de Verano de la UPV/EHU desde hace años. Una apuesta que se consolida en esta edición con cerca de 30 propuestas de reflexión veraz.