The congress closes its first edition with its eyes set towards a broader event in May 2022
BforPlanet claims public-private partnerships as key to promoting the SDGs
The first edition of BforPlanet, the show organized by Fira de Barcelona to promote the application of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), closed with a call to achieve a better future for future generations by establishing alliances between public administrations and companies, and committing to a new model of socio-economic development. The event, organized with the support of the Barcelona City Council, is already preparing a bigger edition in May 2022.
The congress held yesterday and today at the Palau de Congressos of the Montjuïc venue, has brought together 83 international experts and 40 companies, and has registered some 1,000 in-person attendees, and another 4,000 digital, from 38 countries, which have followed the conferences through the online platform.
The event has highlighted the need to achieve a firm commitment from the private sector for the fulfillment of the SDGs in the most immediate future, and to promote the economic recovery after the pandemic by promoting sustainable development through the establishment of solid and transversal alliances between governments, companies, and society as a whole.
In this sense, the president of Fira de Barcelona, Pau Relat, stated that “BForPlanet has taken a first step and has proven to be a necessary event to contribute to the commitment of all actors involved in the achievement of the SDGs and to generate new bridges of collaboration to guarantee a sustainable future.”
For his part, the co-founder of BforPlanet, Francisco Lombardo, has called on the international community to “set a new human right: the human right to the future” pointing out that “the generations yet to come will be a vulnerable collective per se.”
Also, the first deputy mayor of Economy, Labor, Competitiveness and Finance of the City of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, underlined that “this year, the commitment of Congress held in Barcelona has been a starting point for future editions in order to consolidate an international debate on the sustainable economy”.
Companies, experts, governments and startups
The new event from Fira de Barcelona has made the Capital of Catalonia the international epicenter of the debate on sustainability through the participation of experts, senior political officials, company managers and representatives of international institutions and organizations such as World Bank, OECD, UN, EU, Barcelona City Council, Government of Spain, Government of Catalonia or the World Wildlife Fund, and companies such as Amazon, Agbar, Danone, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Unilever, Renfe or BBVA, among others.
But the startups focused on sustainable development have also been in the spotlight at the event and have taken part in a competition with five finalists presenting their projects at the congress.
In addition, BForPlanet has participated in the campaign of the international NGO Plant-For-The-Planet, contributing to the planting of more than 5,000 trees in different forests around the world.
Fira de Barcelona is already working on the next edition of BforPlanet, scheduled to take place in May 2022, that will combine a congress and an exhibition space with the aim of positioning itself as an international benchmark for the fulfillment of the SDGs by companies and administrations.
Barcelona, July 8th 2021
Edu Pérez Moya / Salvador Bilurbina
eperezm@firabarcelona.com / sbilurbina@firabarcelona.com
93 233 21 66 / 93 233 26 59