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This year we celebrate the 15th anniversary of Greenfest with hybrid events (in person + digital). Exclusive, different schedules and experiences.
Central theme for the 2022 Editions: The Regenerative Circular Economy and “Nature-Based Solutions”!
The term “Nature-Based Solutions” refers to sustainable management and the use of its mechanisms to respond to the enormous socio-environmental challenges we face. The challenges include such urgent topics as combating climate change, access to clean water, pollution, food security, human health, loss of biodiversity, ecosystem degradation, climate migration and disaster risk management. The list of challenges could go on… and immediately include all the SDGs 2030, whose objectives have become even more demanding and complex with the covid-19 pandemic.
Nature is an authentic “living laboratory” that is about 4 billion years old and many of the solutions to the aforementioned challenges are, or could be, in deciphering natural mechanisms and their applicability to human well-being. Regeneration is one of its pillars, as is the decoding of the genome of fauna, flora, land and sea. Biomimicry, combining various disciplines of our knowledge and inspiration from nature, can be a powerful ally in overcoming challenges and contributing to a healthy transition to a regenerative circular economy, with inclusive, resilient and sustainable communities.
Greenfest – Portugal’s largest sustainability event – is 15 years-old. Over the years, we have collected stories, ideas, inspiration, innovation and friends. We have gathered some of the best moments of this journey we have taken together to build a more sustainable home, country and planet.
This year, Greenfest is even more PLURAL, INTERGENERATIONAL AND DYNAMIC, investing in a program for different and varied target audiences, enhancing transformative experiences. Gather your family, friends and colleagues and join us.
Every year, our focus is to bring together the best references in each specific area of sustainability. Our goal is to continue to be the reference for sustainability in Portugal for the World, or from the World to Portugal
Activities and sessions for everyone!
A movement where you will be able to share ideas and ideals.
Every year we seek to gather the best references from each aspect of sustainability, as well as experts from the various areas covered. Meet some of the speakers who participated in previous editions.
President of the Municipality of Braga
Ricardo Rio é um economista e político português. Ricardo Rio é licenciado com mestrado em economia pela Faculdade de Economia da Universidade do Porto. No período de 2002/2003, foi Director do Instituto Mercado de Capitais da Euronext Lisboa. É Assessor do Conselho de Administração da Casa da Música no Porto.
Professor, Former Minister Deputy to the Prime Minister and Former Minister for Regional Development
Miguel Poiares Maduro is a Portuguese scholar and politician. He was Portugal's Minister for Regional Development from April 2013 until October 2015. Previously, he had been the Director of the Global Governance Program and professor of Law at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Poiares Maduro is also a regular Visiting Professor at the Yale Law School, in the United States.
Sociologist and principal researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon (ICS-ULisboa)
Luísa Schmidt is a sociologist, journalist, professor, and principal researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon. She is part of the team that introduced Environmental Sociology in Portugal, in research, teaching and in the articulation between academia and society.
Politician, architect and urban planner
Jaime Lerner is a Brazilian politician, architect and urban planner, affiliated to the Democrats (DEM). He served as mayor of Curitiba three times (1971–75, 1979–84 and 1989–93) and governor of Paraná twice (1995–1999 and 1999–2003).
President of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Isabel Mota has been the President of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Board of Directors since May 2017. She was previously a member of this same board between 1999 and 2017. She has served as a non-executive member of the Banco Santander-Totta Board of Directors since July 2015. Graduating in Finance from the University of Lisbon (1973), she was Assistant Lecturer at the Higher Institute of Economics (1973-1975). She became Deputy Director of the Office for External Economic Cooperation at the Ministry of Finance between 1978 and 1986 and subsequently Adviser to the Permanent Representation of Portugal to Brussels, in 1986. From 1987 to 1995, Isabel Mota was State Secretary for Planning and Regional Development in the 11th and 12th Constitutional Governments, with responsibility for negotiations with the European Union over Structural and Cohesion Funding for Portugal. She was also director of the Institute of Executive Training at Lisbon’s Nova University in 1977 and a member of the General Board of Telecel Vodafone (2001 – 2003). In 2004, she coordinated the drafting of the National Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Portugal and from 2017 to 2019 she was President of the Supervisory Board of Partex Holding B.V.. Isabel Mota currently sits on the COTEC-BPI PME Innovation award jury. She was a member of the Jacques Delors award jury (until 2017) and a member of the Career Award attributed by Lisbon’s Catholic University (until 2014). She also served as Adviser to the Economic and Social Council of Portugal (until 2016). She has been honoured with the “Gold” Medal for Distinguished Service by the Ministry of Health and appointed to the ranks of Grand Official and Grand-Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique. Since 2011, she has also sat on the Board of the Honorific Orders of Portugal.
Former Prime Minister of Norway
Gro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian politician, who served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway (in 1981, from 1986 to 1989 and from 1990 to 1996), and as Director-General of the World Health Organization from 1998 to 2003. She is also known for having headed the Brundtland Commission, which presented the Brundtland Report on sustainable development.
Diretor of the Macrobiotic Institute of Portugal
Geninha Horta Varatojo is the director of the Macrobiotic Institute of Portugal (IMP), and co-founded the Kushi Institute of Portugal, with her husband, Francisco Varatojo. She is one of the most well known Macrobiotic teachers in Portugal and the author of several cook books, such as Cozinha Natural-Deliciosas Receitas Macrobióticas, Macro Apetite, Memória dos Sabores, Comida Macrobiótica para toda a Família e Tudo o que Comemos Conta, considered by many a reference work in this domain, The book has been reissued in a fully revised and expanded edition. She is also a regular teacher in Spain, and in the last 38 years has written several articles on her area of speciality for many portuguese magazines. She also coordinates the Annual Cooking Course, Cooking Workshops and Short Cooking Courses at the IMP.
Founder of Maria Granel
Founder of Maria Granel (2015), the first zero-waste, organic and bulk store in Portugal, Eunice is a pioneer in our country by introducing the zero-waste concept applied to consumption and lifestyle. Through her personal example and mission she has contributed to raise awareness of the negative effects of plastic, sharing her knowledge through talks, consulting sessions, workshops and several other events with national and international guests, as well as sustainable alteratives to reduce waste.
CEO Husstainability
Erik Huss has a degree in Journalism and a postgraduate degree in Geography/Terrestrial Ecosystem Science, with a focus on Glaciology and Climate Development. Currently, Erik is the CEO of his own company Husstainability, which has received a lot of attention because it takes into account not only the economy and people, but also the planetary boundaries, which very few in the business world are experienced with.
Vice-Rector of NOVA University Lisbon
Elvira Fortunato is a Portuguese scientist, researcher and professor. She is a world pioneer specialist in paper electronics, namely transistors, memories, batteries, screens, antennas and solar cells. She is considered the "mother" of the paper transistor. She is currently vice-rector of NOVA University Lisbon.
Former Member of the European Parliament
Carlos Pimenta is a Portuguese politician. With a degree in Chemical Engineering, he became known in the 1980s in the area of Environmentalism, having participated in the activities of GEOTA (Spatial Planning and Environment Study Group). He was elected by the PSD (Social Democratic Party) for the Setúbal City Council as member of the Assembly of the Republic in the 1985-1897 and 1987-1991 legislatures, having served as Secretary of State for the Environment in 1983-1983 and as Secretary of State for Fisheries in 1985 (IX and X Constitutional Governments). He was a member of the European Parliament, elected by the PSD in the 1987-1989, 1989-1994, and 1994-1999 legislatures, having worked in the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection.
Administrator of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Carlos Manuel Félix Moedas é engenheiro civil, economista e político português. De 2014 a 2019, Moedas foi Comissário Europeu abrangendo a carteira de Investigação, Ciência e Inovação sob a liderança do Presidente Jean-Claude Juncker. is a Portuguese civil engineer, economist and politician. From 2014 to 2019, Moedas served as European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation during the presidency of Jean-Claude Juncker.
President of the Municipality of Cascais
Carlos Carreiras is a Portuguese manager and politician. He concluded his degree in Accounting and Administration from the Lisbon College of Accountancy and Administration of the Polytechnical Institute of Lisbon, in 1988, and dedicated his career to the business world before taking up public functions. He serves as the Mayor of Cascais since 2011.
Director of MIT Senseable City Lab
Carlo Ratti is an inventor, activist, architect, engineer, and a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Boston, USA, where he runs the MIT SENSEable, a research group that explores how new technologies are changing the way we understand, design and ultimately live in cities.
CEO Fábrica de Startups
António Lucena de Faria is a founding partner and CEO of Fábrica de Startups, a company created in April 2012. He is also a founding member of StartupPortugal, representing Fábrica de Startups. In 2012 and 2013 he was in charge of organizing and implementing the Energia de Portugal program. He led the launch and development of over 10 companies, having started his journey as an entrepreneur with the launch of Methodus Sistemas, in 1987. He is a professor of Entrepreneurship at the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics and a member of the National Council for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CNEI). He holds a degree in Economics from the Católica University of Lisbon and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, United States. He complemented his studies with courses pertaining to entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School, London Business School and Babson College.
Founder of Greenfest and Bluefest
The Land Art exhibition challenged national and international artists to broaden their sphere of action with a view to integrating art into the natural landscape. An art that establishes a dialogue with the surrounding flora and fauna, in a perfect harmony that mesmerizes us. From September 25th, you will be able to contemplate this intimate dialogue between culture and nature in the Gardens of the Monastery of Tibães, in Braga, and in the Estufa Fria, in Lisbon. A reconnection between Mankind and Earth to reflect upon and feel!
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