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THE LARGEST SUSTAINABILITY EVENT IN PORTUGAL
THE LARGEST
SUSTAINABILITY DE
EVENT
IN PORTUGAL
GREENFEST is the largest sustainability movement in Portugal. This year we celebrate the theme of Regeneration in the environment, economy and society.
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In biology, one of the meanings of regeneration is the incomplete or complete restoration of the structure and function of a cell, tissue or organ that has been destroyed or damaged. To a greater or lesser degree, Nature provides regenerative capacity for plants and animals.
This concept, when applied to Economics, assesses the real value of the environment and ecosystems as a support base for human life, in an interdependent and holistic way. It also reinforces the opportunity to regenerate the economic and social fabric in favour of a prosperity model based on the principles of ecology and the circular economy.
The pandemic crisis, in its multiple dimensions, as well as climate change, make the adoption of regenerative practices in the economic, social and environmental domains all the more urgent and critical.
This year, GREENFEST Braga is DIGITAL! A dynamic and interactive way of approaching the subject of sustainability. A platform where you can take part in several Talks, Discussions, Show Cookings, and much more. Three packed days of events, sharing plenty of knowledge and experiences, with access to parallel sessions, virtual exhibitions and various stages.
This year we have REGENERATED GREENFEST with an innovative format!
A new normality means a new reality for our festival. In 2020, we introduced the festival in its digital format. This year, we bring the event back with even more surprises and new features.
Simultaneously we will respond to the brand’s mission and global collective awareness, contributing to reducing our footprint, as well as diversifying content and speakers from anywhere in the world.
Every year, we focus in gathering the best references in each specific area of sustainability. . Our goal is to continue to be a standard for sustainability both in Portugal to the rest of the World and in the World from 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.
President of the Municipality of Torres Vedras
With a PhD in Tourism from IGOT / ESHTE, University of Lisbon, a Postgraduate Degree in Regional and Local History from the University of Lisbon and a Degree in Tourism and Hotel Management, Carlos Bernardes was Vice-President of the Municipality of Torres Vedras, from 2005 to 2015 and Councilman for the Municipality of Torres Vedras from 2003 to 2005. He is a member of the fiscal council of Águas do Tejo Atlântico, Grupo Águas de Portugal and chairman of the board of management of Torres Vedras SMAS (Municipal Services). He is a Quality Coast and Green Destination Ambassador and a member of the Political Advisory Committee for the CIVITAS Initiative. Throughout his career, he participated, both in Portugal and abroad, in various conferences, seminars, workshops and courses related to tourism, environment, sustainability and mobility, among other areas. Since December 2015, he serves as the President of the Municipality of Torres Vedras, and is responsible for the General Coordination of Municipal Services, Environment and Sustainability, Civil Protection, Legal, Communication, Human Resources and Entrepreneurship.
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.
More than a festival, we are a movement! Throughout the year, we promote good initiatives with our partners. Above all, we want everyone’s concern to be constant and reflected in day to day behaviours, not only at two particular times in the year. Here you can find out about some of our initiatives and prizes. Many more will be announced soon!
In partnership with the Santander Group and Accenture, GreenFest rewards active citizenship during the pandemic crisis. ComVIDA is a merit award that aims to recognize and thank entrepreneurs, institutions and citizens who responded in an exemplary manner to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Applications will run until December 31, 2020. The award winner will be announced soon.
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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