Are taxes the solution to climate change?, debate in the VIII UB-Torres Environmental Sessions
On Wednesday, June 5, World Environment Day, Barcelona will celebrate the VIII Environment Sessions, organized by the University of Barcelona, Familia Torres and the meteorologist and UB lecturer Tomàs Molina. Under the motto “Are taxes the solution to climate change?”, the meeting will gather national and international experts to debate the tools that could unblock societyʼs and the governmentʼs inaction regarding climate change.
On Wednesday, June 5, World Environment Day, Barcelona will celebrate the VIII Environment Sessions, organized by the University of Barcelona, Familia Torres and the meteorologist and UB lecturer Tomàs Molina. Under the motto “Are taxes the solution to climate change?”, the meeting will gather national and international experts to debate the tools that could unblock societyʼs and the governmentʼs inaction regarding climate change.
The opening will be carried out by Francesc Xavier Roigé Ventura, vice-rector for Doctoral Studies and Research Promotion of the University of Barcelona; Miguel A. Torres, president of Familia Torres, and Damià Calvet, minister of Territory and Sustainability at Generalitat de Catalunya. Albert Barniol, TVE meteorologist, will chair the activity, which will revolve around several conferences and a debate.
Among the participants are the vice-rector Maite Vilalta, who will talk about the situation of the tax system and the environment, and Jeroen van den Bergh, ICREA professor at ICTA in Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and lecturer of Economics and Business at VU University Amsterdam, who will comment on the economic impact on climate change and global warming. There will also be Fridays for Future, the movement that resulted from the international movement launched by the young Swedish Greta Thunberg #Friday4Future and #Youth4Climate, as a young protest against governmental inaction regarding climate change.
The debate table will be formed by -apart from the speakers- Aida Vila, Integrity project manager at Green Peache International; Xavier Martin-Vide, professor of Physical Geography of the UB; Enric Tello, professor of History and Economic Institutions of the UB, and Emilio de las Heras, expert on international funding and author of the Expansión blog “Cambio climático y economia”.
The conclusions of the VIII Environmental Sessions will be presented by Laura Rahola, press manager of the European Commission Representation in Barcelona. Albert Barniol will close the activity, and Miguel A. Torres will carry out the award ceremony for the VI Torres & Earth Prize to Environmental Innovation, which wants to honor the studies, projects, experiences and initiatives that support the preservation of the environment.
The Environmental Sessions will be held in the Aula Magna at the Historical Building of the UB, from 9 a.m. to 1.45 noon. Attendance is free but previous registration via this online form is required.