LIFE GREEN ADAPT Global Event in Catalonia: Transforming Waste to Resources

TIC UNESCOSOST
May 23
6 min read

Updated: Jun 7

On May 27, 2025, the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC hosted an exclusive event at Casa Batlló in Barcelona, organized within the framework of the LIFE GREEN ADAPT Project, funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme. This high-level gathering brought together project partners along with a diverse group of invited stakeholders and partners of a set pre-selected EU Funded projects, creating a unique space for networking, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. The event aimed to strengthen synergies and advance the methodologies and regenerative infrastructure solutions developed through the LIFE GREEN ADAPT project.

LIFE GREEN ADAPT enhances the resilience of waste infrastructure across the European Union in response to the growing impacts of climate change. The project demonstrates the effectiveness of blue-green infrastructure (BGI) and ecosystem-based approaches in mitigating flash floods, managing runoff from intense rainfall, and preventing fires and explosions caused by droughts and extreme heatwaves.

The LIFE GREEN ADAPT Global Event took place at Casa Batlló, a UNESCO World Heritage Site committed to the 2030 Agenda´s Sustainable Development Goals. Certified with the Biosphere label since 2020, it received the Biosphere Prize in the Cultural Heritage category in 2021. Casa Batlló is actively working on a program to measure and offsetting its carbon footprint.

"As the communication, dissemination, and exploitation lead for the LIFE GREEN ADAPT project, our organization is dedicated to maximizing the impact and scalability of its innovative solutions. Hosting the global event at Casa Batlló, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its commitment to sustainability and visionary design, provided an inspiring backdrop that fostered a humanistic and forward-thinking mindset, perfectly aligning with our mission to drive transformative change." Blanca Antizar, Director of Consultancy, Isle Utilities Ltd (UK)

The LIFE GREEN ADAPT Global Event opened with a presentation by Dra. Luz Herrero Castilla, from AIMEN, the project coordinator. The initiative centers on five integrated technologies that together create a comprehensive, scalable adaptation strategy. This innovative approach enhances infrastructure resilience while providing multiple additional benefits:

Pollution reduction through advanced bioremediation of landfill leachate
Biodiversity enhancement via the development of constructed wetlands
Carbon emission reduction through the implementation of nature-based BGI solutions
Acceleration of the circular economy transition by valorising waste streams

The project generates a broad spectrum of impactful outcomes. Among them, bio-technosoils—engineered from landfill waste—are employed to stabilize and rehabilitate degraded soils, improving structure, nutrient retention, and overall soil health. In parallel, innovative treatment wetlands (TW) are developed to purify polluted leachate and stormwater runoff, achieving up to 95% reduction in heavy metals and 99% removal of ammonium and BOD₅.

To validate these innovative solutions at scale, the project establishes an industrial-scale demonstration site, providing tangible proof of concept and showcasing the replicability and performance of BGI and ecosystem-based solutions across diverse waste management contexts.

Following the presentation of the LIFE GREEN ADAPT Project, Jaime Ferrer, Professor of Strategy and Leadership at EADA Business School Barcelona, delivered a talk titled "Challenges of the Circular Economy in Spain and Europe."

Jaime Ferrer is a recognized expert in business strategy, organizational leadership, and digital transformation. He brings extensive experience as a lecturer in executive education programs, with a focus on strategic thinking, innovation, and organisational change. At EADA, he contributes to both MBA and Executive Education programs, blending academic rigor with practical insights drawn from his work with companies across diverse sectors. In addition to his academic role, he advises organizations on strategic development and transformation processes. His approach emphasises the alignment of strategy, people, and organizational culture, fostering sustainable and adaptive business models.

Jaime Ferrer's presentation provided an excellent foundation for a dynamic and insightful discussion involving nine invited speakers and members of the LIFE GREEN ADAPT consortium. His talk framed the broader context of circular economy challenges and opportunities in Spain and across Europe, setting the tone for a rich exchange of ideas, experiences, and strategic perspectives. Jaime presented the Circular Economy Spain project (2019-2023) coordinated by Accenture with different Chairs in Catalonia, including the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC. The project carried out with the involvement of over 110 organisations (private companies, employers associations, academic institutions and public administrations) from 11 sectors, highlighted that the transition to the CE requires simultaneous action between the involved parties, in four areas: 1) Circular Demand (e.g. mandatory recovered contents, life-extension and repair legislation...); 2) Circular Supply (e.g. public-private co-funding of investments in circular reindustrialisation and energy generation, ... ); 3) R&D in bottleneck areas (e.g. long-life materials, recycling of complex materials, 4.0 applications,….) and 4) horizontal infrastructures (e.g. more efficient and scalable waste recovery and treament networks, integrated water recovery networks..).

Particularly noteworthy was the discussion around shifting European priorities, especially the increasing allocation of resources to rearmament—an emerging trend that clearly runs counter to the objectives of the European Green Agenda. Ferrer emphasized the urgent need to safeguard sustainability commitments in the face of geopolitical and economic pressures.

Jaime Ferrer expressed widespread concern amongst key experts regarding a perceived change of focus by the EC and state governments away from the green agenda, as the emerging priority in reindustrialization is increasingly being seen as separate from the green agenda, whereas there is increasing evidence that "net positive" is the only available option for reindustrialising Europe, considering global trends (e.g. protectionism, loss of access to key strategic materials, trends in prices for critical materials).

Jordi Macarro, representing the Catalan Waste Agency (ACR) of the Generalitat de Catalunya, shared several forward-looking initiatives coordinated by the agency. These included efforts to modernise waste management infrastructure and the strategic closure of landfills that no longer meet environmental standards, contributing to a more sustainable and efficient waste system.

Europe is setting a path to gradually reduce dependence on landfills. In Catalonia, we are working to reduce landfills that can no longer meet the technical requirements set by Europe, said Jordi Macarro, from ACR.

Finally, Jordi Macarro express that waste treatment plants must be brought closer to society, and efforts should be made to ensure that citizens become familiar with these facilities.

Carles Salesa, Director of Maresme Circular and the Maresme Waste Consortium, offered a detailed overview of the institution’s role in promoting regional circularity. He highlighted a range of activities, from cutting-edge waste treatment technologies to participatory programs that engage municipalities and citizens. Salesa stressed the need for all institutions to play an active role in promoting behavioural change and cultivating a culture of circularity at the local level. He also underscored the importance of breaking down silos between public administrations, managers, and industry stakeholders to enable more effective collaboration across the entire chain. Additionally, he called for a cultural and social reevaluation of the relationship between waste and energy.

Miguel Martín, from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and affiliated with the Research Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA), focused his intervention on the critical role of citizens. Acknowledging that many citizens remain distrustful of public administration, he stressed that universities should play a key role in bridging this gap. By providing clear, accessible, and science-based information, academic institutions can help build public trust, empower communities, and promote informed participation in the transition toward a circular and sustainable future.

For successful implementation of Nature-based solutions, they should ideally emerge from the needs of citizens, for which an informed and knowledgeable society is essential, Miguel Martin (UPV).

Francesc X. Prenafeta, explained that IRTA is actively contributing to the expansion of the bioeconomy in Catalonia as a key pillar of the circular economy. This transformation aims to convert biological resources into sustainable products within the agri-food sector. To make the bioeconomy truly scalable, it is essential to overcome several challenges, including system fragmentation, lack of infrastructure, negative public perception, and the need for a clearer and more harmonized regulatory framework. Addressing these barriers requires strengthening applied research, enhancing technology transfer, and fostering collaboration among public and private actors—guided not only by criteria of viability and sustainability but also by principles of social justice and territorial balance.

Alejandra Calleros from IES Abroad Barcelona emphasized that education at all levels is crucial for improving waste management. However, she noted that prevention offers the greatest potential for truly closing material cycles.

Most of the speakers highlighted the crucial role of raising public awareness and emphasized the importance of citizen engagement in waste management and resource recovery. They stressed that lasting progress toward a circular economy depends not only on technological and policy innovations, but also on fostering a shared sense of responsibility among the population. Empowering citizens through education, participation, and transparent communication was identified as a key driver for behavioural change and the successful implementation of sustainable waste practices at all levels of society.

Together, these contributions deepened the collective understanding of how regional governance, institutional innovation, and cross-sector collaboration can effectively advance the circular economy. The session reinforced the importance of integrating policy, practice, and community engagement to create resilient and regenerative systems.

General Programme

Morning Session: May 27 - 11:00 – 15:00