A BLUE NEW DEAL: Water’s role in a sustainable and fair future - Online, 20 May
Aqua Publica Europea, the European Association of Public Water Operators, and Águas de Gaia, the public water operator of the city of Vila Nova de Gaia (Portugal) invite you to explore why the sustainable management of water resources represents a pillar of a fair climate transition, and how the EU Green Deal can foster the achievement of this objective. The specific contribution that public water operators can offer in this field will be discussed with local and European and national policymakers, civil society’s organisations and experts.
The Portuguese Presidency of the EU has set a fair and a green recovery from the crisis as its priority, thus putting the interconnection between social and environmental challenges at the centre of Europe’s future strategies.
In the context of the current multiple emergencies – sanitary, economic, climate - it is critical to strengthen our societies’ resilience through a green transition that benefits all citizens. At the crossroads between the Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights, public water operators have a key role to play and a crucial responsibility in leading the transition to a more inclusive and circular society, thanks to their multifaceted role of providers of an essential service, managers of water resources, and ‘green’ employers. Following the Porto Social Summit and ahead of the June Environmental Council, the conference will discuss how the environmental protection of water resources is part and parcel of a climate adaptation strategy that leaves no one behind.
The specific contribution and experience that public water operators can offer in this field will be discussed with local and European policymakers, civil society’s organisations and experts. The conference, which has received the support of the Portuguese EU presidency and will take place as a partner event during EU Green Week 2021, will be broadcasted live by the Portuguese online economic newspaper ‘EcoNews’ and accessible to all, with the aim of raising public awareness of the role of EU policies and of fostering a fruitful dialogue between local actors and EU institutions.
The discussion will be structured in two sessions:
- Session 1: A sustainable management of water resources as a pillar of a fair climate transition
- Session 2: Public water services as drivers of the ecological transformation
We invite you to join European and Portuguese water and social stakeholders in this hybrid event, hosted by Águas de Gaia, and taking place both at the Reservatório de General Torres and virtually, broadcasted with the support of ECO News.
The event will take place in English and Portuguese.
