Held at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre on November 4-7
FIRST GEO 2 FAIR CLOSES WITH SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABILITY
After four days of hectic activity at exhibitions and congresses, the first GEO2 fair closed today. The event brought together sustainability stakeholders at Halls 1 and 3 and the Convention Centre of the Bilbao Exhibition Centre. A total of 4000 trade specialists took part in commercial part, while the programme of seminars and brokerage events drew 932 participants. Designed as an exhibition, a forum for debate and also a platform for specific agreements and active participation, GEO2 set out the main challenges of sustainability in social, economic and environmental terms.
Most visitors came from Spain, but there were also visitors from France, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Algeria, Morocco, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela among others.
From Tuesday 4 onwards, a total of 254 firms presented their latest developments, technologies and services, including a highly innovative domestic recycling system. The programme also included 12 special events in a variety of fields, whose standards and prestige were assured by the status of their organisers (Official Institute of Geologists of the Basque Country, University of the Basque Country, ACLIMA, Ihobe, EVE, Basque Government Department of Housing and Social Affairs, Basque Enterprise Europe Network, the Basque Energy Cluster Group and the Bilbao Exhibition Centre itself)
During GEO2 the following congresses were held: the VERSOS ‘08 Congress on Best Available Technologies for Controlled Landfills a Sustainability Workshop, the 11th Environmental Engineering Congress, a seminar on Standard EN 14181, On-site Remediation Techniques for Contaminated Groundwater, Air Quality & the Diagnosing of Atmospheric Pollution by Municipal Councils, Climate Change and CO2 Emission Rights in an International Context, Noise? Moving into Action, Geothermal Exchange in Medium-power Climate-control Facilities the 7th Seminar on Local Agenda 21 Schemes in Basque Municipalities, the presentation of a Guide to Sustainable Building. a Brokerage Event on Sustainable Development, the establishment of FIEMA (Iberian-American Federation of Environment Companies), and meetings of international representatives working on the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme).
On Thursday Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo awarded diplomas to staff of the Bilbao Exhibition Centre for their commitment to the CeroCO emission offset programme. The awards reflected offsets for the electricity consumed at GEO2 and travel by speakers at the Forum: From Social Responsibility to Sustainability.
The diplomas accredit the joint environmental responsibility of the sustainable development fair. Under an agreement signed with the foundation, the event is to make a voluntary donation in proportion to the tonnes of CO2 emitted, to finance organic composting for a fair trade project in Mexico.
