The day held at Casa Nova in Calpe witnessed the award ceremony of the II #goCalpe Contest of Urban Planners for Sustainability, an event that was supported by Global Omnium GO2 through the Observatory of Resilient and Sustainable Cities and the Calpe Town Council. The second deputy mayor, Juan Manuel del Pino, led the ceremony and expressed his gratitude for the enthusiastic participation of the students, thus consolidating this competition as a possible reference over the years.
The winning project, Biodiversiteam, by Daniel Negre of the Asociación Valenciana de Apoyo a las Altas Capacidades (AVAST), suggests the creation of micro-parks with native flora to increase urban biodiversity. These micro-parks, with enriched soils and recycled marine plastic materials, will form green corridors to connect urban and outdoor areas. They also include green roofs for an even distribution of healthy microbiota and vertical micro-parks with nesting structures for insects and birds, thus promoting biodiversity and ecological balance in urban environments.
The second runner-up project was BiFields from the Convenius school, which proposed an innovative design with two components: Bio-plate, a module in the form of a tessellable plate that covers vertical surfaces, forming a versatile and self-sufficient garden, ideal for complicated locations, and Bio-estor, a modular product that protects façades from deterioration, reduces the heat island effect and covers surfaces with a biological curtain adapted to the local flora. Its simple design facilitates installation on any vertical surface of at least 5 metres in height.
The day was marked by high-level presentations, such as that of Elvira Carles, director of the Business and Climate Foundation, who recalled the principle of sustainability and the environment, emphasising research on biodiversity and changing climatic conditions, and recounting the beginnings of the COP. The presentations, given by experts from the Observatory for Resilient and Sustainable Cities and the City of Calpee, concluded by highlighting the importance of discussing the work done throughout the year to monitor changes in climatic conditions and emphasising the importance of the role of young people in the environment.
Emphasis was placed on resilience and sustainability, values that are fundamental today. "We are committed to resilience and sustainability hand in hand with a company like Global Omnium", said the second deputy mayor, who also expressed his gratitude to Global Omnium, highlighting its constant commitment to the community and its interest in making Calpee a benchmark in the fight against climate change.
Juan Luis Pozo, Sustainability Director of Global Omnium, announced that the two projects will be joined in a pilot project to be funded by the Calpe Resilient and Sustainable Cities Observatory and implemented in the municipality of Calpe.
This competition is not only a reflection of the local commitment to sustainability, but also a testament to the transformative power that youth have in creating a more sustainable and resilient future. Calpe Town Council and Global Omnium reaffirm their commitment to continue leading initiatives that contribute to combat climate change and promote sustainable urban development.