The ACCESS project announces its Final Conference to mark the closure of the project
In the framework of closing the three years long European co-funded project ACCESS, the Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management as the host and lead partner, with its fellow project partners – the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, the Welsh and Danish Football Associations, the GAA and FC Porto, is cordially inviting you to the project’s Final Conference, symbolically titled “Achieving Circularity in Cities through Environmental Sustainability in Sports”, exactly what the project’s title stood for from its very beginning.
The Conference will take place on 14 May 2025 in Brussels, from 10 AM to 3 PM.
The intention and the objective of the event is to showcase the results and achievements in the four participating countries and cities, the tools that were produced to unlock the potentials for more environmentally friendly sports, and finally, to encourage uptake, replication and further reinforcement of sustainable resource management and circular economy in cities and sports. In order to address these objectives and provide all speakers and panellists, as well as the audience to express themselves, the programme of the day would feature a dynamic, participative and co-created agenda, with speakers and panellists with diverse backgrounds and skills.
- 1000 – 1045: Keynote speeches:
- The importance of coupling sustainability in sports with cities and regions’ strategies and targets; Francoise Bonnet; Secretary General, ACR+
- Brussels city’s climate strategies and targets and their reinforcement in sports; Frederik Ceulemans; Alderman of Urban Renewal, Climate, Citizen Participation and Dutch-language Affairs, City of Brussels
- European Union’s efforts in supporting sports’ transition towards sustainable practices and operations; Peter Fischer; Policy Officer, Sport Unit at the European Commission
- Filippo Veglio; Head of Social & Environmental Sustainability, UEFA (TBC)
- 1045 – 1145: Project outputs:
- Environmental assessments for defining the baseline for improvements; Annamaria Pesci, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies
- Communities of Practice for securing cross-sectoral cooperation; Francesco Lembo, ACR+
- Community outreach and engagement for providing a legacy in local communities; Míde Ní Shúilleabháin, Gaelic Athletic Association
- 1300 – 1500: Panel discussions:
- Public authorities’ efforts in securing environmentally friendly sport events (Panellists TBC)
- Sport organisation’s contribution to circular cities (Panellists TBC)
- Optional: Guided tour of the stadium
The venue chosen for the Conference will be the Roi Baudouin / Koning Baudewijn stadium, an iconic stadium in the north of Brussels, easily accessible from different parts of Brussels and especially for those travelling to Brussels from other parts of the kingdom and beyond. After the Conference which would take place in the press room, the participants can join a guided tour of the stadium.