As part of the Summer Courses of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and of the Donostia Sustainability Forum, the sixth edition of the School — organised by Ihobe, the Basque Government's environmental management agency, and the Environmental Journalism Association (APIA) — will be held at the Marimar Palace in Donostia on 12 September; the event has evolved into a format of in-depth conversations with professionals who are contributing, from different perspectives, to advancing the climate and energy transition, and to changing the narrative to communicate more and better on environmental issues.

The panel of speakers include Fernando Valladares (CSIC-Spanish National Research Council), Asunción Ruiz Guijosa (SEO-Birdlife Executive Director), Naiara Goia (Arantzazazu Lab Director) and communicators of the ilk of Adela Úcar, Rafael Ruiz Peña, Yayo Herrero and Javier Peña

With the goal of generating a space for reflection and to offer insights on communicating the major environmental challenges, this year's Environmental Communication School is gathering together leading professionals from different disciplines within a programme featuring inspiring conversations, a co-creation workshop, and a boat trip to visit the Santa Clara and Hondalea island for those attending the event in person. The speakers will thus address different issues such as the climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, conservation of the natural environment, implementing the circular economy, and sustainable development.

Fernando Valladares, a research professor at the CSIC and associate professor at the Rey Juan Carlos University, is one of the leading academics who will be adding value to this year's event. Valladares, a highly cited scientist, has produced extensive research on the role of biodiversity and the impacts of climate change and human activity on ecosystems. His concern for the environmental crisis is behind his active role in disseminating information in different media and on his 'La Salud de la Humanidad' [Humanity's Health] channel on social media.

Another scientist attending the School will be Asunción Ruiz Guijosa, the Executive Director of SEO/BirdLife, an organisation whose mission is to study and conserve nature and biodiversity in Spain. An expert in the environmental status of the different areas of Spain, such as the Natura 2000 Network, Ruiz Guijosa is the author or lead editor of a myriad of publications and monographs, and has designed, implemented and headed ambitious projects.

Javier Peña Sánchez, a science communicator and founder of the 'Hope!' communication project on social media, will be taking part as well. His videos on solutions for the environmental and climate crisis have been viewed over 900 million times and his social channels already have 2.5 million followers.

As is customary, the panel of speakers at the School include top environmental journalists. They include Adela Úcar Innerarity, a journalist specialising in social themes, health, women and the environment, and who is also a TV presenter. She has hosted 'Reduce tu huella' [Reduce Your Footprint], the environmental awareness programme on TVE's La2; and has also presented programmes such as 21 Días en Cuatro.

This year, she is joined by Rafael Ruiz Peña, a journalist specialising in the environment since 1992 and a founding member of APIA. After 25 years as a staff editor at El País and El País Semanal, he has been at the helm of El Asombrario, the digital cultural and environmental magazine associated with the Público newspaper since 2013.

This host of speakers includes Yayo Herrero López, a consultant, researcher and lecturer in the fields of political ecology, ecofeminism and education for sustainable living. With a PhD in Political and Social Sciences, and qualified as a social and cultural anthropologist, a social educator and an agricultural technical engineer, Herrero López is a partner-worker of the Garúa cooperative, and a member of the ecologist movement.

The list also includes Stéphane Kosinski, a professional facilitator focused on mentoring organisations on their transition to more sustainable models. Kosinski is the co-founder of the Adesio cooperative and facilitation agency, where she works with a wide range of entities; she is also a coordinator of the Climate Mural, and articulator of SANNAS, the association of Triple Balance companies in the Basque Country.

The programme also features local professionals such as the Ihobe Climate Action Director, Mari Mar Alonso Martín; Naiara Goia Imaz, General Manager of Arantzazulab, the social innovation laboratory; and Mari Luz Gómez, head of the Citizenship project of Ihobe's Environmental Sustainability division. María García de la Fuente and Luis Guijarro García will also be taking part; apart from being environmental journalists, they are the Chair and General Secretary of the APIA Management Board.

The 'Climate Change is No Laughing Matter II' exhibition

The ‘Climate Change is No Laughing Matter II’ exhibition, produced by Ballena Blanca magazine, will also run alongside the Environmental Communication School 2024. The exhibition using humour to tackle climate change will be at the Miramar Palace from 15 July to 13 September.

“We are facing an unprecedented situation for human beings, which requires a robust response and without delay. We know the data and the consequences. However, we are still failing to react. This exhibition uses satire as the language to shake people awake about this fundamental issue", stressed Ballena Blanca.

The exhibition is the second of a project by the magazine that started at the Paris Climate Summit in 2015. It showcases the work of cartoonists from around the world, who drew how they saw this problem from different points of the planet. The exhibition is now seeking to focus attention of the local effects of a problem that concerns the whole of society: "Climate change is clearer and clearer no laughing matter"

The School is for university and non-university students, teaching staff, professionals from different sectors and the general public. Registration is already open on the Summer Courses of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) website, where you can find detailed information on the full programme.