The roundtable featured contributions from Dr Carme Llasat Botija, professor of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Barcelona; Monsignor Joan Costa Bou, lecturer at the Faculty of Theology of Catalonia and diocesan delegate for Social and Charitable Pastoral Care in Barcelona; Ms Patricia de la Viesca Cosgrove, technical coordinator at the Directorate-General for Climate Change and Environmental Quality of the Government of Catalonia; and Dr Sílvia Albareda Tiana, senior lecturer in Experimental Science Education at the Faculty of Education Sciences at UIC Barcelona and director of the Office for Sustainability and Cooperation. The roundtable was moderated by the dean of the Faculty of Education Sciences, Dr Enric Vidal.

The session began with reflections from all participants on the definition of sustainability itself. Patricia de la Viesca highlighted the three dimensions of the concept: environmental, social and economic. “People tend to think about caring for the environment and often forget the social and economic aspects of sustainability,” she stated. 

Monsignor Joan Costa Bou remarked that “all religions have much to contribute, as we share a common home where we must all live together.” He emphasised, “Environmental concerns are among the topics where either we all agree, or there is no solution. We must come together, from those who suffer most to those who have the most, to safeguard the common good.”

The ideological dimension and social inequality

In this vein, Dr Carme Llasat recalled the obstacles faced by early advocates of sustainable practices: “In the 1980s, the first session was convened to discuss global warming, and already the first deniers appeared, often linked to fossil fuel industry lobbies,” she noted.  According to Dr Llasat, economic interests remain one of the major obstacles to be tackled today.

The discussion then turned to the difficulty of understanding sustainability from an individual perspective. “My decisions affect the planet; what I do or fail to do has repercussions on others and on future generations,” said Dr Sílvia Albareda, director of the Office for Sustainability and Cooperation at UIC Barcelona. The lecturer went on to remark on the lack of “meaningful incentives” for people to engage and understand the need to act in a certain way.

From an institutional perspective, Patricia de la Viesca introduced the ideological dimension of the concept. “It has often been associated with left-wing politics, when in fact it is a challenge that affects us all,” she asserted. “There are conflicting vectors within environmentalism itself; an action may be beneficial for reducing waste but perhaps not positive for water,” she illustrated.

During the participatory discussion, the experts introduced another key issue: social inequality. “A person with resources can afford to access climate refuges outside the city, for example,” noted Carme Llasat. Reflecting on this point, Dr Albareda and Monsignor Costa Bou stressed the importance of approaching sustainability from the perspective of the common good, moving away from “personal selfishness”.

The socio-enviromental challenges

The roundtable concluded with a question from the dean of the Faculty of Education Sciences, Enric Vidal, on the socio-environmental challenges we face. Dr Carme Llasat was unequivocal: “The main challenge is water – both the increase in dry periods causing droughts and the heavy rainfall.” Lecturer Sílvia Albareda highlighted the role of higher education institutions such as the University in promoting reduced consumerism and raising awareness of the importance of sustainability.