The Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Bauhaus Earth are organizing “Reconstructing the future for people and planet,” a conference held 9-10 June 2022 in Vatican City, Italy, as part of the Festival of the New European Bauhaus.

The New European Bauhaus was launched last year by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. President von der Leyen will address participants at the Vatican conference and explain how the New European Bauhaus and the European Green Deal facilitate the pursuit of sustainability and social inclusion principles.

Dr. Andreja Kutnar, InnoRenew CoE director and professor at the University of Primorska, will talk about building materials and the benefits they bring to sustainable construction and the sustainable development of society.

Currently, society is dealing with a crisis and pressing sustainability issues, global warming, biodiversity loss and social inequality. The built environment must be added to these issues as it is an important part of the climate crisis. The construction sector accounts for approximately 40 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, this sector offers an opportunity and a solution by using more natural and renewable materials in the built environment to reduce this percentage significantly.

“It is a great honor for me to be presenting at the conference, together with high representatives of the European Commission and international experts, about the further development of the built environment in Europe and beyond,” Dr. Andreja Kutnar said.

In addition to President von der Leyen and other high-level representatives, the conference will feature a number of international experts, such as Dr. Joachim von Braun, President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Cardinal Peter Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Dr. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, co-founder of Bauhaus Earth and Ambassador of the New European Bauhaus high-level roundtable.

The conference will be streamed on Zoom.

In addition, representatives of InnoRenew CoE and the University of Primorska will also participate in the COST Connect event, which will take place simultaneously in Brussels as part of the Festival.

Dr. Iztok Šušteršič will join a wide range of stakeholders, from researchers and innovators to policymakers and eminent experts, in discussing how to bring together different sectors of society, culture, education, science and architecture to co-create a sustainable future. The event aims to talk about overcoming global challenges with local solutions and, in doing so, achieving ambitious climate goals.

On 12 June 2022, the Festival’s last day, InnoRenew CoE will conclude its festivities in Izola with a Wood4Bauhaus event at 17:30. Dr. Andreja Kutnar and Uwe Kies, Secretary General of Innovawood, will summarize the discussion that took place at the Vatican conference and highlight healthy and climate-friendly construction with wood. The institute’s researchers will demonstrate how science and art can be linked using the example of music and acoustics.

InnoRenew CoE will also host the Charm of Wood traveling exhibition, which will be hosted at the InnoRenew CoE building until the end of June. On 13 June, participants will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the institute’s building and see its state-of-the-art analytical equipment for innovation and new building product development.

You are kindly invited to join the event in Izola and reflect on today’s important issues and a sustainable, inclusive and beautiful future for society.