Energy and Sustainability: alternatives and future challenges

On Monday 28 March, Leather Cluster Barcelona organised, together with the Bioenergy Cluster of Catalonia (CBC), a session at the Adoberia Bella to explore alternatives relating to energy and sustainability, both to find solutions to current setbacks and to address future challenges.

The CBC is a non-profit association that represents the professional bioenergy sector in Catalonia and whose aim is to promote the sustainable use of bioenergy in Catalonia. It brings together 80 leading companies and bodies in Catalonia, from the public sector, the private sector and the third sector. In total, they account for more than 80% of the entire sector’s turnover and it is therefore already a significant body that is sufficiently representative of the whole, and is now the leading Bioenergy Cluster in Southern Europe.

The event brought together professionals from different fields who presented content, initiatives and projects to help broaden knowledge about sustainable energy alternatives, efficient use and funding channels for installations.

The following speakers took part in the session:

• Marc Cortina of Clúster Bioenergia Catalunya
• Nuria Rubió of Powen
• Oriol Barber of Dekra Industrial
• Abraham Muñoz of Gadic
• Pau Hernández of Banco Santander
• Xavier Alós of Novalia Sinergie

During the speakers’ contributions, topics addressed included the influence of the geopolitical situation on the outlook for energy supply and future trends, the analysis of the different sustainable energies in environmental and economic terms, the assessment of the pros and cons of the different sustainable energies (wind, solar, biomass, …), the case of biomass as bioenergy and a decarbonisation resource, the options for financing investments, and the importance of using sustainable energy in audits and in client and government requirements, among others.

The session ended with a debate and subsequent networking between those attending and the speakers, with various Leather Cluster Barcelona members interested in exploring the information and proposals in greater depth in order to take a step forward in implementing sustainable energy at their business facilities.

Leather Cluster Barcelona is an environment of competitive cooperation for promoting cross-cutting, transformative strategic projects with the aim of driving forward the ecosystem of the Catalan leather sector. The cluster is an accredited body within the Catalonia Clusters programme and has the support of Acció.

Committed to sustainable fashion, the circular economy and shared value, Leather Cluster Barcelona brings together 55 companies and players with an aggregate turnover of more than 550 million euros that employ some 1,800 workers, spanning everything from livestock farming and the food industry, tanneries, universities and research, through to chemistry, sustainability, design, leather manufacturing and fashion.