It started with a dream come true and that stage has hosted a huge number of distinguished speakers, with a focus on global challenges and local responses.
From Joseph Stiglitz, economist and author of the bestseller The Price of Inequality, to Mary Robinson, the first woman president of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, an international leader in the field of sustainability.
From Francis Fukuyama, philosopher and economist, author of the celebrated The End of History, to Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2005, along with the International Atomic Energy Agency, of which he was Director-General. From Hans Rosling, a Swedish doctor and professor of public health who became famous for his TED Talks, in which he used the most interesting data visualisations to explore development issues to Iranian Shirin Ebadi, a lawyer and human rights activist, also a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2003.
Also, Edward Snowden, the CIA systems analyst now exiled in Russia after exposing secret US surveillance documents; Sergio Moro, the Brazilian judge made famous by leading the Lava-Jato operation, and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and the first woman in the office.
This year, the 7th edition of the event which, every two years over the last decade, has brought some of the greatest global leaders to Portugal to debate the issues that matter to everyone, was not far behind.
Day 1
So, under the theme “Rebalancing Our World: An Appeal to the Purpose Generation”, the Estoril Conferences were brought to Portugal, on the 1st and 2nd of September, with more than 70 speakers, divided into more than 40 sessions between the main stage and parallel sessions.
The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, presided over the opening session on 1 September, presenting a message for the generation of purpose. Then, it was the turn of Bertrand Piccard, entrepreneur and president of the Solar Impulse Foundation, to kick off the cycle of talks, with communication on “Pioneering spirit: the key to inventing the future”. .
The first panel of the day, which aimed to assess the limits already exceeded in terms of climate change, also included the participation of the indigenous advocate for Climate Justice and Human Rights, Helena Gualinga (Ecuador), and the co-founder of the Re-Earth Initiative Xiye Bastida (Mexico). This was followed by ‘The Earth is Talking: Now or Never, with the participation of the Director of Leaders for Global Sustainability at the University of Melbourne and Youth Ambassador of the Estoril Conferences, Linh Do (Australia), and Weza Bombo João (Angola), Youth Ambassador of the Estoril Conferences.
Assessing the way financial capitalism operates and sustainability, pointing future paths, was the great challenge set to the speakers of the second panel of the day “Financial Capitalism and Sustainability”, which also heard the head of the European Centre for Climate Change, of the European Central Bank, Irene Heemskerk (Netherlands), the Global Director of Corporate & Investment Banking of BBVA, Luisa Gómez (Spain), and the Governor of the Bank of Portugal, Mário Centeno.
On this first day, it was also time to highlight the importance of a global and cooperative vision for creating positive change. “Broadening Global Ambition: the journey to ‘Net Zero'” brought to the stage the President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Peter Bakker (Switzerland), and Race Director of the FIA Smart Driving Challenge, Tina Thörne (Sweden), who, with Vera Pinto Pereira, EDP Energias de Portugal & CEO EDP Comercial, and António Simões, CEO of Santander Spain and Regional Director for Europe, assessed ways to rebalance our world, making it more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful for all.
Chalmers University of Technology professor and Peniche Ocean Watch co-founder Robin Teigland (USA) closed the cycle of debates on the theme “PLANET”, presenting an analysis of how technology can increase the economic and social impact on the world.
DAY 2
On the second day, it was time to give voice to other themes. “The Power of Media and Technology”, “Resisting Populism”, “Global Cooperation for Peace” were some in analysis, bringing together recognized personalities such as the Geopolitics expert and professor at Nova SBE & Member of the Advisory Board of the Estoril Conferences, Paulo Portas, and the Executive Director of Amnesty International, Pedro Neto.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, closed the cycle of debates on the theme of Peace, with a message about the future.