The ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY FORUM concluded with outstanding results with the past decade’s highest figures: 14,548 professionals and nearly 200 companies

The 5th ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY FORUM (ESF 2024), organised by IFEMA MADRID, concluded on 20 June with the best figures recorded in the last 10 years. Growth was seen in all areas. The event attracted a total of 14,548 trade visitors, representing a 30% increase compared to the 2022 event. Furthermore, additional data shows favourable outcomes achieved in both participation and occupancy. With 187 companies (+8%) from 10 countries present, and a total exhibition area of 27,000 m2 and a net area of 11,667 m2 (+22%), the event demonstrated its continued success. Furthermore, the MADRID CITIES FORUM, the event’s key component, was attended by 1,200 people, plus 190 speakers from 50 Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American cities, who participated in 32 round-table discussions on 25 topics, which focused on three key areas: urban planning, re-naturalisation and the circular economy. 70 case studies were presented. These figures represent a record high for the event’s entire history.

On 18 June, the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, inaugurated the 5th ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY FORUM ESF 2024. This comprised the 21st International Urban Planning and Environment Fair, TECMA; the 8th International Recovery and Recycling Fair, SRR; and the 6th MADRID CITIES FORUM.

ESF 2024 has welcomed professionals from all 17 Autonomous Communities and the two Autonomous Cities in Spain, reflecting the growing importance of Andalusia, Catalonia, Valencian, the Basque Country and Castilla-La Mancha. The event attracted visitors from 48 countries internationally, representing an 8% increase compared to the 2022 event. 

In addition to the commercial exhibition, which showcased the latest technological solutions in the fields of urban planning and the environment, recycling, recovery and circular economy, the 5th ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY FORUM, ESF, hosted a packed schedule of professional meetings.

The CITIES FORUM will host 190 international speakers

The MADRID CITIES FORUM addressed several key issues to ensure a prosperous future for our cities. These included the action plans of the Urban Agendas and the 2030 SDGs, the European funds to finance urban development projects, urban adaptation and climate change mitigation, our cities’ re-naturalisation and the promotion and adaptation of green infrastructures, and the improvement process in the circular economy’s selective urban waste collection.

The FORUM was privileged to have Madrid City Council’s special collaboration, as well as the support of important sponsors such as FCC Medio Ambiente and PreZero España y Portugal (main sponsors), ecoembes -thematic-, and Metrovacesa and Crea Nuevo Norte (as session sponsors).

The MADRID CITIES FORUM hosted the second Tree Award ceremony. The winners were Las Rozas (Madrid) in the cities category with less than 100,000 inhabitants and Zaragoza in the cities category with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Furthermore, the Jury agreed to bestow a special mention upon Irapuato in Mexico.

The same stage was used to set up the Exhibition of Good Urban Practices, with the explanatory panels of the projects presented, and to present the Working Group on Circular Economy of the CITIES FORUM’s concluding document, coordinated by the UPM.

SRR: Busy Agenda of Major Meetings

Conversely, both SRR and TECMA have developed their own parallel technical conferences programme. The 21st National Recycling and Recovery Congress, organised by the Spanish Federation of Recovery, FER, and held on 19 and 20 June, was a particularly noteworthy event. It was attended by over 460 professionals. The conference addressed several key topics, including generational change in family businesses, talent management in times of uncertainty, the recycling of the future (digitalisation, automation, inter-company mergers and other aspects of the 5.0 company), and the market instability: weakness or opportunity?

Other events held in the SRR 2024 framework included the 10th National Meeting on the Management and Recycling of End-of-Life Vehicles, organised by the Spanish Association for the Environmental Treatment of End-of-Life Vehicles, SIGRAUTO, on 18 June, and the meeting of the Foreign Trade Institute, ICEX, where the internalisation of national projects and innovations was highlighted.

TECMA: 70 institutions and organisations recognised for their sustainability commitment

TECMA hosted the 9th awards ceremony for the Silver®, Gold® and Platinum® Broom Competition 2024, organised by ATEGRUS, the Technical Association for Waste Management and the Environment – ISWA National Member. These awards are open to municipalities, councils, associations of municipalities, companies providing services, engineering companies, consultancies, manufacturers of capital goods, waste management and urban cleaning facilities, universities, technology and training centres, etc. They recognise and reward actions taken to improve our environment and to commit to sustainability, rewarding efforts aimed at stimulating technological and awareness-raising advances to improve quality of life and protect the environment.

This year, the awards were presented to more than 70 cities and municipalities, including Burgos, Salamanca, Segovia, Valladolid, Gijon, Oviedo, Lugo, Orense, Vigo, Malaga, San Sebastian and Vitoria. Furthermore, numerous Latin American cities were recognised, with the majority being from Mexico. Other countries represented included Andorra, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, Peru and El Salvador.

The Standardisation 2024 conference, entitled "Sustainability reporting: how do UNE standards help in ESG reporting", was also held within the TECMA framework, organised by ATEGRUS.

Following the success of the ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY FORUM, ESF 2024, IFEMA MADRID is already working on this event’s sixth year, which will be held at its Recinto Ferial from 9 to 11 June 2026. The event will include the 22nd International Urban Planning and Environment Fair, TECMA; the 9th International Recovery and Recycling Fair, SRR; and the 7th MADRID CITIES FORUM.