Dr. Sílvia Albareda, a professor in the Faculty of Education and the Director of the UIC Barcelona Office of Sustainability, participated in a roundtable discussion on Laudato Si’, the new encyclical by Pope Francis on the environment. The event was organized by the Social Media Delegation of the Archdiocese of Barcelona.
Sílvia Albareda, who is also the Coordinator of the UIC Barcelona research group University Sustainability and Social Responsibility (SIRSU), pointed out that the ecological conversion called for by the Pope involves “rejecting reductionist perspectives that are unable to analyse the consequences of actions and the need to move on to a global, planetary vision”. She also reiterated the Pope's words by saying, "The poor and vulnerable are and will be the most affected by environmental problems and global warming”.
In addition to Prof. Albareda from the UIC Barcelona, the other participants in the roundtable discussion were Enrique Tufet, a lawyer specializing in business management, and Patrícia de la Viesca, a biologist and air quality technician.
Tufet discussed the idea of creating a specific court for environmental crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Patrícia Viesca discussed the encyclical's treatment of pollution and climate change as causes of social degradation and the deterioration of human life.
The discussion was held at the former head offices of La Vanguardia newspaper, which is now the Catalonia Rambles Hotel.
