Pere Navarro lays out the transformation process for Barcelona’s Free Trade Zone at the COP25 Climate Summit

• The special state delegate in the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) took part in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.

• Navarro explained the transformation underway in the Zona Franca de Barcelona free trade area toward a model of sustainability and green economy, with a deep commitment to the United Nations SDG.

Barcelona, 11 December 2019. The Special State Delegate in the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), Pere Navarro, participated in the COP25 Climate Summit, taking place from 2 December to 13 December on the IFEMA trade fair site in Madrid. Pere Navarro took part in a panel discussion about “Climate Innovation for the Energy Transition” moderated by Ilaria Vigo, Environmental Economist at Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), with fellow panellists Isadora Jiménez, Communication Specialist in BSC, Francisco Doblas-Reyes, Manager of the Scientific Department at BSC, and Asún Lera St. Chair, Expert in poverty, development and climate change at DNV GL. During his speech, Navarro explained the process of transformation taking place in the Zona Franca de Barcelona free trade zone into a space totally committed to the Sustainable Development Goals fixed in the United Nations Agenda 2030 and particularly toward a green economy model.

The special delegate of the State in the CZFB emphasised the many projects set in motion by the organisation, all of which aim to transform the Barcelona Free Trade Zone. In this regard, Pere Navarro said that “we are supporting technological innovation and digitalisation, which is beneficial to social wellbeing in the community. This year we opened the first high-tech 3D printing incubator in Europe for investigation and production. We are also building the Dfactory 4.0 building, the first phase of which we will open in 2020. This will measure 17,000 m2, but it is expected to end up occupying 90,000 m2. It will be a 21st century factory, with no noise or smoke, not harmful to the environment and will reduce pollution levels, an investment in the economy 4.0. The complex will house blockchain, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, IoT, robotics businesses, etc”.

Navarro also said that the CZFB is betting “on the circular economy and its benefits, as well as green mobility on the industrial estate and renewable energies”. In this regard, the CZFB is encouraging cooperation and synergies between companies through the circular economy to optimise all available resources in the territory. Likewise, there are charging stations for electric vehicles, the cycle lane on the estate will be lengthened to 6.5 km, it is encouraging car and bus sharing and working on pilot schemes for automatic cars and their connectivity with 5G, serving as a mobility and urban connectivity laboratory, to name but a few of the initiatives.

The Conference of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, which is currently taking place in Madrid, has brought together dozens of heads of state and government, environmental organisations, entrepreneurs and scientists. The COP25 Climate Summit expects to welcome around 25,000 representatives of 200 countries for 12 days to reach agreements and commitments between nations to combat the effects of climate change.

Click on photo1, photo2, y photo3 to download photographs of the special state delegate in the CZFB, Pere Navarro, while he made his presentation at the COP25 Climate Summit.