Recognizing the University of Miami as a leading force in the development of solutions for a sustainable future throughout the hemisphere and beyond, Premios Verdes (The Green Awards), has selected the University as the site for its first-ever conference in the United States.
The event, which aims to inspire and educate the community and businesses on how to build a better, more resilient planet, will take place April 20-24 in the Fieldhouse at the Watsco Center.
Latin America’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainability, Premios Verdes has received more than 17,700 awards entries from 1,144 cities and 43 countries since its founding in Ecuador in 2013. Each year, a distinguished jury representing such global sustainability leaders as the United Nations Development Programme, National Geographic, World Wildlife Fund, and World Green Building Council, selects the 500 best social and environmental projects in Latin America.
“Welcoming Premios Verdes onto our campus during Earth Week will help to continue inspiring a community of innovators, including those on our campus who are eager to find solutions to the impacts of climate change,” said Jeffrey Duerk, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.
Jose Javier Guarderas, CEO of Premios Verdes, explained that the goal for Premios Verdes is to be the world’s largest platform for fostering sustainable businesses throughout the planet.
“By doing so, we aim to create a greener economy that will help combat climate change, the deforestation of lands, elimination of species, and more,” he said. “The University has an extensive history in their mission to safeguard the environment, and by coming together, we hope to exponentially grow our shared commitments to being socio-environmentally responsible and impacting changes within the South Florida community and beyond.”
During Earth Week, the University community will be invited to a series of keynote addresses and conferences, as well as an exposition at the Fieldhouse, where startup companies from throughout Latin America will present their sustainability projects. The contestants are finalists with initiatives related to eight categories aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and 19 subcategories that span a variety of themes, including public policy, waste, biodiversity, cities, communication, human development, economics, and energy.
“It will be exciting for our students and me to learn about all of the green startups, with their new ideas and technologies,” said David Kelly, director of the sustainable business master’s degree program at the Miami Herbert Business School. “Latin America has vast natural capital and biodiversity and, in many places, generates a large percentage of power from renewable sources. Companies across Latin America are recognizing that sustainable development is not only good for the environment, it is also good for business. Premios Verdes has been a leader in this area for many years.”
To facilitate future collaboration, the University recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Premios Verdes to continue developing partnerships that further academic research and innovations related to sustainability.
“Continuing a collaboration with Premios Verdes in education and research will propel success that transcends geographic borders, building our capacity to respond to some of the world’s most pressing problems involving our Earth, as is also evident by our emerging Climate Resilience Academy,” said Duerk.
“As we move forward, we hope to continue creating long-lasting partnerships with the University and Miami wherein Premios Verdes can continue to help promote the growth of thousands of green businesses here in the U.S., as we have for years in Latin America,” said Guarderas.
For more information, visit http://premiosverdes.org/en/
