The students of the ICTA-UAB Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability attended the Castellet Castle -the headquarters of the UNESCO International Centre for Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves- today on the occasion of the inauguration of the new university course at the UAB Campus of Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves.

Taking advantage of the occasion and given the current environmental situation, the Abertis Foundation, in conjunction with the Ministry of Ecological Transition - through the Autonomous Body of Natural Parks - has promoted the Castellet Declaration for the Protection of Biodiversity, a manifesto to warn of the serious consequences that the current rate of biodiversity loss can have on the planet and on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

The declaration states that "biodiversity loss is one of today's most critical environmental problems, threatening the balance of ecosystems" and that "The Network of Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves is committed to sustainable development and the protection of biodiversity, while also strengthening relations between the countries of the Mediterranean region”.

The declaration concludes by stating that “Through the collaboration of the Reserves around the Mediterranean and the world, working towards the same end, we want to provide implementable solutions and encourage a shift in the model of society not only for the benefit of biodiversity and the planet, but for our very own”.

The Castellet Declaration was read by the manager of the Abertis Foundation, Ms. Georgina Flamme, this Thursday as part of the event, during a day in which Prof. Martí Boada, UAB researcher and scientific coordinator of the UNESCO Centre; Mr. Sergi Loughney, director of the Abertis Foundation, and Ms. Montserrat Fernández San Miguel, deputy director of the Autonomous Body of National Parks, also participated. Moreover, the ceremony was attended by two guest experts on biodiversity conservation, Dr. Jordi Serra-Cobo and Mr. Jordi Baucells.

In his speech to the young students, the director of the Abertis Foundation, Mr. Sergi Loughney, stressed that "we have to achieve a more sustainable world, where people live in coexistence with the planet" and encouraged companies "to follow this example and work towards the protection of the environment”.