EUREKA 2019: Instigating cross-generational debate on the HVACR’s sector contribution to the UN SDGs
21/03/2019
Brussels, 21 March 2019: The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) and the European Ventilation Industry Association (EVIA) will host their third EUREKA conference on 11-12 June in Bruges, Belgium.
At a time when worldwide citizens and young people in particular are taking their concerns to the streets, demanding that governments act to prevent climate change, no-one can ignore the need to preserve our planet for future generations. On 15-16 March 2019, more than one million students took part in over 2000 protests in 125 countries around the world[1], all inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg – one of the main initiators of the protests.
Our industry, representing the Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration sector, has been ahead of the curve and has been listening to the concerns of younger generations as part of our EUREKA activities.
For the third consecutive year, EUREKA will include a cross-generation debate with young people to discuss how the HVACR sector can help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and explore wider HVACR sector challenges beyond sustainability, including skills, employment and gender participation. During EUREKA, industry representatives and students from across Europe, who one day would like to be part of this industry or to become tomorrow’s decision-makers, will get the chance to exchange views.
“EUREKA 2019 will take place in Bruges, in the premises of the College of Europe, which prepares young people to live and work in an increasingly integrated Europe, making them tomorrow’s European and world leaders. Young people from universities such as the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, the future leaders of our industry, will also be present,” said EPEE Director-General Andrea Voigt.
“This will be the perfect opportunity for different generations to exchange views on how we can combine efforts and address global challenges.”
Russell Patten, Secretary General of EVIA, said: “We have to ensure that regulatory changes, as well as the development of new technologies and solutions, fully encompass the expectations and needs of future generations. Our industry is deeply committed to make the future sustainable and the world a better place for our children. Fora like EUREKA are important because they help determine the best ways to achieve our goals for the future.”
EUREKA 2019’s programme will explore, among others, the need for sustainable technology and innovation for the SDGs, the transition towards smart and sustainable cities and territories, as well as the need for a reliable cold chain for healthy living and a skilled and gender-balanced workforce.
Launched in 2016 by EPEE and EVIA – two major European associations representing the heating, cooling and ventilation industry – the EUREKA project is a highly original concept dedicated to the role of the HVACR sector (Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration) for society and future generations. It provides a unique forum for cross-generation debates, enabling industry to continue innovating and meet even higher levels of comfort and sustainability.
The first edition of EUREKA took place in The Hague in 2016 and the second in Berlin in December 2017, both of which were followed by Roadshow events in Italy and Romania, a with further events planned into the future.
For more information, please visit our website
or contact us at: info@eureka-hvacr.eu
[1] Climate strikes held around the world – as it happened, 15 March 2019, The Guardian