Parma, May 6, 2026 - From 18 to 22 May, the Sustainable Development Festival returns to Parma with five days of events dedicated to environmental and social issues, all linked by the common thread of sustainability and the UN 2030 Agenda — the action plan adopted in 2015 by 193 United Nations member states, including Italy — and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Promoted nationally by the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS), the Festival aims to raise awareness and engage citizens, businesses and institutions in addressing the challenges of economic, social and environmental sustainability.
In Parma, the Festival is organized by the University of Parma with the patronage and collaboration of the City of Parma, RUS - Network of Universities for Sustainable Development, the EU GREEN Alliance, the University's Media Center CAPAS and the support of Crédit Agricole Italia.
The Festival was presented today at the ParmaUniverCity Info Point, with contributions from our Rector Paolo Martelli, Councillor for Environmental, Energy and Mobility Sustainability of the City of Parma Gianluca Borghi, from the Deputy Rector for Third Mission (University and Society) Fabrizio Storti and Festival coordinator for the University and researcher in Cinema, Photography, Radio, Television and Digital Media Paolo Villa.
The Festival will take the form of a rich mosaic of events combining academic research and public participation. Overall, the programme will feature more than 15 events, including film screenings, conferences, workshops, seminars, presentations and public discussions, taking place both within the University and across the city, extending the initiative to a wide range of venues.
This year’s theme in Parma will be “Biodiversity”. The scientific core of the Festival will focus on biodiversity conservation and Citizen Science, with the aim of directly involving local school students and members of the public in the study of urban ecosystems.
The official opening will take place on Monday 18 May at 11:30 a.m. at the Sant’Elisabetta Centre on the Science and Technology Campus, with the presentation of the Festival and the inauguration of the University of Parma Hydrometeorological Observatory. Opening remarks will be delivered by Rector Paolo Martelli, a representative of the Municipality of Parma, Deputy Rector Fabrizio Storti and Festival coordinator Paolo Villa.
This will be followed by a focus on the Hydrometeorological Observatory, which will also provide an opportunity to remember Guglielmo Zanella, former University professor and Director of the Climatology Laboratory at the Science and Technology Campus, a pioneer in climate change and global warming studies. Speakers will include Maria Cecilia Zanella, daughter of Professor Zanella; climatologist Luca Mercalli, joining remotely Fulvio Celico, Director of the Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability; Marco D’Oria from the Department of Engineering and Architecture; and Cinzia Alessandrini, Head of the ARPAE Climate Observatory Office.
Events throughout the Festival will include special “Knowledge Aperitifs” on AI and smart cities, the Chernobyl disaster forty years on, and the plastics of the future; workshops with schools; an international conference on environmental law between Italy and Latin America; a discussion on the River Po and its ecosystems; meetings on photovoltaics and optical networks; the presentation of the book The Climate of Information; a round table on social justice; the screening of the film Le Terre alte; and much more.
Thanks to a workshop involving students and the association 24FPS, organiser of the Insostenibile Festival, together with ConCorto Film Festival and the National Industrial Cinema Archive of Ivrea, held at the University of Parma’s CAPAS Centre (Centre for Arts and Performing Professions), a selection of documentaries and short films has been curated for screening during the Festival.
The Festival’s main objective remains to spread awareness and responsibility regarding sustainability as widely as possible and, in doing so, contribute to a genuine cultural and political shift.
Although the transition towards a more sustainable future is underway, greater efforts are still needed to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda. With only four years remaining until the deadline, the target is still far from being reached. Institutions, businesses, schools, universities, associations, the third sector, the world of communication and information, and individual citizens must all make a concrete contribution within a systemic approach founded above all on awareness of the current situation and the urgency of taking action.
All Festival events are free of charge and open to anyone interested.
Full Programme
Info
U.O. Rapporti con il Territorio, Sport e Public Engagement - uopublicengagement@unipr.it
