How can we combat climate change?

Now is the time to act. The movement towards a more sustainable world began years ago, initiated by activists, environmentally-conscious companies, and entrepreneurs who aimed to enhance the planet by reducing the devastating consequences of climate change.

This is the case of Luis Prieto, founder of MadBlue and the foundation Fundación Piel de Atún, who we will now have the opportunity to meet.

Entrepreneur Luis Prieto relocated to San Francisco, California in 2011 to participate in various startup innovation projects. These projects exposed him to a nature-centric way of living, prompting him to study business models and community initiatives with a vital purpose of promoting environmental conservation across different disciplines and industries. Upon returning to Spain in 2016, he established Piel de Atún, an organization that promotes a collective awareness movement to combat and alleviate the effects of climate change and the loss of biodiversity and marine life. Piel de Atún promotes the sustainable use of terrestrial and marine ecosystems within the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The foundation supports projects that promote technological innovation to contribute to the climate transition, decarbonization, and reforestation efforts. Additionally, the foundation seeks to preserve national parks and their ecosystems, protect marine diversity, and promote sustainable practices.

The foundation is based on three pillars: projects, partnerships, and, starting from 2019, MadBlue, which is the most significant annual event in innovation, science, and culture focused on sustainable development.

Every year in Madrid, MadBlue presents an extensive program of conferences, debates, experiences, entertainment, and company presentations that showcase innovative and impactful ideas to change the way we live and work.

In the latest edition, they successfully brought together more than 70 startups with innovative and disruptive solutions in the areas of clean energy, food security, smart cities and social impact.

“The event has been successful, and we focused primarily on facilitating transactions so that these projects can obtain financing from investment funds or venture capitalists and connect with supporting entities, including public and private accelerators, and programs such as the Patio Project of the Community of Madrid, as well as the grants from the European Investment Bank.”. Our role is to facilitate collaboration between various stakeholders and promote businesses that offer solutions to modern-day environmental challenges.” This is what the founder Luis Prieto says about the 2023 edition.

MadBlue aims to promote various disciplines for the environmental cause by connecting startups with innovative production, economic, and social models to public and private entities capable of supporting the growth and implementation of these sustainable business models in society. Startups seeking a sustainable business model can secure financing through our platform.

We must find a way to align the current economic system with the delicate natural ecosystem. This would involve making environmental conservation profitable and tax-deductible, as stated by Luis Prieto. This is Luis Prieto’s view on how to promote the creation of sustainable businesses.

According to Luis Prieto, it is crucial for each person to consume responsibly. Choosing sustainable brands alone may not be enough; we also need to ensure sustainable consumption. Education also plays a critical role. The media, press, and schools should provide a platform for sustainability experts and scientists.

Currently, there is a lot of ambiguity, and limited reliable information can give people a false impression that their individual actions won’t make a difference. But this is not the case; by consciously altering our consumption patterns and favoring certain products over others, we can determine the viability of companies whose business model makes a significant contribution to fighting climate change.

MAPFRE continues to work to offer products that respect both the environment and current needs.  We developed a clear biodiversity strategy with targets for 2030 and day-to-day actions in favor of the circular economy and recycling. Additionally, our innovation center conducts extensive research into novel sustainable living solutions.

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