Introducing the SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting: ¡Bienvenidos a Sevilla!
Jose Julio Ortega Calvo, SETAC Seville Scientific Committee Chair, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia and Roel Evens, SETAC Europe
It's only been two months since we successfully concluded the SETAC Europe 33rd Annual Meeting in Dublin, where we welcomed over 2,600 attendees (onsite and remotely) to an astonishing and wide-ranging , which will remain accessible for registered participants on the virtual platform until 4 August.
With one annual meeting ending, we are now embarking on a new journey, as SETAC Europe turns their energies to the SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting, which will be held from 5–9 May 2024 and heading towards warmer atmospheres in Seville, Spain. Although this may seem like a long way off, meeting organization is already taking form and intensive program preparations are already ongoing. This comes with exciting opportunities for you, as the call for session proposals is now open!
Meeting Theme
This year’s meeting theme is “Science-based Solutions in Times of Crisis: Integrating Science and Policy for Environmental Challenges.” The conference aims to highlight the demand for new science-based solutions to many of the challenges lying ahead of us. How can we ensure environmental quality and long-term sustainable solutions in our post-pandemic world, with compounding crises such as food production, cost of living and armed conflict?
SETAC researchers are trying to tackle daunting challenges that include the re-design of the agri-food chain, countering biodiversity loss, changes in land use and coastal ecosystems and new regulatory frameworks encouraging sustainable innovations in the chemical industry. Environmental science can contribute to understanding some of these changes, for example by realistic risk assessment of chemical pollution in soil and water (i.e., by incorporating state-of-the-art of bioavailability concepts), by determining the environmental safety of recycled materials, as well as by evaluating the life cycle of new products and processes and their effects on the ecosystem services. Integrative approaches are needed, that not only to address the new potential risks, but to identify renewable solutions to protect natural resources, following the principles of the European Green Deal.
The meeting theme complements SETAC’s mission and strategy. State-of-the-art environmental approaches should tackle the associated environmental safety concerns; sustainability aspects and remediation options for chemical pollution should occur at a global scale in times of crisis. The global dimension of SETAC and its adherence to multisector co-operation and communication between academic, industrial and regulatory stakeholders ensures an appropriate platform for discussing these environmental issues. With approximately 1,500 members from all around Europe, global thinking finds its best place in SETAC Europe, the biggest environmental community of our continent.
Host City
Pursuing geographical diversity in annual meeting destinations has brought the annual meeting back to Seville, Spain. Located in a region with a high vulnerability to climate change, and, simultaneously, a rich biodiversity and abundant natural resources, including areas of important ecological relevance for preservation, Seville and Andalusia are exceptional places for assessing environmental challenges and collaborating on scientific solutions.
In addition, Seville is one of the most attractive places in the world, with both historical and social appeal. Located in the valley of the River Guadalquivir, Seville was home to Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, before being settled by the Romans and later the Arabs (for more than 500 years). In the 16th century, Seville was the port of departure and arrival for tough journeys to South America. In the 17th century, it was the home of famous creative painters, including Velazquez, Murillo and Pacheco, who made major artistic contributions to the world during difficult economic times. More recently, two World Fairs, the Expositions of 1929 and 1992, contributed to shaping modern Seville. Today, the record of this vast historical heritage can be seen in many places all over the city–113 buildings have been declared as sites of cultural interest and Seville has three UNESCO buildings.
Meeting participants will enjoy a rich social life full of engaging personal interactions, incredible flamenco, folk, and modern music, and culinary treats unlike any other in the world, including the best tapas in Spain. Mild temperatures and sunny weather are typical of spring in Seville, making it the best season to visit the city. Since the last time our community visited Seville in 2010, the city built a new congress center (FIBES 2), which is ISO-qualified for management standards of quality, environmental protection and sustainability, and capable of hosting the growing number of participants and exhibitors who attend SETAC Europe annual meetings.
With a 'hot' location and a trending scientific theme, we think you would agree that the SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting has almost all the boxes checked for delivering a world-class scientific meeting, yet one thing is lacking…your contribution. SETAC members are the essential protagonists of our meeting stories; your involvement shapes the scientific content of this meeting. The call for session proposals is open, and we warmly appeal to you to start drafting your session proposals on the topics covered in the meeting theme and tracks. The submission deadline is 15 August.
¡Nos vemos en mayo de 2024!
