The Donostia Sustainability Forum rolls out the 2026 sustainability agenda
Kutxa Fundazioa joins the network of promoters, marking the start of a new phase to consolidate and grow the project.
The Donostia Sustainability Forum (DSF) has unveiled its activities for the first half of 2026; the aim is to continue driving reflection, knowledge and action around sustainability. This forum – which each year sees it going from strength to strength – is asserting its role as a participatory space open to citizens, professionals and institutions, as it fosters a strategic dialogue on the social and green transition in Donostia/San Sebastián and Gipuzkoa.
Between January and June, the DSF is organising different open activities with an interdisciplinary approach and focused on today’s main challenges; strategic issues – such as urban planning, marine ecosystem, waste management, global health or the bio-ethical perspective – will be addressed, and with the emphasis always on rigorous dissemination based on science and knowledge.
Open activities - First half of 2026
→22 January: "Rewilding Cities for Climate Change Adaptation"
Salvador Rueda, urban ecologist and president and director of the Urban and Territorial Ecology Foundation.
→5 February: ‘Sentinels of the Sea: Understanding Marine Mammal Health Through Strandings Data’
Rebecca Von Hellfeld, researcher at Aberdeen University.
→12 March: ‘Waste: We do not want to see it, but it is here’
Iñaki Susaeta, IHOBE environmental technician.
→26 March: Feminised Wish: The Environment and Underwater Sex”
Ibon Cancio, professor of Cellular Biology at the University of the Basque Country’s Plentzia Marine Research Centre (PiE-EHU).
→23 April: ‘Oceanic Culture and Blue Schools in the Basque Country’
Maria C. Uyarra, AZTI senior researcher.
→7 May: ‘One Planet, One Health, One Microbiome: A Holistic Approach to Antimicrobial Resistance’
Itziar Alkorta, Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of the Basque Country.
All the sessions are free of charge and open to the public; they can be followed either in-person or online; however, people need to register beforehand. They will all begin at 6.00 p.m. Full information is available at www.donostiasustainabilityforum.eus.
Kutxa Fundazioa strengthens the partner network
In 2026, the Donostia Sustainability Forum has taken a significant step forward with Kutxa Fundazioa joining its partner network.
Kutxa Fundazioa’s decision to sign up to the project – which has the backing of Donostia/San Sebastián City Council and Gipuzkoa Provincial Government – bolsters the DSF and provides a sounder base to address future challenges, by strengthening the cooperation between local stakeholders and ensuring greater capacity to roll out initiatives around sustainability.
Kutxa Fundazioa focuses its work on fostering the wellbeing of Gipuzkoa’s society by means of driving initiatives that bolster sustainability, knowledge and social cohesion. It joining the Donostia Sustainability Forum is part of that vision, as it reinforces the foundation’s commitment to generating spaces to foster analysis, awareness and active participation regarding the territory’s social and environmental challenges.
Kutxa Fundazioa’s involvement in the project’s champion network is coherent with its priority lines of action, focused on supporting proposals that combine innovation, sustainability and community development. The foundation is thus helping to consolidate a local ecosystem capable of driving long-term transformative solutions, by strengthening the collective capacities of Donostia/San Sebastián and Gipuzkoa to face the challenges of the future.
What is the Donostia Sustainability Forum?
The Donostia Sustainability Forum was set up in 2020 with the aim of fostering the strategic debate about sustainability in San Sebastián and Gipuzkoa. Right from the start, the DSF has sought to bring scientific knowledge and practical experience to citizens; bring local and international experts to Donostia/San Sebastián; and to strengthen a sustainability culture from a constructive and critical perspective.
The University of the Basque Country’s Summer Course Foundation (UIK) was a driving force in its setting up in 2020; since then, the DSF has organised dozens of outreach courses and lectures with leading speakers. The commitment of the champions has underpinned the success of the project. The forum is now embarking on a new stage with Kutxa Fundazioa joining its ranks.
Invitation to all citizens
The Donostia Sustainability Forum invites all citizens to take part in the open activities organised during the first half of 2026. The sustainability challenges affect us all and its solutions must also be found based on dialogue, knowledge and working together.
