NEW CONCEPTS AND APPLIED PRACTICES IN SUSTAINABILITY

Green Cross International’s roots can be traced back to President Mikhail Gorbachev’s time in office as Head of State of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, a period during which he spoke repeatedly about the interrelated threats humanity and our Earth face from nuclear arms, chemical weapons, unsustainable development, and the man-induced decimation of the planet’s ecology. The first Green Cross National Organizations (GCNOs) formally joined GCI in The Hague, The Netherlands, in the Spring of 1994. These included Japan, The Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, and the United States. Today, the Green Cross network operates in more than 30 countries. Green Cross International enjoys consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. GCI is an admitted observer organization with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.  It also cooperates directly with the UNEP/OCHA Environmental Emergencies Section, UN-HABITAT and other international organizations. Green Cross partners with FuturED to develop projects and courses that contribute to climate change and sustainable development, since without education there is no possible disruptive change. The main challenges they face are not resolved only with good science, but rather a change is necessary through knowledge and awareness, appealing to the analytical capacity of the individual and the social awareness of change. The alliance and cooperation brings them closer to common goals in pursuit of a sustainable future.

Pablo Corroto Pradillo is an experienced Architect having graduated from the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (ETSAM) and Advanced Architecture in Ecological Structures at Institute of Advanced Architecture (IAAC-UPC). With an imaginative and analytical personality that delivers strong projects and graphics throughout the project planning and implementation process. Demonstrated experience in working on international projects with cross-cultural teams, in many countries such as Spain, Japan and China. Perhaps the only Spaniard alive who can keep pace with the Japanese work schedule or Chinese “business way”. High-pressure situations and tight deadlines are his everyday routine while retaining his cheerful state of mind and super fly fashion sense to sell whatever you give him to sell. Architecture for him is a mean of investigating the development of cultures, influencing social behaviour while having the priority on the engineering and functionality component of its application, without forgetting the importance of entrepreneurship and the sale of a profitable product for both a commercial promoter and a private-public client.