King Felipe travelled to Bilbao to preside over the opening of the SUM Congress, a meeting designed to promote sustainable mobility and its potential implementation in the city.
Upon his arrival at Palacio de Congresos y de la Música Euskalduna Jauregia on Wednesday, 7 October, King Felipe was welcomed by the leader of the Basque Government Iñigo Urkullu, the President of the Basque Parliament Bakartxo Tejería, the Government Representative in the Autonomic Community of País Vasco Denis Itxaso, the Mayor of Bilbao Juan Mari Aburto, the President of Repsol Antonio Brufau, and the president of Petronor Emiliano López Atxurra. His Majesty travelled to Bilbao accompanied by the Minister of Transportation, Mobility and Urban Agenda Raquel Sánchez.
The monarch subsequently took his seat in the first row before some of the authorities were introduced for their speeches. The last person to intervene was the King, who, in his remarks, demonstrated once more how the topic of environmental protections is dear to his heart.
King Felipe stated, among many things, that Spain has “amazing infrastructures, not just physical, but also digital, such as 5G” and that “with the right focus, with the right technological solutions already being offered in projects related to vehicles and infrastructures, Spain can get the most from a transportation system that is already among the best.”
His Majesty also added that “with the cooperation of all public and private actors, we have to do everything possible to contribute to the minimisation that the climate crisis has for Spain; [we have to do this] for solidarity and responsibility.” He concluded his speech saying that “sustainable mobility implies energy efficiency and de-fueling of transportation. It implies as well alternatives to private vehicles that should have reasonable prices and be affordable for citizens. It means, in short, to prioritise less contaminated transport modes and take advantage of the advantages offered by technology to achieve smart management of different networks.”
Following the speeches, His Majesty moved outside, where he was given a tour of two prototypes of buses that run on sustainable energy sources: one runs on hydrogen, one is electric. After a brief meeting with some of the participants in the event, the official part of the trip was concluded, and King Felipe made his way to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, where he is expected to carry out a series of engagements.
2021 marks the second edition of SUM Bilbao, reuniting experts from all five continents to offer their expertise on all topics related to sustainability in public transport, from technological innovation to case studies from all around the globe. This year’s edition was focused on three main issues: energy transition, governance and financing, and mobility, digitalisation and innovation.
King Felipe has long been engaged in Spain’s fight against climate change and in the constant research of innovative solutions to give citizens better chances of still being able to enjoy the planet in a few decades from now, without compromising their daily life.
