PONTREMOLI, Italy, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — vivo and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme have brought the 2026 Capture the Future: Global Youth Storytelling Initiative for People and Nature to its final chapter with a five-day Co-Creation Camp in the Appennino Tosco Emiliano Biosphere Reserve, held from August 31 to September 5 and bringing together 15 young creators from around the world.

Selected through the initiative’s global open call, the students, young photographers and visual storytellers came together in Italy to explore the relationship between people and nature through immersive field experiences, expert-led sessions and collaborative visual storytelling. Using vivo smartphones, they created original photo essays and short films.

From a global call to a shared creative journey

Launched by vivo and UNESCO MAB in March 2026, Capture the Future invited young people to share visual stories about the relationship between people and nature in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. The global call received 745 submissions from young people in 98 countries, with stories linked to more than 120 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves across the World Network.

The initiative’s reach extended beyond the global call as well. In April, a series of capacity-building workshops brought visual storytelling and the people-and-nature theme to students from Penang Hill in Malaysia to the University of Alexandria in Egypt, before culminating in a session at the University of Milan — engaging more than 600 students.

The Co-Creation Camp marked the culmination of this year-long journey. Guided by a multidisciplinary mentor team including vivo imaging expert Keshav Chugh, UNESCO MAB communication specialist Manoel Giffoni, ZEISS Ambassador Solli Kanani and award-winning film director Marko Roth, the 15 selected creators explored the landscapes, biodiversity, traditions and communities of the Appennino Tosco Emiliano Biosphere Reserve, turning their observations and experiences into original visual stories.

“This experience allowed me to capture my impressions of the past, the present and the future of the Biosphere Reserves. We all found a common meaning within different realities and this connection will stay deep in my heart.”
— Lea Meny, Germany

“What touched me most was their curiosity, openness, and strong connection to their own places and communities. Many of their stories are deeply personal, while also connected to bigger questions about nature, culture, and the future.”
— Solli KANANI, Co-Creation Camp Mentor

From local stories to a global audience

On September 5, the Camp closed with an exhibition and screening event, during which participants presented their visual works to local audiences. The stories created during the Camp will continue their journey beyond Italy, with selected works to be shared through vivo and UNESCO MAB’s global platforms. A documentary will also capture the creative journey and experiences of the young storytellers.

From the global open call and campus workshops to the Co-Creation Camp, Capture the Future has created a platform for young people to observe, create, and share stories about people and nature. As the initiative continues, the work of the visual storytellers will continue to connect local experiences to a global conversation about a more sustainable future.

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BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), the leading international event on cities and smart urban solutions organized by Fira de Barcelona, will hold its 2026 edition from November 3 to 5 at Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, bringing together 1,000 cities, more than 25,000 attendees, over 1,000 exhibitors and 600 speakers. Under the theme “Urban Solutions, Real Impact,” this year’s edition will place special focus on housing, one of the most pressing challenges facing cities worldwide, while showcasing technologies designed to deliver tangible, scalable impact.

The congress program is structured around seven tracks — Enabling Technologies, Energy & Environment, Mobility, Governance & Economy, Living & Inclusion, Infrastructure & Building, and Blue Economy — spanning digital transformation, artificial intelligence, green energy, governance and social equity.

Over 600 experts will take part in the sessions, including Nikolas Badminton, Chief Futurist and Think Tank leader at Futurist.com, who will share his vision on the future of cities. An artificial intelligence expert, Badminton helps companies and institutions build strategic foresight capabilities, identify the trends shaping the world, anticipate unforeseen risks, and prepare for complex, evolving environments through long-term thinking and scenario planning.

Ayumi Moore Aoki, founder of Women in Tech Global, will also participate in the congress. Her work focuses on the importance of diversity and inclusion as key drivers of innovation in the urban context. Moore Aoki underscores how inclusive leadership can support sustainable urban development at scale. The conference also features Bibiana Aido of UN Women, Bilel Jamoussi of the ITU, and Chiara Corazza of the Women’s Economic Forum, among others.

SCEWC will host the first edition of HOWS Barcelona, a new housing world summit that will focus on topics such as urban planning and land policy, housing regulation, social and affordable housing, and building renovation and reuse, opening a debate on the foundations of a new residential paradigm.

The exhibition floor will host global companies including Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Dell Technologies and Deutsche Telekom IoT, alongside a wide range of country and city pavilions and the new “Terra50” showcase, unveiling the world’s top 50 sustainability solutions in the urban field.

SCEWC 2026 will run jointly with Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress, Tomorrow.Blue Economy, HOWS Barcelona, Barcelona Deep Tech Summit, and Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress, consolidating Barcelona as a global meeting point for urban innovation this November.

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SLUISKIL, Netherlands, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Europe’s largest industrial carbon capture facility was officially inaugurated today at Yara’s plant in Sluiskil, the Netherlands. The project establishes the first complete cross-border value chain for capturing, transporting and permanently storing CO₂ (CCS).

The inauguration was marked by the presence of Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra, and President and CEO of Yara International, Svein Tore Holsether.

“This is an important day for Yara and for European industry. The carbon capture facility in Sluiskil proves that large-scale industrial decarbonization is possible today. As global competition intensifies, Europe must find ways to cut emissions while keeping industry, jobs and critical value chains in Europe. That is exactly what this project is about,” says Svein Tore Holsether, President and CEO of Yara International.

Yara Sluiskil, Europe’s largest ammonia and fertilizer plant can capture and liquefy up to 800,000 tons of CO₂ annually from ammonia production thereby avoiding carbon taxation on these volumes. The CO₂ will be transported by ship to Norway, where it will be permanently stored beneath the seabed by Northern Lights.

With the right framework conditions in place, the project is expected to capture and store around 12 million tons of CO₂ over the next 15 years, making a significant contribution to European climate goals and industrial transformation.

A strategic investment in Europe’s industrial future

CCS is a critical part of the climate solution for energy-intensive industries, but also an important enabler of Europe’s industrial competitiveness. The technology makes it possible to reduce emissions from energy intensive industries like fertilizers, ammonia, cement and waste management while maintaining production, jobs and value creation in Europe.

“Europe needs practical climate solutions that deliver real emissions reductions while strengthening industrial competitiveness. The carbon capture and storage project at Sluiskil shows what is possible when innovation and cross-border cooperation come together. This is exactly the kind of project Europe needs to combine climate ambition with a strong and resilient industrial base,” says Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth.

The project demonstrates how cooperation across value chains and national borders can unlock substantial emissions reductions in European industry. It also shows how shared infrastructure can help accelerate industrial decarbonization by enabling companies across Europe to access permanent CO₂ storage solutions.

“This is a milestone we have been looking forward to. We are proud to start operations together with Yara and to see the agreement signed in 2023 become reality. Together, we are demonstrating that capture and cross-border CO₂ transport and storage is a viable solution for European industry. This is an important step in the development of Europe’s carbon management market and shows what is possible when industry and governments work together to build the infrastructure needed for Europe’s transition,” says Tim Heijn, Managing Director of Northern Lights.

Key facts about Yara and Northern Lights’ CCS project

Yara Sluiskil will capture up to 800,000 tons of CO₂ annually from ammonia productionThe CO₂ will be liquefied and temporarily stored at Yara SluiskilNorthern Lights vessels will transport the CO₂ to Øygarden, NorwayThe CO₂ will be permanently stored 2,600 meters below the seabed by Northern LightsThe project is expected to capture and store approximately 12 million tons of CO₂ over 15 years

Driving low-carbon products and value chains

CCS enables Yara to further reduce the carbon footprint of its production and support low-carbon value chains across agriculture, industry, energy and shipping, including:

Low-carbon fertilizers to support more sustainable food productionLow-carbon ammonia for industrial applications and clean energy solutionLow-carbon fuels for the maritime sector

For more information about Yara’s carbon capture facility in Sluiskil, please visit yara.com to access the press kit: Carbon Capture and Storage | Yara International.

About Yara

Yara is a global leader in crop nutrition and ammonia with a mission to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet.

Yara operates a global, flexible production system that delivers a diversified portfolio of nitrogen-based products. With our extensive global market reach and more than a century of agronomic knowledge and continuous innovation, we partner across the value chain to improve crop yields, optimize resource use, and reduce environmental impact.

Through diversified energy exposure and profitable decarbonization efforts, Yara is uniquely positioned to strengthen industrial competitiveness and create long-term value for customers, shareholders, employees, and society at large.

Founded in Norway in 1905, Yara operates in over 60 countries and serves more than 140 markets, employing about 15,700 people. In 2025, Yara reported revenues of USD 15.7 billion.

For more information, visit yara.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook or Instagram.

Media contact
Kaia Jarlsby
M: +47 977 94 088
E: kaia.jarlsby@yara.com 

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