Alberto Robles García

From an early age I have developed a passion for the environment, in all its forms and expressions. When I turned 18 I started working outside Spain, in natural environments, as a guide for nature sports activities. This allowed me to spend a lot of time in seas and rivers, often using a kayak as a means of transport. My awareness of nature only grew to the point that while I was studying at university I decided to form a student collective with some friends. This allowed me to carry out awareness-raising and citizen science activities. These included collecting plastic waste on the beaches of northern Spain and workshops on marine litter and the importance of the oceans.

Later on, I decided it was time to take a step in my professional career, and after finishing my studies in Law and Business Management, I travelled to Brussels to work for a year there with EUROPARC Federation, an NGO representing protected areas in Europe. There I developed the necessary knowledge to work on European policies on environmental conservation together with the European institutions. The next professional step was to work for 3 years for the French Ministry of Sports, developing international projects on sustainable tourism. One of them was the SEE Project, Sustainability and Environmental Education, to use sport as a tool to achieve environmental protection objectives. During that time, I also collaborated as communication coordinator of the youth-led European network Generation Climate Europe, coordinating the Biodiversity area and influencing European policies such as the new Natural Restoration Law.

In the new professional stage in which I find myself now, I work as Project Manager and Communications Manager for the European Adventure Sports Network, where we use sport as a tool to raise awareness and protect nature, as well as to promote a more inclusive, sustainable and active society. At the same time, this year I have started a Master in Ocean Governance at NOVA University in Lisbon, in order to continue acquiring the necessary knowledge to focus my career on the protection of the oceans.