Deliberations on space sustainability at the Paris Peace Forum 2023

On November 10th and 11th, GMV attended the Paris Peace Forum 2023. This is an annual event that since 2018 has been highlighting projects and initiatives that are addressing global challenges, in areas such as demographic crises, armed conflicts, climate change, digital ethics and security, and space sustainability.

Based on the idea that international cooperation is essential in order to confront these universal challenges and achieve long‑lasting peace, the Paris Peace Forum provides a space that brings together high-level participants including heads of state, international organizations, local governments, NGOs, charitable foundations, corporations, media outlets, trade unions, religious groups, and ordinary citizens, to engage in dialogue and seek common solutions.

Under the theme “Seeking common ground in a world of rivalry”, the sixth edition of the Paris Peace Forum featured Miguel Ángel Molina, Deputy General Manager of Space Systems at GMV. He took part in a roundtable discussion related to the Net Zero Space initiative, of which GMV is a signatory, titled “To gauge or not to gauge: what unified paradigm to assess sustainable use of outer space?” During the roundtable, which considered the recommendations of the initiative’s working group on developing regulations to reduce the creation of space debris, Mr. Molina emphasized the hazards presented by the worsening situation caused by debris in orbit, along with the importance of creating better regulations on the subject.

The Paris Peace Forum 2023 was also an opportunity to celebrate the second anniversary of the Net Zero Space initiative and provide an update on its recent evolution. In particular, the results of the work performed during recent months was summarized, in relation to the goal of protecting the Earth’s orbital environment and generating political momentum to address the global emergency existing in relation to space rights.

GMV joined the Net Zero Space initiative in February 2022. This platform brings together top‑level actors from throughout the value chain of any space mission, with the aim of confronting the pressing need for a consensus on how to tackle the growing problem of space pollution. It is also focused on finding urgent, concrete agreements and solutions as the year 2030 approaches.