As the world faces a critical historical conjuncture marked by rising inequality, ecological disruption, and geopolitical fragmentation, the Political Ecology Network (
POLLEN) will convene its biennial international conference in Barcelona, Spain, from June 29 to July 3, 2026, hosted across the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Barcelona (UB). The event will bring together more than 1,500 researchers, activists, representatives of civil society organizations, and creators from across the globe to dissect contemporary crises and forge pathways toward peaceful, just alternatives.
The welcome reception will take place on Monday the 29th at the Faculty of Geography and History of the University of Barcelona (UB), where a large part of the conference activities will be held.
The cornerstone of POLLEN 2026 will be its three plenary sessions, which break away from traditional panels by featuring brief keynotes followed by quick, complementary interventions designed to spark extensive audience debate on issues ranging from anti-capitalist resistance to authoritarian capitalism.
Hosted on Tuesday, June 30th at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the first two plenary sessions will center on global challenges: Farhana Sultana (Syracuse University) will explore what has—and has not—changed after the 2024 revolution in Bangladesh, supported by other speakers’ insights on authoritarian trends across Hungary, Turkey, Latin America, and Tanzania.
In the second, Sara Mingorria Martinez (UAB/CSIC) will present a keynote on infrastructure resistance and aviation degrowth based on Barcelona's massive ZeroPort platform protests, accompanied by responses on territorial struggles across India, the Catalan Pyrenees, Sweden, and the Caribbean.
The dialogue will conclude on Thursday, July 2nd, at the Museu Marítim de Barcelona with a special closing plenary titled "Reflecting on POLLEN2026." Chaired by Rosaleen Duffy (University of Sheffield), this final session will bring together prominent political ecologists Elia Apostolopoulou, Christos Zografos, Farhana Sultana, and Felipe Milanez to share critical reflections, challenges, and lessons generated throughout the event.
The summit’s organizing committee is led by the experts Camila del Mármol (UB), Dan Brockington, David Gilbert, Esteve Corbera, Isabelle Anguelovski and Maria Pastor (ICTA-UAB), and Ismael Vaccaro (CSIC).
The full schedule, speaker profiles, and detailed abstracts can be found on the official plenary page at
https://pollenpoliticalecology.network/plenary-page/
The conference will also foster a vibrant space for public dialogue through a series of over 250 panel discussions, workshops, films, games, posters, book launches and creative artistic interventions designed by international creators to reshape our environmental imaginaries.
From the UAB, the event is organized through ICTA-UAB with the support of the María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence accreditation granted by the Government of Spain.
About POLLEN
POLLEN operates as a global network connecting independent groups to exchange ideas and collaborate on political ecology. This year's program addresses critical contemporary issues, including energy transitions, data justice, militarized environmental governance, eco-feminism, and Indigenous knowledge systems. The Organizing Committee emphasizes that these shared perspectives are vital for coordinating collective action and driving real change against environmental degradation.