The event brought together leaders from the public and private sectors, academia, and conservation organizations to explore how sustainability can move beyond rhetoric and into concrete action, building a stronger future for protected territories.
Santiago, June 30, 2026 — Last Tuesday, Las Torres Patagonia, a natural and cultural reserve, convened 30 leaders from business, government, academia, and conservation in Santiago for a new edition of Sostenibilidad en Acción Santiago 2026. Modeled after the spirit of New York Climate Week, the event was designed not for presentations, but for conversation: a collective reckoning with what it means to move from sustainability commitments to actions that last.
Working across four roundtables, participants took on some of the most pressing challenges at the intersection of tourism, conservation, and long-term territorial stewardship, with a shared emphasis on accountability and measurable outcomes.
Planning for the destinations of tomorrow
The four roundtables each tackled a distinct theme: measurable sustainability outcomes, new partnerships to accelerate climate action, transparent communication, and the role of younger generations in building a relationship with nature.
Despite the different angles, a common thread ran through every conversation: caring for protected destinations requires shared responsibility — between communities, visitors, businesses, institutions, and the organizations working to conserve these places.
Investing in the next generation of stewards
The day closed with an announcement from John Ojeda, Sustainability Manager at Las Torres Patagonia and Executive Director of Las Torres Patagonia Conservancy: a commitment to bring more than 5,000 children from the Magallanes Region to Torres del Paine over the coming years through educational programs designed to deepen their connection with nature.
The initiative is grounded in a straightforward premise — that the people who will care for these landscapes tomorrow are the children who grow up knowing them today.
“Talking about sustainability isn’t enough. We have to turn those conversations into something real. That’s why this commitment starts with the children of Magallanes — they are the ones who will continue protecting this territory in the future,” said Ojeda.
Conservation with a wider reach
The event is part of a broader effort by Las Torres Patagonia to advance conservation, environmental education, and sustainable development in ways that extend well beyond the reserve’s boundaries.
Central to that effort is the organization’s Climate Action Plan 2030, aligned with the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, which Las Torres Patagonia signed in 2024. The plan charts a path toward carbon neutrality and is complemented by ecosystem restoration programs, environmental education initiatives, and work aimed at building long-term territorial resilience.
With this edition of Sostenibilidad en Acción, Las Torres Patagonia continues to invest in the kinds of cross-sector dialogue that can translate good intentions into lasting outcomes — for destinations, for communities, and for the landscapes at the center of it all.