Hans Bruyninckx

Hans has been an outdoor enthusiast all of his life. Hiking and camping, cycling, skiing and sailing are his favorite past time activities. Some of his activities brought him to the beautiful Norwegian outdoors, sailing to Spitsbergen, hiking the Seven Sisters on Sandnesjoen, and camping along the magnificent western coastline.

In his keynote speech he will approach the changes and challenges in the broader context that is the backdrop for outdoor recreation and sports. Our societies are facing what is called the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, all having their impact on the ‘playing field’ of outdoor enthusiasts. After several decades of trying to deal with these in incremental ways, we are now facing the urgent necessity to think in terms of systemic change.

To complicate matters, we are increasingly faced with geopolitical, economic and social instability or turbulence. This makes governance of our natural capital increasingly difficult and challenging. The era of poly-crises requires out of the box thinking and acting to create resilient solutions.

Is outdoor recreation impacted by these macro or landscape events? Can it play a role in shaping solutions? Are outdoor activities connecting us to these broader issues, or are they the ultimate escape and disconnect?