Green Assist: advancing sustainable mine restoration - CIREM 2026 announced

Advancing more effective, innovative and nature-aligned mine restoration practices will be at the core of the 1st International Congress on Mining Restoration (CIREM) , taking place on 24-26 November 2026 at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain.

Organised by the Restoration Network for Mines and Quarries (RMC) with technical assistance from Green Assist, the congress aims to establish itself as a reference forum for the sector, bringing together professionals, companies, public authorities and the scientific community - both national and international - with a shared objective: to exchange knowledge, build partnerships and accelerate progress towards higher technical standards and more sustainable post-mining land use.

Conceived as a recurring forum, the congress will address the technical, regulatory and societal challenges shaping restoration in the 21st century. The programme will cover key topics such as ecological restoration, geomorphological design, land stability and hydrology, water and soil management, mine closure governance, and innovation and digitalisation. By combining regulatory perspectives, technical expertise and real-life project experience, the congress seeks to strengthen collaboration and promote evidence-based solutions across the sector.

Call for articles now open

As part of the preparation phase, the call for papers is open until 26 March 2026.

Professionals, researchers, companies and public authorities are invited to submit applied case studies, tested methodologies and transferable innovative solutions capable of raising the technical standard of mine restoration. Contributions will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee and will form the core of the congress programme.

As Javier de la Villa, President of RMC, stated:

"We want a programme built by and for the sector - based on evidence, lessons learned and scalable solutions. This call for speakers is an invitation to share what works and to raise the technical standard of mine restoration."

More information, including submission guidelines and thematic areas, is available on the official congress website: www.ciremconference.com

Green Assist support: strengthening capacity and long-term impact

The initiative has benefited from advisory support under Green Assist, which helped consolidate RMC's strategic positioning and reinforce its role as a technical reference network.

The support focused on strengthening governance structures, enhancing knowledge-sharing mechanisms, advancing work on standardisation and performance-based approaches, and preparing the organisational and strategic foundations for hosting an international congress.

By supporting RMC, Green Assist contributes to improving knowledge transfer, promoting best available techniques and enhancing the environmental quality and long-term effectiveness of restoration practices across the sector.