Join the Waves of Change in Biarritz France

This article submitted by Carola Barton

The City of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Sister Cities Committee is forming an adult delegation to attend the three-day global Waves of Change Forum in Biarritz, France, June 1-3, 2026. As sister cities, Santa Cruz and Biarritz have much in common, in particular their desire to remain sustainable and resilient coastal towns. 

The Committee invites city council and staff members, technology innovators, business owners, marine researchers, and interested community members who share a passion for collaboration and long-term, responsible stewardship of our coastlines to join the delegation. The trip will foster cultural exchange between our cities with opportunities to tour Biarritz and the surrounding area before, during, or after the three-day Forum.

France’s Minister of Ecological Transition and the Mayor of Biarritz will welcome Forum participants to discuss key themes, such as: Sustainable Mobility, Sustainable Tourism & Local Communities, Water Management, Coastal Adaptation, and Biodiversity & Public Health with an emphasis on roundtable talks and time for networking. Forum participants last year came together from Senegal, India, Brazil, Australia, France, and more to create pilot programs and new partnerships around many of these same themes. Please see herefor this year’s tentative schedule. The Forum is also seeking additional project or workshop ideas. 

If you or someone from your organization may be interested in attending the Waves of Change Forum, please contact: Carola Barton, Chair of the Sister Cities Committee, atcarolamac@icloud.com, or Maggie Mathias, Co-Chair of the Biarritz Subcommittee, atmoopops@gmail.com.  Participate in the Forum to “make waves and surf the change together”!