The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, has inaugurated CONAMA 2016 in Madrid.
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, has assured that advancing in the protection of the environment and the fight against climate change requires the support and consensus of all. For the Minister, these challenges will also be important opportunities if we have the collaboration of administrations, companies, institutions and citizens.
As he stressed, everything adds up to the improvement of our environment and only in this way can we progress in the transformation towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy.
Isabel García Tejerina today inaugurated the XIII edition of the National Congress on the Environment (CONAMA 2016), which is being held at the Palacio Municipal de Congresos in Madrid until 1 December, under the slogan “The answer is GREEN”, with the aim of involving people and organisations in the transformation towards a low-carbon economy. circular and green.
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION
In his speech, García Tejerina recalled how this National Congress began its journey coinciding with the celebration of the Rio Earth Summit (1992), which was decisive for the implementation of several international instruments such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
In terms of climate change, the Minister commented that, after agreeing on the Paris commitments, the recent Marrakech Climate Summit defined the work programme that will allow the implementation of the Paris Agreement and its calendar, in addition to highlighting the initiatives that are being promoted by non-governmental actors. For García Tejerina, after the Marrakech Summit we are in a process of transition towards a low-carbon model that is resilient to climate change that is irreversible.
García Tejerina also referred to the celebration, in the coming days, of the COP13 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will emphasize the achievement of the Aichi targets and the incorporation of biodiversity in sectoral policies, which demonstrates the international commitment to the preservation of biodiversity.
For its part, the United Nations has made the environmental and development cooperation agendas a single objective, through the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Therefore, the Minister understands that the goals in the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity are already established, and now it is time to work together to move in the right direction.
SCOPE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
At the European level, the Minister has assured that concern for the natural environment informs all policies and activities, public and private. Thus, the European Union is at the forefront in implementing measures aimed at addressing the environmental challenges we face.
In this regard, García Tejerina pointed out how the EU is developing policies to respond to the challenge of global warming and, at the same time, to generate opportunities for public-private collaboration, economic development and job creation. Specifically, the EU has set itself one of the most ambitious targets in the fight against climate change, which is to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 40% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
According to the Minister, the goal is to achieve a low-carbon development model, which allows sustainable economic growth, respectful of natural resources, through the increase of efficiency in the use of these resources, the modification of production models to facilitate the transition to a circular economy, take advantage of the advantages of innovation and consume more responsibly.
In this context, García Tejerina pointed out that the package of measures on circular economy includes measures such as the reduction of food waste, the promotion of product recycling or the reuse of wastewater.
SPAIN, IN FULL HARMONY WITH THE EU
In this field, García Tejerina stated that the Government of Spain is working in full harmony with the European Union, with measures to protect nature, improve the management of protected areas, promote hydrological planning in line with the Water Framework Directive, and promote an effective policy to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.
Among other measures, the Minister cited the approval in Spain of a State Waste Framework Plan, which lays the foundations for its own Circular Economy Strategy. A Roadmap for diffuse sectors to 2020 has also been launched, which includes a package of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sectors such as housing, transport and waste, among others.
The Minister has indicated that these measures will have to be expanded and developed to comply with the Paris commitments, for which a climate change law will also be promoted that establishes and
