These days, at the Davos Forum, we have seen both sides of the climate change coin: an outdated generation and a capitalist system that irresponsibly tries to perpetuate its measures with the planet and the human species, represented by Donald Trump who speaks disdainfully of "prophets of the Apocalypse", and facing them, a young generation, which is organizing, demanding a profound change so that the ruthless attacks on the environment are stopped, and the next generations can survive with dignity and justice, with quality of life, on the planet, represented by the young Swedish activist Greta Thumberg.
Parallel to this debate at the top, at the State level, the new progressive coalition Government has decreed a state of emergency against climate change, which was already done in the Canary Islands since last August. At the same time, in the last plenary session of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, through dialogue and consensus, we have improved and unanimously approved the aforementioned declaration made by the Government.
The measures to be adopted become a commitment of the seven parliamentary groups (PSOE, CC, PP, NC, ASG, Cs and Sí Podemos Canarias). I believe that this responsible decision of all the parliamentary groups is good news for Canarian society. When faced with major issues, we reach a consensus. Now we need to move from words to deeds, as time is running out.
The effects of climate change must face measures to mitigate the effects and adapt to the new situation and offer security. And, in a special way, be clear about the direction in which we want to move, what measures will have to be adopted, also taking into account their transversality.
The four pillars that should support this agreement are, firstly, citizen participation, information and training, favoring channels of participation, with the aim of citizen empowerment. The figure of the fixer and demobilizing politician is now outdated and citizens demand participation in decision-making, to be able to express disagreements, dialogue and reach agreements. Citizen empowerment is the best antidote against the regressions that threaten us.
Secondly, it is of little use to adopt agreements and for citizens to participate and be co-responsible, if the administrative machinery continues as slow as it usually is. A declaration of emergency made by the Government, being consistent, requires and makes it possible to speed up bureaucratic procedures, that the entire Government is co-responsible in a transversal way in the matter and that it can act diligently as required by the emergency situation that has been declared.
Thirdly, and no less importantly, territorial policy must be put at the service of mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change and prevention, and for this it is essential not to continue deteriorating our territory even more.
Finally, we will have to answer the question of what energy model we want in the Canary Islands for this 21st century, which sets its sights far and looks, not at one legislature but at a couple of generations?
We are all aware that we are witnessing an important change of Era in the History of Humanity; for the first time, since the discovery of fire as a source of light and energy, we are abandoning the Age of Fire and entering the Era of renewable energies.
That is why the agreement on the energy model, which marks our lives, which marks production and mobility, is the fundamental of the agreements.
Some consider it a desirable objective to fill our islands with wind turbines, of high economic cost and great visual impact on the landscape. Wind turbines that will continue to be owned by the same people who produced electrical energy with fossil fuels, imported from anywhere on the planet. And who now reach out and appropriate our trade winds.
Or, for the sake of diversification, those same people defend the installation of large solar parks, which consume land, and which continue to be owned by the same people as the fuel plants or wind turbines. They have only had to reach out and take ownership of the sun's rays.
The transition towards a new energy model for these islands has to question the ownership model of energy production and decide who is going to own the meters.
Empowered citizens have to be the protagonists of self-consumption.
The wind, the sun, the seas and the volcanoes do not belong to any business group; but with the sources of energy, as with the seeds, the same thing is happening: they intend to become the owners so that the captive society contributes obligatorily to these small groups continuing to enrich themselves at the expense of our pockets and of nature, the common heritage of all.
In short, this transition towards a new model has to guarantee greater levels of social justice, promoting a set of measures that should aim to reduce the social inequalities created by climate change. Let's not forget the millions of climate refugees who are already swelling migratory movements.
In particular, it must be ensured that the economic costs of the transition are distributed progressively, seeking to transfer them preferably to the groups with the greatest capacity to face them, as well as to those who have benefited the most in the past from the current energy model, and avoiding transferring these costs to the less favored groups.
In conclusion, democratize the ownership of energy and promote a citizen culture of energy saving and efficiency as well as environmental co-responsibility on the path to a just transition.
Manuel Marrero Morales
Spokesperson for the Sí Podemos Canarias Parliamentary Group
