On Sunday, the President of the Republic highlighted Portugal’s pioneering role in investing in renewable energies, when many said that this was “nonsense”, and the importance of global agreements, but of local actions.
In the closing session of the Youth and Innovation Forum of the UN Ocean Conference 2022 (UNOC – United Nations Ocean Conference), which took place on Carcavelos beach (municipality of Cascais), and in which the Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, the two answered a question from a young Kenyan, Nancy, after some of the delegates present presented their proposals.
“We want to know from your side, what comes next? There’s a big ocean conference in the next few days, how are you going to push these ideas forward?” she asked.
In his response, the Head of State stressed that “Political will” is essential, but also the support of the populations in this fight against climate change and for the oceansincluding them through education and participation
“These problems cannot be solved by a single country, a single municipality, that is why this conference is so important, at a time when there is so much talk of unilateralism, betting on multilateralism”, said.
Finally, the Portuguese head of state argued that, in addition to global agreements, “local and national implementation” is necessary.
“In the case of Portugal, we were pioneers in many fields, such as renewables. When we began to substitute other forms of energy, some said that we were fools, we were not, now we want to get ahead of international goals”, he underlined.
The President of the Republic also left a note of urgency, quoting António Guterres, saying that we are “against the clock”.
“This is a war in which we were defeated, we are no longer in a position to turn back, but we have to recover. Political leaders pass, the oceans do not pass, they have been here for millions of years, they will continue to be, ”she stressed.
In response to the same question, about how to advance in the defense of the environment and, in particular, of the oceans, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said that it is necessary to move to a phase in which young people are not only heard, but also included in decisions.
“Now we have to move on to a new phase, which is the moment of codecision […] so that young people can effectively contribute to decisions,” said the official, who considered that the phases of climate change denial and propaganda are out of date.
Guterres further stressed that it is necessary to adopt “a new way of acting” that includes local communities and decisions based on nature.
The initiative ended with the actor and climate activist Jason Mamoa, a special guest at the closing of this Forum, handing over to the President of the Republic of Portugal the baton that symbolizes the UN’s sustainable development goals, and with a family photograph with all the I yell, “Oceans!”
The United Nations Conference on the Oceans (UNOC) will take place this year in Lisbon (at the Altice Arena), co-chaired by Portugal and Kenya, between Monday and Friday, and will be attended by Heads of State and Government from all continents.
More than 7,000 participants from more than 140 countries, 38 specialized organizations and international organizations, more than a thousand non-governmental organizations, 410 companies and 154 universities are expected.
Source: Observadora
