Debate: EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change
Date: THURSDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2020
Speaker: Lídia Pereira
Country: Finland
Language: EN

But the planet is now waiting for us to do our part. We are already facing extreme weather events, devastating fires, severe droughts, floods and devastating storms. We need, quickly and effectively, to adapt our territory, our cities, our economies and our infrastructure. We need to invest in sustainable and nature-based solutions, protect the economy from climate problems, and improve the resilience of critical infrastructure, adding climate factors to risk management practices, stepping up prevention and preparedness efforts, and making use of technological advancements.  But many are already suffering: Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, Greeks, Cypriots, Bulgarians and Romanians. Our fellow Europeans living in these countries are already facing severe risks of desertification across over half of their territory. For example, in Spain, 75% of the country is at risk of desertification, and one-fifth of the territory is at a high risk of irreversibly becoming desert. If we are, rightly, financing climate mitigation and transition mechanisms for countries lagging in their energy transition from coal to renewable energy sources, why are we forgetting the countries that are already suffering from climate change, the ones among us who are already burdened by a non-recoverable debt that is maturing in their biodiversity? How does this make sense? We need to advance with adaptation funding, a sort of fair climate adaptation mechanism, to help these cities and regions.  I’m sure I don’t need to explain how it is that everyone will lose if we don’t act now to adapt and reduce these climate change effects. Our food supply chains, our industries and our economies will be disrupted. We must fix the climate and the environment if we are to live better and have better jobs.  Rest assured, you will not find the EPP arguing in the trenches for the economy and being hostile towards the environment, nor fighting for the climate by shouting for the destruction of the economy or an end to the social market economy. We need both. We need the economy and the environment, and we need them to work together.  Senhor Presidente, caras e caros Colegas, as temperaturas médias globais europeias repetidamente quebraram recordes nos últimos anos. Em particular os 5 últimos anos foram os mais quentes já registados com ondas de calor, secas e incêndios florestais em toda a Europa, com centenas de mortos. E estes impactos são transfronteiriços, afetam a nossa saúde, destroem a nossa agricultura, limitam o comércio e obrigam a migrações e reduzem a nossa segurança. Precisamos, por isso, que a nova estratégia para a adaptação às alterações climáticas contenha respostas concretas relativas à desertificação e à degradação dos solos. Precisamos de novas construções e infraestruturas que sejam resistentes e eficientes. Precisamos de aproveitar melhor o potencial das florestas, que não só retiram o carbono da atmosfera como amenizam a temperatura e retêm a humidade. Precisamos de melhorar os sistemas de alerta rápido contra desastres, tirando partido do potencial das novas tecnologias e dos dados. Precisamos de investir na gestão eficiente da água, que se torna escassa.  Da nossa capacidade e dos nossos esforços de adaptação de hoje depende um futuro mais saudável e mais pacífico na Europa.