Daniel Calleja, the European Commission's Director General for the Environment, noted that the European Union is facing unprecedented challenges. Among these, the greatest of all is climate change, the great challenge of sustainability.
In this regard, he put on the table the four major crises that we have to face and manage: global warming, the biodiversity crisis, the overexploitation of resources, and the pollution crisis. In this respect, he stated that the European Union has taken a leading role in the negotiations. A great example of this is the European Green Pact, a coherent proposal with a holistic vision. He also emphasized the decarbonization of the economy and what this will entail, as well as the importance of the targets set being binding. Another aspect, no less important, has also been addressed: financing. It will be financed through budgets and bond issues. This being so, Daniel Calleja believes that “Europe is driving a great transformation”. The speaker ended his presentation with some words from Ursula Von der Leyen: “The European Green Pact is one of the fundamental elements of the EU’s growth strategy and marks the route towards a green, solid and sustainable recovery for the European economy”.
On the other hand, Hugo Morán, Secretary of the Spanish State for the Environment, highlighted the peculiarity of environmental rights. These rights must necessarily be global, they do not understand administrative borders. In addition, it is vital for society to assume and make the roadmap its own. In this respect, he adds that today there are social impulses with divergent perspectives, but he turns his attention to the need for there to be a collective understanding. The speaker concluded by stressing that we are witnessing a radical change and, in this sense, European funds must be earmarked for building a different future.