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Welcome to our 5th newsletter!
We're in the midst of COP 27, in a difficult international environment marked by the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, and a growing sense of the terrible impact of climate change combined with the indifference of many States. In this edition, we selected some of the most important climate news in the past months. Further down you can check out our past and future activities, as well as some interesting film and book recommendations.
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17.10.22 | Floods in Nigeria: 600 dead and 1.3 million displaced since June
The situation is precarious and the threat of food insecurity and inflation looms over the nation's government. According to the World Food Programme (WFP) and the FAO, Nigeria is already among six countries in the world facing a risk of catastrophic famine.
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15.09.22 | Owner of Patagonia (clothing brand) donates company to fight climate change
The company's future profits will be split between Patagonia Purpose Trust, a trust that will own 2% of the company, and a non-profit organisation called Holdfast Collective that will own 98% of the company. In this way, the entrepreneur and his family have revolutionised the world of philanthropy.
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11.09.22 | Desperation in Pakistan after catastrophic floods: "We have no food or water".
A third of Pakistan is under water, at least 1,400 people have died and more than 35 million are affected. The rains have washed away bridges, roads, livestock and people. Many villages are inaccessible as the highway through the country is flooded, making access to medicine, drinking water and food difficult.
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27.08.2022 | UN global conference for a global ocean protection treaty fails to reach agreement
On 26 August, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea failed to agree on what was to be the first global oceans treaty. While protection measures have been progressing adequately in national waters, international waters remain unregulated as they "belong to no one". This failure showcases the fact that we are still fighting climate change as individual units instead of one planet.
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16.08.22 | US Senate passes Biden's tax, climate and health care bill
The new Inflation Reduction Act, passed without GOP support, aims to mobilise some 430 billion dollars over 10 years. In the fight against climate change, the bill contemplates billions of dollars worth of investment in climate infrastructure, tax incentives and funding for green projects in disadvantaged communities.
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27.10.22 | Valencia appointed European Green Capital 2024
Valencia has been named European Green Capital for 2024, an award that no Spanish city has won since 2012. According to the article, "the award recognises cities that take the best care of the environment and the living environment of its inhabitants and, according to its promoters, improves tourism and international positioning to attract sustainable investments."
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21.08.22 | Fires once again ravage the Valencia Region
The Valencian Community has suffered an arduous fire season. During the first part of August, an amalgamation of weather conditions, including westerly winds and high temperatures, triggered two major fires in Bejís (Castellón) and Vall d'Ebo (Alicante). According to historical data, 2012 and 2022 were the most devastating years for Valencian land.
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If you want to learn more about the latest climate news, head over to our website where you'll find stories like that of an endangered royal species 🦋.
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02.09.22 | European Citizens' Meeting (EBB)
Carmen attended this EBB 2022 event organised in Kassel, Germany to promote EU citizenship. She participated in the workshop "Ukraine, Germany and Europe", a discussion focused on Putin's current invasion and Germany's and EU assistance to the Ukrainian population. The ambassador attended the workshop "A Green Deal for Europe" and exchanged views on how to address the climate crisis. She took part in a demonstration for a stronger Europe.
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19.09.22 | Textiles, fashion and the European Climate Pact.
The meeting "Innovating in fashion and circular textiles" took place in the framework of the 'Valencia Disseny Week', held every year by the Designers' Association of the Valencian Community (ADCV). Carmen was invited as a panelist by the Finnova Foundation and gave a virtual presentation on the need to create a circular, green and regenerative textile industry. The ambassador pointed out that the production and consumption of this sector represents one of the most polluting activities on the planet.
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28.09.22 | Nextextilegeneration: integrating the SDGs in the fashion and textile industries.
Carmen participated in a webinar organised by the Finnova Foundation in the framework of the European project CircularInnoBooster Fashion and Textile (F&T). During her intervention, Carmen reaffirmed the urgency of implementing the SDGs in the textile industry and affirmed that the current economic model is unsustainable. The ambassador stated that textile companies must take care of the planet and biodiversity, committing to the circular and social economy.
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30.09.22 | Building South Youth II: young people as agents of change.
The student association AIESEC Seville, in collaboration with the University of Seville, organised this event with the aim of making young people visible as active agents of change and aligning their entrepreneurial projects with the 2030 agenda to build a better future. Carmen was invited by Ambassador José Antonio Fernández, founding partner of Ok Planet, to talk about the European Climate Pact and the various initiatives it proposes.
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IV Meeting of the European Climate Pact Ambassadors in Barcelona
Carmen, in collaboration with several Spanish European Climate Pact Ambassadors, organised the fourth stop in the Climate Tour of Spain in Barcelona. This initiative aims to bring ambassadors from different parts of the country together to spread their climate message. The occasion brought together a large number of Spanish ambassadors, representatives of institutions and members of the public. Previous meetings took place in Madrid, Valencia and Aranda del Duero.
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Day 1
05.10.22 | Visit to the Ciutadella Park.
On Wednesday we had a visit and an informal ambassadors' meeting at the Ciutadella Park.
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Day 2
06.10.22 | Jornada sobre Los Jóvenes y el Cambio Climático.
On Thursday morning, the primary event of the meeting took place: "Youth and Climate Change". More than thirty ambassadors met at the Representation of the European Union in Barcelona to discuss the role of young people in fighting climate change and share their expectations for COP 27.
The event was inaugurated by Marc Sanglas, Director General of Environmental Quality and Climate Change of the Catalan Government, and Manuel Szapiro, Director of the Representation of the European Commission in Barcelona.
Carmen then moderated the discussion "Climate Change, a global challenge with local impact", in which she stressed "the need to mobilise citizens to act in a concrete and ambitious way in order to enjoy a planet with no expiration date".
Other speakers included Vera Estefanía, from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, who considers COP27 to be an opportunity for international collaboration to confront an increasingly complex context. Tomás Molina, head of Meteorology at Televisió de Catalunya and ambassador of the European Climate Pact, reflected on climate change in Catalonia and the need for training on the new meteorological phenomena that are affecting the planet.
It should be noted that the real protagonists of the meeting were the young people. Both the ambassadors and guests from other organisations gave various talks and participated in a panel discussion on the role of the younger generations in climate action. It was a generational discussion moderated by Maria Serra and Sandro Lasnier, ambassadors of the European Climate Pact, who spoke about the concept of "eco-anxiety", a feeling that many young people have about the current climate situation and its consequences. The day ended with an interesting debate and conclusions from all participants.
To watch the meeting, click here.
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Day 3
07.10.22 | Waste collection in the nature reserve of AiguaMolls de L'Empordà.
Carmen took part in the Euro regional Waste Collection Day in the AiguaMolls Nature Reserve together with students from the Castelló d'Empúries Secondary School and other ambassadors of the European Climate Pact. The waste collection was organized by the Euro region of Pirineos- Mediterraneo (made of Cataluña, Baleares and Occitanie). In total, 2,050 kg of rubbish were collected at Can Comes beach. Afterwards, Carmen and the volunteers took part in a debate on “botellones” or street drinking to analyse possible prevention measures and alternatives to the waste found.
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14.10.22 | La economía del bien común frente a los retos del cambio climático
Carmen helped the Ambassador José Segarra, to organize a colloquium at the Faculty of Economics of Valencia. The conference focused on the new economic and social models linked to the Economy of the Common Good in the context of the climate crisis and proposed new types of responsible consumption, associated with new business opportunities. Carmen gave a talk on the European Climate Pact and the mission of its ambassadors.
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28.10.22 | Video Address: "Children's rights. The right to the future" Carmen took part in a gala with a concert “Alas en tus pies” in Santiago de Compostela, organised by Gema Arias of Pianoma International, with the collaboration of the Galician Association of Social Journalism and the Portal de la Infancia. The event focused on children's rights and child abuse. Carmen pointed out the need to protect children and recognise all their rights without discrimination or inequality, including the right to the future, which requires acting strongly against climate change.
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BLOG
BLOG 💭
We've published new articles on our blog, you can find them on our website's blog page. These are the latest posts:
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UPCOMING EVENTS 📆
In the home stretch of 2022, we have several dates worth taking a note of:
- 14.11.22 | Second Week of COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh
- 24.11.22 | Presentation on the European Climate Pact in Spain at CONAMA, the National Environment Congress in Madrid.
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RECOMMENDATIONS ☕
Like always, we like to finish with some fun content to lighten up the mood
- Film 🎬: Minimalism: Less is more. A Netflix documentary released in 2021 about two old friends who turned minimalism into a movement.
- Book 📖: The Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. "Created in the year 2025, the goal of the new agency was simple: to defend future generations of humanity and protect all living things, present and future. It quickly became known as the Ministry of the Future, and this is its story."
- Music 🎶: Despite Repeated Warnings by Paul McCartney. The artist sings about the dangers of climate change, conveying a clear message: change and progress depends on the will of the people.
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You have reached the end of our November newsletter. 🙌
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Do not hesitate to contact us with any question, suggestion or comment. Remember to add us to your contact list so that the newsletter is not automatically sent to your spam folder. We'll be back soon!
Carmen Marqués Ruiz.
Team: Beatriz Dromant (editor), Luna Valls Marqués (editor), Luis Valls Marqués, Sara Carmona Navarro, Giulia Presa Pérez.
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