AZORES | Fighting climate change is priority for “the entire Government of the Azores”

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, emphasised today that the fight against climate change is a key priority for “the entire Government of the Azores” and is not confined to the Regional Secretariat responsible for this matter.

“This is a matter that runs across the entire Government, with the commitment and participation of the members of the Government,” the President of the Government emphasised, speaking at the Coliseu Micaelense in Ponta Delgada during the opening session of an international conference on climate change.

“We are not the sort of people who go along with procrastinating decisions on what really matters. We are doing for the future what we can do in the present,” José Manuel Bolieiro said, addressing an audience of experts in the field and dozens of young people.

He continued: “For our part, we are in solidarity with the younger generations, who are particularly sensitive to this issue.”

For José Manuel Bolieiro, there is a need for a permanent ” educational approach” against the “negationists who still persist” in regard to climate change.

“Reality has been witnessed and has consequences” and there is still an “excessive carbonised economy,” he acknowledged, before mentioning the example of the Azores, which also “lead by example.”

“The Azores have an identity, a history, a path towards sustainable development and a decarbonised economy, which is always in progress,” he said.

“These new generations, these fighters, may count on the Government of the Azores. They can set an example of what we do, leading by example in many situations.

The President of the Government admitted that the Azores, due to their exposure to the sea, are, in particular, victims of climate change. In this context, he emphasised the role played by institutions such as the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) in forecasting and recognising hazards in the field of meteorology, for example.

GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU