The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Environment stated today that this "is the time for action" in taking political decisions towards the mitigation and prevention of climate change based on scientific knowledge. In this regard, the government official highlighted the work commissioned by the Government that is being developed by a consortium of companies that also includes experts from the universities of the Azores and Lisbon and Lisbon School of Engineering.

Ratifying the position taken by Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, which was conveyed Monday at the World Future Energy Summit held in Dubai, Luís Neto Viveiros stressed that what is at stake is "the present and, especially, the future."

The Regional Secretary spoke at the meeting on "Goals, Priorities and Vulnerabilities of the Azores to Climate Change," the first of several meetings in order to hear public and private actors in the drafting of the Regional Plan for Climate Change (PRAC). At the event, he called for the importance of raising "collective and individual awareness."

"If the global financial, economic and social contexts have required redoubled effort and immediate solutions to support families, businesses and industry sectors, including production sectors, the Regional Government does not use them as an excuse to divert its attention from the measures and actions that should be taken to protect the future of the Region," said the Regional Secretary.

In this context, he recalled the accession of the Azores to "Under 2 MoU," an agreement signed during the UN General Assembly Climate Week. According to him, "this action has put the archipelago at the forefront of global concerns for maintaining acceptable levels of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet."

The agreement was signed by sub-national governments from 19 regions and states before the UN Climate Change Summit - COP 21, held in Paris in the month of December. It aims to prevent that the global temperature rise by 2050 exceeds two degrees, allowing the return to greenhouse gas emission levels recorded in 1995.

Neto Viveiros stressed that this goal goes requires measures aimed at the growth of wind, geothermal and ocean wave energy, through the establishment of a plan for the consumption of traditional energy sources and the growth of alternative energy sources.

In his speech, the government official pointed out that the Region, without prejudice to the ongoing efforts, aims to increase the renewable energy penetration rate for electricity production up to 50% by 2018.

With regard to energy diversification, which requires the implementation of measures under the mobility policy, the Regional Secretary mentioned public investment in electric vehicles, either through the creation of supply infrastructures (installation of public access charging stations) or through the renewal and replacement of fleets.

"Last year, we started an electric mobility programme of the Nature Watchers and, within a few months, we will have electric vehicles at the service of the nine Island Natural Parks," said Luís Neto Viveiros.

Currently, the Natural Parks of Santa Maria, S. Miguel, S. Jorge and Flores are already equipped with electric vehicles.
On the drafting of PRAC, one of the most complete plans in the country as it comprises the aspects of mitigation and adaptation, the Regional Secretary added that it will "develop climate scenarios and projections for the horizons 2030 and 2050 as well as to update the estimates of emissions by sector, quantifying emission reduction opportunities and defining measures."

Neto Viveiros restated the relevance of this knowledge so that the Region "can adapt and provide planned and coherent responses to the vulnerability and exposure to climate risks, increase resistance to extreme weather events and improve its ability to respond in emergency situations." In this regard, the government official warned that the effects of climate change can affect several areas.

"Talking about climate change is to discuss public health, safeguard economic growth, combat the risk of poverty and migration caused by growing natural disasters," but also "to ensure the safety of the population and safeguard our natural heritage," said the government official.

For Luís Neto Viveiros, the "biggest challenge of the millennium for mankind" is to transform the effects of climate change "in advantages and more future opportunities, through prevention, mitigation and adaptation."