A call for a green and sustainable recovery

MARILLES JOINS PERSONALITIES FROM THE WORLD OF POLITICS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND BUSINESS, WHO ARE CALLING ON THE SPANISH PARLIAMENT FOR A GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY FROM THE CRISIS.

• At a very difficult time due to the consequences of the COVID-19 crises, more than 200 people have joined forces to ask the Commission for Social and Economic Reconstruction that the recovery plans be based on sustainability criteria.
• A very broad and cross-cutting consensus has been reached on an issue of capital importance for the economic and social future of our country and for the future of the planet.
• The signatories cover social, economic, cultural, associative, scientific, religious and professional sectors. From the large IBEX CEOs to small entrepreneurs and cooperatives. It integrates an important geographical diversity with entities and institutional representatives of the different Autonomous Communities and cities.
• It also includes highly affected sectors such as the hotel and catering industry and tourism, as well as the agri-food sector, research and innovation and sectors in the midst of the energy transition.
• The declaration has been forwarded to the Commission for Social and Economic Reconstruction of the Spanish Parliament.
• The declaration can be signed on the following website: porunarecuperacionsostenible.net 

According to Aniol Esteban, director of the Marilles Foundation: "We are talking about the greatest economic stimulus in history in a context of health, social and environmental emergency. We can generate employment and build a more robust economy by reducing carbon emissions, improving resource efficiency and regenerating our natural heritage; the opposite will make us even more vulnerable. The environment must be at the core of economic recovery action. The prosperity of the Balearic Islands requires strengthening its green and blue infrastructure and moving towards a truly sustainable model of tourism, reducing ecological impact and increasing levels of well-being".

 

The declaration was launched with the support of 242 personalities from the world of business, trade unions, social entities, universities, NGOs, governments or political parties. All of them endorse the criteria of the Alliance for a Green Recovery launched a few weeks ago at a European level and in which the signatories asked the Community institutions that the stimulus policies derived from the COVID-19, in addition to being effective from an economic and social point of view, should be aligned with sustainability policies and the European Green New Deal.

With the same principles, this movement is now emerging in Spain through this letter that has been transferred today to the Commission for Social and Economic Reconstruction of Spanish Parliament. The letter sets out the same criteria for sustainable recovery and calls for them to be taken into account in the work of this Commission.

The signatories of this declaration support a recovery towards a more sustainable and robust economy and demand the establishment of cross-cutting alliances between political parties, businesses, trade unions, the media, NGOs and civil society. All of this with the aim of implementing an economic stimulus package based on sustainability criteria, supported by scientific knowledge and best practices, which will allow progress to be made towards a more prosperous, sustainable, healthy, fair and resilient society.

The diversity reflected by the group of signatories, acting throughout this joint effort is a sign of the awareness of the need to act together on this common path.

The signatures include:

• Politicians: PSOE (Cristina Narbona), PP (Elvira Rodriguez), Podemos (Pablo Echenique) Cs (María Muñoz), Más País (Iñigo Errejón) Ana Pastor (Congreso Diputados), Miguel Arias Cañete, Manuela Carmena, Javier Solana, Ana Palacio.
• Companies: Ana Botín (Santander) Ignacio S. Galán (Iberdrola), Pablo Isla (Inditex) and José Alberto González Ruiz (General Secretary of CEOE).
• Government: Jorge Azcón (Mayor of Zaragoza), Juan Espadas (Mayor of Seville), Abel Caballero (Chairman of FEMP), Jose Antonio Valvuena (Director of Ecological Transition in the Canary Islands) and Olga García (Director of Ecological Transition in Extremadura)
• Unions: Unai Sordo (CCOO), Pepe Álvarez (UGT).
• NGOs: Juan Carlos del Olmo (WWF), Asun Ruiz (SEO Birdlife), Víctor Viñuales (Ecodes) Miguel Ángel Feíto (OCU), Franc Cortada (Intermon Oxfam), María Francisca Tricio (President of the Unión Democrática de Pensionsitas y Jubiladas de España)
• Science: Fernando Valladares (CSIC), Julio Diaz (Instituto Salud Carlos III), Daniel Innerarity, Miguel Delibes de Castro, María José Sanz (BC3) or Iñigo Losada (University of Cantabria) and many experts from the United Nations for climate change (IPCC).
• Journalists: Iñaki Gabilondo and Jose Antonio Zarzalejos.

Other prominent figures: Emilio Lamo de Espinosa (Royal Elcano Institute), Victoria Ortega (President of the General Council of Lawyers) and Teresa López (President of the Federation of Rural Women's Association).

The letter sent to the members of the Commission for Social and Economic Reconstruction of the Spanish Parliament can be found here: porunarecuperacionsostenible.net

The initiative is open to everyone. If you want to sign it follow this link.

This collaborative initiative has been promoted by ECODES, the Spanish Green Growth Group, SEO/BirdLife and, in a private capacity, by researchers from the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), the Real Instituto Elcano and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ItdUPM).

List of signatories: www.porunarecuperacionsostenible.net/adhesiones/