Virginijus Sinkevicius (Vilnius, Lithuania, 1990) due to his age could be one of the young people who demonstrated in the streets of Paris during the celebration of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in 2015. At that time, he barely had 25 years. Now, this young Lithuanian is in charge of following Europe's steps towards a more sustainable Union; For almost three years she has been the Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, one of the portfolios with the most weight in the community government.
-Because of his age, he could be part of 'Youth for Climate'. Which of its uses could you make your own?
-I think my age was one of the reasons why this bag was suggested to me.
The climate crisis is not something abstract for me, because I have to live it. I will see the world in 2050 is the opportunity to change dangerous trends and contribute to efforts to save a habitable planet for future generations. The climate crisis alone can resolve whether to assess the problem from many angles and solve the problem from various perspectives. This not only has to do with emissions, but also with biodiversity loss, pollution or resource depletion, we have to face all the challenges.
– Many young people started an action in 2018 demanding more politics. Now that you are in the place where decisions are being made, what do you have to tell them?
-First of all, I want to thank you, because without your voice, without your hands and protests, we may not have the European Green Deal. I can promise that we will continue to move forward, as it is the European Union's growth strategy until 2050 and it must be applied for us and for generations to come.
-For the first time since World War II, the European suffers a war in his territory. Does Brussels fear that it will take a step backwards in the decarbonization of the economy?
-Russian aggression against Ukraine will not have negative effects on the application of the European Green Deal. On the contrary, this war has shown that our dependence on Russian fossil fuels cannot last any longer. We have to stop supporting the Russian military budget by paying for fossil fuels. By cutting off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria and blackmailing the entire Union, Russia has once again shown that it is an unreliable gas supplier. We will reduce gas imports from Russia in the third quarter to become independent and independent of Russian fossil fuels by 2030.
-Is the 'Green Deal' roadmap being fulfilled? Will we reach the Paris Agreements on time or will we have to reschedule them?
-The 'Green Deal' is unequivocally one of the main political objectives of the European Union. It was conceived from the beginning as the Union's growth strategy, leading us to a sustainable, modern, competitive and resilient economy and society. Climate, energy and environmental objectives are set by law. Know that the costs of inaction far outweigh the costs associated with the green transition. The latest IPCC report makes it very clear: the window to ensure a habitable future is rapidly closing: to keep the 1,5ºC target within our reach, we have to speed up the implementation of the Paris Agreement. We cannot continue to delay concerted action.
“We know that the costs of inaction far outweigh the costs associated with the green transition”
-Can you identify the main environmental problem that Europe is currently facing?
-In Europe, as in the rest of the world, we face the triple threat of climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution. All three crises are driven by unsustainable economic models and our excessive use of natural resources. They threaten our health, our economy and our social fabric. One of the problems that I see globally is that the interconnectedness of these crises is not recognized. Climate change is a buzzword, but it cannot be tackled in isolation. We have to go beyond the focus on energy and emissions and look at the bigger picture. We need to understand the mitigating role that oceans and ecosystems play, and do more to ensure that they continue to play that role. We also have to reap the benefits of the transition to the circular economy.
He is very ambitious...
– Our response to these crises is an existing issue, and has to recognize both its urgency and its connections. However, to include all economic sectors are all the actors of the new societies. We need you to join forces to achieve a zero-carbon, nature-positive and equitable economy. The Green Deal initiated a response to this triple crisis. We can accelerate this transition by rapidly scaling up technology solutions, nature-based solutions, and social solutions. Many already existed, but we need to use them more widely and on a much larger scale.
-In Spain, the Congress of Deputies has recently approved the Waste Law: is it sufficiently ambitious in terms of European objectives?
-We welcome the new Spanish law, which applies community legislation and we appreciate the quality and the level of ambition that it wants to achieve. I am looking forward to seeing the implementation of the law and the positive impact it will have on most waste management in Spain.
-Are you worried that, for example, the reduction of single-use plastics is left behind in your roadmap?
-We are currently evaluating the completeness and conformity of the transposition of the directive on single-use plastics in all Member States. It is too early to say to what extent individual Member States are carrying out the transposition and implementation of the directive. The European Commission has recently updated on the plans for a circular economy, one of the pillars of the 'Green Deal', focusing on two aspects: 'greenwashing' and the textile sector. The latter, in particular, is one of the main responsible for the arrival of microplastics in rivers and ponds.
“The textile sector is one of the main responsible for the arrival of microplastics in rivers and seas; the 'Green Deal' focuses on this problem and on 'greenwashing'»
-What are the planes to tackle this problem?
-Textiles made with synthetic fibers, such as polyester and acrylic, are one of the main sources of inadvertent release of microplastics into the environment. These are developed in different stages of the life cycle of textiles. We will try to address the design of products, the improvement of manufacturing processes, pre-washing in industrial manufacturing plants, labeling and the promotion of innovative materials. As such, it will have direct effects on the textile industry and market.
-On toxics, Brussels has approved the roadmap for the prohibition of chemical substances in the European Union. Environmentalists have applauded this list, which they estimate could affect almost 12.000 substances. Does inclusion on this list mean an outright ban?
-The inclusion in the REACH restriction route indicates that this substance will be prohibited or restricted in the coming years. We want to accelerate the imposition of restrictions on these very harmful chemicals, and move forward on our path to a toxic-free environment, and we will do so by restricting entire groups as promised in the Clean Chemicals 2020 Strategy for Sustainability. The Commission has drawn up the roadmap to prioritize some of these most harmful substances for group restrictions.
"If Spain does not comply with the ruling on Doñana, the Commission will act"
The European commissioner has ruled on the two most urgent environmental issues that Spain has right now, Doñana and the Mar Menor. "These areas are not only home to endangered species -he explained-, but they are also key for storing CO2 in the fight against climate change. Agricultural pressures are holding both areas to the brink of a precipice. The Commission is deeply concerned about recent plans to increase unsustainable levels of water withdrawal, which could have detrimental effects on ecosystems. We have sent a letter to the Spanish authorities to convey these concerns and urge them to apply the full range of measures necessary to fully comply with the CJEU ruling as soon as possible. On the contrary, the Commission has tried to quickly use all available means to ensure the execution of this judgment. Regarding the Mar Menor, Spain must take additional measures to avoid eutrophication in the region in order to achieve the objectives of the nitrate directive»
