Climate change and the social emergency exacerbated by the pandemic are the two great current challenges facing humanity. Representatives from Aquona, the Junta de Castilla y León and the Red Cross shared their proposals to successfully overcome these challenges on the program "Vamos a Ver" on the regional television of Castilla y León.

There is no planet B. This is the idea shared by the participants at the debate table that was broadcast this Monday in the Castilla y León TV magazine "Let's See." In it, Jaime Fernández, head of the Environmental Prevention and Climate Change Service of the Ministry of Development and Environment of the Junta de Castilla y León; Eva Fernández, coordinator of the Red Cross in Castilla y León and Laura de Vega, Director of Sustainable Development at Aquona, agreed on the need to work together to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda in Castile and Leon.

In this way, Jaime Fernández explained that all the projects that are being developed by the Junta de Castilla y León "come together in a common framework that is the fight against climate change", added to the challenge of depopulation. To address them, "Castilla y León has very important forest masses that make it a privileged community from the point of view of the balances between emissions and active carbon absorption", he highlighted. Thus, the production of renewable energies from those forest resources will be a tool to establish population in the region.

From the Red Cross in Castilla y León, Eva Fernández stressed that "practically all the projects we carry out are linked to the 2030 Agenda and compliance with the SDGs" and recognized the impact of Covid-19 on the development of this agenda. " In this sense, she detailed all the actions that have been put in place to face the pandemic as an “emergency institution” that they are and highlighted the response offered by the volunteers that only in the months of confinement increased by 3,000 people.

For Aquona, as a water management company that is in turn a cross-cutting element in achieving the SDGs, the 2030 Agenda is a fundamental pillar of its own management strategy. This was stated by its Director of Sustainable Development, Laura de Vega, who detailed the contribution that the company makes to each SDG in its daily activity. For example, "We impact on SDG1 with our social funds and social rates to guarantee access to a basic service such as water in the municipalities where we operate," he said. It also contributes to SDG 6 with a sustainable management of the resource and minimizing losses in the network. "With last year's work in this regard, we could supply water for 3 days to the entire population of Castilla y León," he added. Equity, biodiversity conservation, the fight against climate change and environmental awareness actions in which more than 5,000 people participated last year were some of the initiatives that Laura de Vega shared during the debate.

However, the pandemic that we are experiencing has caused a serious social and economic crisis and has impacted on all these projects. Therefore, the Junta de Castilla y León, the Red Cross and Aquona are working to promote a sustainable economic and social recovery that will be guided by the 2030 Agenda and will come from the hand of European recovery funds.

To attract these European funds, the Junta de Castilla y León will present projects related to renewable energies that lay the foundations for the energy use of all resources and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An effort will also be made in relation to the improvement of telecommunications in municipalities and in terms of sustainable transport.

The Red Cross highlighted digitization projects in the fields of telecare and telemedicine that can help the social work they carry out.

Finally, Laura de Vega highlighted the role of water and companies in this sustainable recovery and called for “mobilizing these aid and being agile since the projects will have to be executed in 3 years”, something that will require the collaboration of companies, social agents and administrations. In this area, Aquona proposes a large social pact with three axes: Solidarity, Green Infrastructures and Employment. Solidarity, linked to the motto "leave no one behind" and betting on funds and social fees; Green infrastructures that promote resilience against climate change and social cohesion. All this activity will generate quality and inclusive employment that remains in the territory.

To see the full video follow here.