Sharjah24 – WAM: President of Spain’s Regional Government of Andalusia Juan Manuel Moreno has highly praised the impressive participation of regional leaders in COP28.
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) during his participation in the climate conference, President Moreno underscored the crucial role regional governments play in raising public awareness and implementing climate action plans.
During the first-ever ‘Local Climate Action Summit’ at COP28, Moreno welcomed the launch of the ‘Coalition for High Ambition Multi-Level Partnerships’ (CHAMP) initiative. This initiative encourages national governments to cooperate with local and regional authorities to strengthen their NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions).
Moreno emphasised the significance of direct involvement by local and regional governments in achieving climate goals. He expressed his confidence that the CHAMP initiative, if successful, will mark a turning point for climate action.
“If the CHAMP is finally fufilled, it will mean that for the first time, there is direct participation of local and regional governments,” he said.
Beyond attending the summit, Moreno held key meetings with various organisations, particularly companies. He highlighted his meeting with Spanish energy company Cepsa, a leading company in the Spanish energy sector, as the most impactful.
The meeting finalised details for the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley project, a European hub for producing and exporting green hydrogen. This project aims to decarbonise heavy industries and long-distance transport, while creating tens of thousands of jobs and avoiding the emission of millions of tonnes of CO2 annually.
Moreno emphasised that the project is already a reality and will position Andalusia at the forefront of Europe in sustainable fuel production. He added that the project is just one of ten hydrogen and green ammonia projects planned for the region, representing a total investment of €5 billion.
Moreno also met wth Wopke Hoekstra, EU Commissioner for Climate Action, to discuss the specific challenges faced by regions like Andalusia. During the meeting, he noted the need for European support to help these vulnerable regions adapt to climate change, particularly in areas of water management and agricultural practices.
With five consecutive years of drought, Andalusia’s water resources are at critical levels. Therefore, Moreno urged the EU to support urgent projects such as desalination plants and water connectivity infrastructure.
“In Andalusia, we have had five years of droughts, our water resources are below 20 percent, and we need to carry out urgent works such as desalination plants, water connectivity and purification,” Moreno explained.
While relying on agriculture, Andalusia stands out for its commitment to sustainability. The region invests heavily in innovative projects, including the development of drought-resistant seeds and native plant reforestation programmes.
Andalusia also bosts one of Spain’s most ambitious circular economy plans, focused on promoting reuse and recycling for a more prosperous and sustainable future.