CAIRO NEWS - FACING CLIMATE CHANGE

 CAIRO NEWS - FACING CLIMATE CHANGE

Dr. Enrique Cifres — Valencia
Chair of the Committee on Dams, Hydropower and Climate Change Adaptation, International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD)

Question: What is meant by carbon neutrality, and why has it become such an urgent global objective in addressing climate change?

Carbon neutrality means achieving a balance between the carbon we emit and the carbon we are able to reduce, absorb, or offset. In practical terms, it means avoiding the use of carbon-intensive energy and activities in ways that cause serious damage to the environment and increase greenhouse gas emissions.

For many years, and especially since industrial development accelerated, emissions have grown without a proper balance. This imbalance has contributed to a worsening environmental situation and to the climate crisis we are now facing. That is why carbon neutrality has become an urgent global objective: because without reducing emissions and changing the way we produce and consume energy, the impacts of climate change will become increasingly severe.

Question: What role does the Paris Agreement play in encouraging countries to commit to carbon neutrality?

The Paris Agreement is an essential framework, but it also faces major challenges. We can see that the planet is warming significantly, and that requires clear and effective policies to reduce emissions. However, what we are still seeing today is a very high level of consumption of non-clean energy, especially fossil fuels, which increases carbon emissions instead of moving us towards carbon neutrality.

It is necessary to promote policies for the use of clean energy. But policies alone are not enough. They must be accompanied by real implementation on the ground. We also need to rely much more on hydropower and other clean energy sources. This is what can help ensure sustainable climate action and progress towards carbon neutrality.

Another important point is the need to strengthen international legal and institutional frameworks. Many decisions are still driven mainly by supply and demand and by short-term economic considerations. But we must also take into account that stability in many countries depends greatly on effective adaptation and mitigation measures.

We clearly need to work on all these frameworks in order to reduce carbon emissions and move towards a more sustainable future.

Question: What role can individuals and society play in helping to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, and how long will it take?

I believe we are already very late. We must act urgently on both climate mitigation and climate adaptation. We need to think about this issue very seriously. Mitigation is essential, but it is also very difficult, and therefore everyone must contribute.

Individuals, societies, institutions and governments all have a role to play, especially in relation to consumption patterns and the use of fossil fuels. There will be no real solution unless efforts are combined.

From this platform, and on behalf of the International Commission on Large Dams, I would like to call for a common declaration and a shared commitment to work on both adaptation and mitigation, with integrity and transparency. All countries and all participants must show this transparency. The members of ICOLD are working on this and contributing to this effort.

Regarding the recent summit in Brazil, we did not see a sufficiently concrete agreement on reducing emissions or on the final recommendations. Unfortunately, there was still a lack of realistic commitments concerning mitigation and adaptation. The objectives of the Paris Agreement have not yet been fully achieved on the ground.

Therefore, we must come together and commit ourselves to reducing fossil fuel consumption and increasing the use of new and clean energy sources, so that we can achieve our climate objectives.

https://youtu.be/lVV4mg76Jjs?si=f3oOlOaZYZPR1pRj