Wedoany.com Report on Mar 7th, In La Rábida, Huelva, Spain, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez signed an Iberian alliance to combat climate change this Friday. The "Joint Declaration on Addressing the Climate Emergency" released by the two governments emphasizes: "Only through ambitious, cooperative, and socially just climate action can we protect citizens, preserve the ecosystems of the Iberian Peninsula, and contribute to global climate stability." Both sides have pledged to enhance cooperation in jointly managing and preventing emergencies related to global warming.
Montenegro stated: "Climate security is not a matter of left or right; it is part of our responsibility to protect citizens." Sánchez added: "Climate change is not a left or right issue; we are talking about science and should listen to the experts. If no action is taken, we will ultimately pay a high price in both lives and money." This Spain-Portugal summit, delayed due to the Adamus accident, began by honoring the victims and was attended by a total of 10 Spanish ministers and 7 Portuguese ministers.
The Iberian Peninsula is at the center of the climate crisis, with frequent extreme events. For example, the persistent sequence of storms earlier this year indicates increased rainfall intensity in the region. The La Rábida declaration advocates for promoting the joint development of hydrological plans for shared river basins, coordinating drought and flood response systems, and strengthening the exchange of hydrological information. Both countries also pledged to cooperate in early warning and risk impact assessments, fostering a civic culture of preventing climate emergencies.
Spain and Portugal are united in tackling floods and fires. This summer's heatwaves led to the most severe wildfires in decades in the northwestern part of the peninsula. It is estimated that over half of the EU's fire-affected area in 2025 will be concentrated in these two countries. Therefore, both sides agreed to enhance coordination in nature conservation, wildfire prevention, and civil protection during extreme events.
The declaration emphasizes relying on scientific knowledge to improve preparedness and coordinating actions to combat misinformation in support of effective climate action. In the energy sector, both countries committed to close cooperation in cross-border environmental assessments for energy projects, promoting renewable energy development and grid integration to support the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest.
Portugal and Spain reaffirmed their commitment to integrating the climate security dimension into public policies and promoting this approach in multilateral forums such as the EU and the United Nations. Both countries expressed confidence in multilateralism as a crucial pillar for addressing climate challenges, emphasizing cooperation to tackle global climate issues.
