Initiatives to tackle climate change. How Extremadura aims to fight against global warming while empowering youth and developing their own economy

It is undeniable that climate is one of the big challenges that humanity has to face. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations (IPCC), it is undeniable that humans are the one causing climate change and the rising of the temperatures and the level of the oceans is now irreversible. Some of the conclusions of the IPCC also were that weather is getting more extreme, with droughts, floods and heavy rain and snow getting more frequent; soon the summer in Artic areas will be free of ice, with the average low of Artic sea level at their lowest in thousands of years; and, maybe the more dreaded conclusion of all, that humanity is running out of time to, at least, minimize and contain the effects of climate change.

In order to tackle this problematic, the government of Spain has issued some laws and initiative to help the country transition towards a greener future, where the main source of power will come from renewable energies instead of fossil fuels and the country will reduce its emissions as much as possible. With Extremadura being one of the regions of Spain with the greatest number of protected natural spaces, as well as being focused mainly on the primary and tertiary sectors for its economic activities, it is one of the main areas of interest for the near future of the country.

In this regard, there are several initiatives being currently carried out in the region that aim to help Extremadura to develop business activities to tackle the problematic of climate change, help young people acquire new tools and capacities and become involved in the fight against climate change and, in general, to change rural areas into spaces where young people can stay, get training and develop their business activities, thus becoming actors of change in their territories.

Projects such as “eNEET Rural”, also funded by the EEA and Norway Grants, aims to facilitate entrepreneurship and to improve skills of NEETs living in rural areas and are mainly focused into the research and innovation in the field of agriculture, and are currently being implemented in the region by the Agricultural and Food Technological Centre (CTAEX). From a more institutional point of view and having in mind the big picture and general development of the region, FUNDECYT-PCTEX fosters new and innovative perspectives to fight climate change and help the region transition towards a greener and more environment-focused economy. With initiatives and events such as the Green Disruption Summit, where strategic stakeholders on a national and international level come together to discuss new ways to achieve economic growth while being respectful to the environment, and the High Technology Incubator in Bioeconomy and Circular Economy (IAT), where young people have the opportunity to develop their business ideas while getting specialized in a methodological framework focused on bio and circular economy, FUNDECYT-PCTEX aims to help in the fight against climate change and to enable young people to be the actors of this change while also serving as catalyst for a future revolution in their territories.

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