Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez delivers a speech during the first day of the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) on December 02, 2019 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo: Europa Press News/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Dec 01, 2019
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez kicked off COP 25 in Madrid, Spain on Monday by condemning the "handful of fanatics" who continue to deny the reality of the climate crisis as it wreaks havoc across the globe and threatens to render large swathes of the planet uninhabitable.
Sanchez, leader of the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and proponent of a Green New Deal for Spain, did not condemn any nations or world leaders by name. But Sanchez implored the international community to combat "alternative facts," an apparent shot at the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
"No one can escape this challenge by themselves. There is no wall that can protect any country, regardless of how powerful it is."
--Pedro Sanchez, Spanish prime minister"For years, several versions of climate change denial were in circulation," said Sanchez. "Today, luckily only a handful of fanatics deny the evidence. No one can escape this challenge by themselves."
"There is no wall that can protect any country, regardless of how powerful it is," Sanchez added in another thinly veiled jab at the Trump White House, which took the first step toward withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accord last month.
Sanchez said Spain will "lead by example" by crafting climate policy that phases out fossil fuels with sufficient urgency while ensuring a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities.
The PSOE emerged victorious in parliamentary elections in April and November after running on a Green New Deal platform. Following its November win, the PSOE agreed to form a coalition with the left-wing Podemos party as the far-right, climate-denying Vox party quickly gained ground in parliament.
As HuffPost's Alexander Kaufman wrote Sunday, "if Sanchez's center-left vision of a Green New Deal could be criticized for not being ambitious enough, the inclusion of the anti-austerity Podemos could make the country the first to seriously attempt the kind of Green New Deal progressives elsewhere have laid out to curb soaring economic inequality and planet-heating emissions."
"Green New Dealers on both sides of the Atlantic argue that addressing both crises at once is key to staving off a resurgent neo-fascist right wing," Kaufman wrote.
During his speech on Monday, Sanchez stressed the importance of ensuring that the "ecological transition" away from fossil fuels is fair and equitable.
"It must be the lever of change against inequality, it must imply justice and equity," said Sanchez. "Our country has assumed that mandate and is determined to act. Progress, if not sustainable, does not deserve to be called progress."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez kicked off COP 25 in Madrid, Spain on Monday by condemning the "handful of fanatics" who continue to deny the reality of the climate crisis as it wreaks havoc across the globe and threatens to render large swathes of the planet uninhabitable.
Sanchez, leader of the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and proponent of a Green New Deal for Spain, did not condemn any nations or world leaders by name. But Sanchez implored the international community to combat "alternative facts," an apparent shot at the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
"No one can escape this challenge by themselves. There is no wall that can protect any country, regardless of how powerful it is."
--Pedro Sanchez, Spanish prime minister"For years, several versions of climate change denial were in circulation," said Sanchez. "Today, luckily only a handful of fanatics deny the evidence. No one can escape this challenge by themselves."
"There is no wall that can protect any country, regardless of how powerful it is," Sanchez added in another thinly veiled jab at the Trump White House, which took the first step toward withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accord last month.
Sanchez said Spain will "lead by example" by crafting climate policy that phases out fossil fuels with sufficient urgency while ensuring a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities.
The PSOE emerged victorious in parliamentary elections in April and November after running on a Green New Deal platform. Following its November win, the PSOE agreed to form a coalition with the left-wing Podemos party as the far-right, climate-denying Vox party quickly gained ground in parliament.
As HuffPost's Alexander Kaufman wrote Sunday, "if Sanchez's center-left vision of a Green New Deal could be criticized for not being ambitious enough, the inclusion of the anti-austerity Podemos could make the country the first to seriously attempt the kind of Green New Deal progressives elsewhere have laid out to curb soaring economic inequality and planet-heating emissions."
"Green New Dealers on both sides of the Atlantic argue that addressing both crises at once is key to staving off a resurgent neo-fascist right wing," Kaufman wrote.
During his speech on Monday, Sanchez stressed the importance of ensuring that the "ecological transition" away from fossil fuels is fair and equitable.
"It must be the lever of change against inequality, it must imply justice and equity," said Sanchez. "Our country has assumed that mandate and is determined to act. Progress, if not sustainable, does not deserve to be called progress."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez kicked off COP 25 in Madrid, Spain on Monday by condemning the "handful of fanatics" who continue to deny the reality of the climate crisis as it wreaks havoc across the globe and threatens to render large swathes of the planet uninhabitable.
Sanchez, leader of the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and proponent of a Green New Deal for Spain, did not condemn any nations or world leaders by name. But Sanchez implored the international community to combat "alternative facts," an apparent shot at the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
"No one can escape this challenge by themselves. There is no wall that can protect any country, regardless of how powerful it is."
--Pedro Sanchez, Spanish prime minister"For years, several versions of climate change denial were in circulation," said Sanchez. "Today, luckily only a handful of fanatics deny the evidence. No one can escape this challenge by themselves."
"There is no wall that can protect any country, regardless of how powerful it is," Sanchez added in another thinly veiled jab at the Trump White House, which took the first step toward withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accord last month.
Sanchez said Spain will "lead by example" by crafting climate policy that phases out fossil fuels with sufficient urgency while ensuring a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities.
The PSOE emerged victorious in parliamentary elections in April and November after running on a Green New Deal platform. Following its November win, the PSOE agreed to form a coalition with the left-wing Podemos party as the far-right, climate-denying Vox party quickly gained ground in parliament.
As HuffPost's Alexander Kaufman wrote Sunday, "if Sanchez's center-left vision of a Green New Deal could be criticized for not being ambitious enough, the inclusion of the anti-austerity Podemos could make the country the first to seriously attempt the kind of Green New Deal progressives elsewhere have laid out to curb soaring economic inequality and planet-heating emissions."
"Green New Dealers on both sides of the Atlantic argue that addressing both crises at once is key to staving off a resurgent neo-fascist right wing," Kaufman wrote.
During his speech on Monday, Sanchez stressed the importance of ensuring that the "ecological transition" away from fossil fuels is fair and equitable.
"It must be the lever of change against inequality, it must imply justice and equity," said Sanchez. "Our country has assumed that mandate and is determined to act. Progress, if not sustainable, does not deserve to be called progress."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.