Oikos, the center-right alternative environmentalism: "It is possible to be green and create jobs and wealth"

Under the premise that the defense of the environment is not the heritage of either the political right or the left, Oikos, a Spanish environmentalist

that promotes "a determined and pragmatic defense of the environment from a liberal-conservative perspective", as advocated by its founders.

A story that, according to Luis Quiroga and Toni Timoner, parents of Oikos, "differs notably from the political reality of other Western countries in the area of ​​the fight against climate change."

"The center right can win elections

and create an ideology that allows voters to feel comfortable being ecologists, but the radical left has tried to monopolize the environment," said Toni Timoner, who decided to found Oikos together with Luis Quiroga after living for years in London and wondering how it was possible that "environmental protection in Spain was so polarized".

"

We have the experience of other countries that show it to us," he stressed during the act held at the Círculo de Bellas Artes .

For this they had the leaders of two other environmental

, more veteran, from the United Kingdom and Germany:

, director of the British Conservative Environment Network, and

at the head of the German EPICO Klima Innovation, shared their experience and their programs 'green' of this "liberal-conservative environmentalism", although as Hall pointed out, "not everything can be applied to the Spanish context".

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The faces of the green transition (XXII).

Sam Hall: "Centre-right parties can win politically with a green agenda"

• Writing: CARLOS FRESNEDA(Correspondent)London

Sam Hall: "Centre-right parties can win politically with a green agenda"

Environment.

The first ecological "think tank" of the Spanish right

• Writing: CARLOS FRESNEDA(Correspondent)London

The first ecological "think tank" of the Spanish right

"In the UK, most of the Conservative Party's messages on climate change have focused on economic opportunities for industries

, such as hydrogen production, carbon sequestration or green finance," said Sam Hall, who founded his think tank in 2014. "Since 2010, with David Cameron, he has won a series of national elections making the green aspect a priority. Theresa May set the goal of net zero emissions in 2050 and Boris Johnson followed the strategy and increased the ambition.

", said the director of the Conservative Environment Network, who stressed that climate change is a cross-cutting problem that concerns any voter.

Environmental policies, he added, are good for both the environment and the economy: "In the UK emissions have fallen by 40% since 1990 and our economy has grown by 78% over the same period. There are 200,000 employees in the green economy and the prime minister has announced a new plan that is expected to create a further 250,000 jobs by 2030."

To achieve decarbonization and a just transition, "markets must be developed and innovation accelerated," he defended.

Market and innovation

Along the same lines, the German Bern Weber, director of EPICO Klima Innovation, a

founded 18 months ago in which they develop concepts to reach zero emissions, pointed out that their agenda is based on market and innovation aspects. .

to achieve net zero emissions," he noted.

Although we are in a security and supply crisis due to the war in Russia, he recalled that the IPCC (the UN group of experts on climate change) reports indicate that we are capable of achieving the goal of zero emissions in 2050, but "continue doing business the way it was done now is not an option.

However, he stressed that

and there is still a lot of work to be done in the storage and digitization chapter, to better synchronize supply with demand.

These investments, he defended, have to be carried out by companies.

Europe's role

Quiroga and Timoner were also supported by Ana Palacio, who stressed the need for more "clarity in the face of confusion" that in her opinion surrounds issues such as climate change and the energy transition, while missing "a debate reasoned".

Europe, he pointed out, "has been a pioneer in defending the environment but has gone through better and worse times, let's remember the fiasco that was the Copenhagen Summit in 2009, but we have continued to evolve."

However, he considers that

which is what is being done, because in this dogma we are beginning to moralize fuels, there are good and bad fuels," added Palacio, who criticized "the hypocrisy from Germany" and the inconsistency between its official discourse and reality, "an industry supported by the gas that has come from Russia".

Ana Palacio, former minister and former MEP, during the ceremonyANGEL NAVARRETE

Although the founders of Oikos present themselves as "the new conservative liberal environmentalism", the former Minister of Foreign Affairs during the second term of José María Aznar and MEP defended that it is not something new that conservatives in Spain defend the protection of the environment .

In this sense, Toni Timoner recalled "that

Between 1996 and 2004 the work channels were established that later allowed transposing all European regulations to always keep up with what we have to make you European partners. We think that all that has gone wrong since 2004, "he said.

From his point of view, "the ideological monopoly that the left has on environmentalism prevents meeting points."

His goal, he added, is "to break an unjust and counterproductive vicious circle."

"Much of the discourse on the left does not provide a satisfactory response to environmental challenges," said Luis Quiroga, who considers that "in order to bring the energy transition to a successful conclusion, an alternative environmentalism is absolutely necessary that should not be limited to offering environmental management more effective and effective, to technocracy. There are other areas where the center right has an opportunity to fill the void left by the left."

Quiroga underlined the economic opportunity that the energy transition represents, something that from his point of view, the British and Germans have understood very well:

perhaps it is a hangover from the Zapatero era, but the reality is that today there is better technology, more human capital and much more financing", pointed out the founder of Oikos, who underlined that there are entrepreneurs who are creating employment and wealth and contributing to the protection of the environment with their business".

The chosen name, Oikos -house or home in Ancient Greece- is also a tribute to the British Sir Roger Scruton.

The author of

considered the bible of right-wing conservationism, spoke of oikophilia or instinctive love for our home, an idea that is at the base of environmental protection.

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