President Carrasco asserts in R20 that regions must manage environmental policies

The  president of ORU-Fogar, the prefect Paul Carrasco, who has participated in the World Summit of Regions for Climate which took place in Paris on October 10th and 11th, has signed a declaration in which national governments are asked to perform and being involved in policies and defined commitments for the COP21 to be held in Paris in 2015.

The Summit, organized by R-20 and that had attendants  such as its honorary president, ex-governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has gathered regional leaders from all continents, as well as a significant presence of French important political personalities, business representatives and academics.

The prefect  Carrasco has intervened in the plenary claiming a prominent role of regions  in the fight against the climate change. “From ORU FOGAR – he said – we defend the trust put into the planning as well as into the territory management of  regional, intermediate  and  subnational governments. Consequent of this conviction, we believe that we, as governments of the territory, should manage environmental policies and policies against the climate change. In Europe back in the 80’s, some regional governments already began to create ministries and structures related with the environment. 

Today, if there are enough resources, subnational governments from all over the world, are able to take on this assignment and be much more efficient that state governments”.

In the  closing  remarks, the honorary president and founder of R-20, Arnold  Schwarzenegger explained how California has become a pioneer in carbon reduction policies, as well as the policy of saving energy and reducing costs, while encouraging regional governments to lead these policies.

The prefect, Mr. Carrasco, accompanied by the Secretary General of ORU-Fogar, Carles Llorens, has held meetings with the president and the secretary general  of R-20, Michèle Sabban and Christopher Nuttall, to see how the two organizations of regions  could cooperate at the same time that some regions turn into pilot territories for the projects of carbon reduction and energy saving  of the R-20.