The Azores can only use renewable energy without fossil fuels, but they must change policies and regulations. This idea was defended by the mayor of Angra do Heroísmo, Álamo Meneses, at a conference marking the launch of the TransatlanticClimateAlliance.
“Any of our islands could be totally independent in terms of energy, with the technology that already exists. We could stop importing fossil fuels,” he said.
Former regional secretary for the environment, Álamo Meneses, who holds a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Rhode Island, is for the founding president and executive director of the TransatlanticClimateAlliance, Marc Pacheco, an “important partner” of the organization.
Invited to speak at the alliance’s launch session in Angra do Heroísmo, the mayor said that climate change has already been proven and that, at the moment, there are only two things to do: mitigate its effect and create resilience.
He argued that the Azores are rich in renewable energies, but they need to be made more accessible, and for this, policy and regulation need to change.
“We are protecting the energy companies and not the environment,” he said, claiming there is a lot of resistance to change in the sector.

“We have all kinds of energy available; we need the will and political strength to change. We have a monopoly in the area of energy, which needs to change, because without that change we won’t be able to achieve our goals,” he added, also advocating a change in the tax system so that it stops subsidizing fossil fuels.
According to Álamo Meneses, this change “can only happen if political leaders have the support of the population,” to achieve this, they need to invest in education.
Another sector that represents a challenge for the region is agriculture, “one of the major producers of greenhouse gases.”
“It’s a particularly difficult challenge, because traditionally the agricultural sector is conservative, not very open to change, but we all have to change, together, protecting farmers, who are essential to our survival, but at the same time looking for technological solutions that allow us to produce food with less impact on the atmosphere,” he stressed.
The mayor also warned of the increase in climate refugees, arguing that countries with production capacities must take them in.
“Without good emigration policies, the world will go through difficult times. These people need to move, and at the same time we need them, but we’re not accepting them,” he said.


Led by Marc Pacheco, a Massachusetts senator of Azorean descent, the TransatlanticClimateAlliance was launched on the island of Terceira and aims to unite public and private entities from the Atlantic countries in the fight against climate change.
The organization has the support of the former Vice President of the United States of America, Al Gore, who, in a video message, warned that “the climate crisis is worsening faster than solutions are being implemented”, arguing that “collaboration is essential”.
“I am very optimistic that this alliance will help foster collaboration that is essential to the global efforts needed to solve the climate crisis,” he said.

In Diário Insular-José Lourenço, director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.