Marta Higueras Garrobo

I am pleased to be joining AURORA's project, which aligns perfectly with my previous experience of working to tackle climate change as Vice-Mayor of Madrid from 2015 to 2019. My experience in politics and government has taught me that social and behavioural changes are often slow to take effect, but they are worthwhile. When our government, led by Manuela Carmena, first introduced the Low Emissions Urban Zone and began implementing political decisions to reduce GHG emissions and pollution in Madrid, some stakeholders expressed doubt about the necessity of acting immediately. Fortunately, the majority of citizens were aware of the necessity to address climate change and were amenable to modifying their detrimental habits. As a consequence of the support that these decisions received, they were maintained by subsequent governments. I am confident that we will be able to gain the public’s backing in addressing the current challenges.