The latest available data shows that efforts made to promote energy production and consumption from renewable sources are insufficient.

Despite the excellent natural resources, territories in the cooperation area continue to depend on fossil fuels for both producing electrical energy and for transport, with renewable energy (mainly wind and photovoltaic solar) only a symbolic presence at present. This also creates excessive vulnerability to energy crises.

In order to progress in the transition towards a sustainable energy model, which will contribute to a move towards a low-carbon economy that is compatible with environmental preservation, MAC will support actions that support greater penetration of renewable energies, especially wind and solar energy in its different forms, but also promoting the implementation of alternative energies such as biomass or geothermal energy.

This, together with measures to promote energy saving and efficiency, will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and therefore mitigate climate change.

Additionally, as these energies are markedly decentralized in nature, they can also contribute to a new energy model paradigm based on distributed generation. This may be of particular interest to third countries in the cooperation space, and there are already some relevant experiences in previous MACs related to the development of renewable plants linked to local consumption.

In addition, the vast maritime area covered by the cooperation space opens up excellent opportunities to promote the development of marine renewable energy, especially offshore wind power, taking advantage of new techniques and the possibility of floating platforms.

Finally, within the framework of this specific objective, attention will be paid to promoting sustainable mobility with a view to reducing energy consumption and dependence on oil in the transport sector, with the aim of replacing oil with alternative energies, which will also contribute to improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Projects under this objective are expected to contribute to the Atlantic 2.0 Action Plan for a sustainable, resilient and competitive blue economy. There are important synergies between this specific objective and Priority 1 – Smart MAC, to the extent that energy saving and efficiency measures and promoting the incorporation of renewable energies in companies, particularly in SMEs, will directly improve competitiveness.

There are important synergies between this specific objective and Priority 1 – Smart MAC, to the extent that energy saving and efficiency measures and promoting the incorporation of renewable energies in companies, particularly in SMEs, will directly improve competitiveness.

Actions that may contribute to this specific objective consist mainly of feasibility studies, impact analysis, exchange of good practices and pilot actions. By way of a non-exhaustive list, the following are highlighted:

Climate change is possibly the most important shared problem faced by the territories in the cooperation space and is one where joint action is essential.

The impact of climate change is felt on human health, productive sectors, natural resources, and land and marine biodiversity, while the frequency and intensity of adverse meteorological phenomena increases. Heat and cold waves, droughts, extreme rainfall, floods and weather events such as hurricanes and tropical storms, increase every year around the world, affecting the lives of millions of people and their essential access to the most basic food and water resources.

Famine and poverty, desertification, the devastation of territories and rising sea levels due to climate change all have negative consequences for communities in the cooperation space, who are especially exposed and vulnerable to these impacts. Global warming causes socio-political instability, generating the forced displacement of millions of people.

This specific objective focuses on actions aimed at building and generating resilience and adaptation to climate change.

Additionally, the territory faces other risks and natural catastrophes not directly linked to climate change, such as seismic and volcanological risks, forest fires and marine and coastal pollution.

The natural disasters that have occurred in recent years have caused human loss in addition to considerable damage to the territory and economy and highlight the importance of continuing to cooperate to jointly prevent and manage emergencies. The recent volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma has highlighted how exposed the Macaronesia archipelagos are to this type of catastrophe, in particular Azores, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. The consequences of natural disasters have serious consequences and demonstrate the importance of continuing to invest in cooperation, in particular the exchange of experiences and the generation of economies of scale, which contribute to reducing the vulnerability of these territories.

Projects under this objective are expected to contribute to the Atlantic 2.0 Action Plan for a sustainable, resilient and competitive blue economy. Specifically, they are expected to contribute to the two Objectives of the third pillar of this Plan (Healthy Ocean and Resilient Coasts): Strengthening coastal resilience and combating marine pollution.

The type of actions will include, among others, the following:

The MAC territories are committed to a development model in which products, materials and resources remain in the economic sphere for as long as possible, and in which the least possible amount of waste is generated. This transition towards a Circular Economy that prioritizes efficient resource consumption represents a paradigm shift in the productive world. As such, it is a disruptive milestone aimed at transforming the way energy is produced, distributed and consumed.

Public policies must aim to create a framework that enables business and society to transition from a linear to a circular economy: companies that innovate and generate knowledge and a society that adapts its consumption habits.

The transition towards a more efficient use of resources also represents an opportunity to improve the welfare of the broader community, as well as the quality of the environment.

The characteristics of the business sector in the cooperation space, with a very high presence of micro-enterprises, make this transition difficult, due to the fact that the companies have a reduced investment capacity.

Therefore, within the framework of this objective, MAC will prioritize actions that clearly focus on environmental sustainability, but also on the competitiveness of the productive system, with special attention to the potential positive effects of a transition to the Circular Economy for generating new economic sectors and creating quality employment.

Priority will be given to actions that aim to increase production capacity on a sustainable basis, reducing the ecological footprint, increasing self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on energy inputs from fossil fuels, and promoting industrial capacity for waste treatment with a view to its reuse.

Quality employment and training for employment in the green economy sector will be promoted as a foundation for the transition to the Circular Economy, including social economy companies and those that promote a gender-sensitive approach. This includes initiatives aimed at promoting the implementation of a circular economy through new business models with novel proposals that optimize the use of natural resources and reduce their environmental impact. This implies the incorporation of ICTs, the promotion of new models of collaborative economy and/or the incorporation of new services to the traditional product sales model, enabling a move towards less dependence on the consumption of materials.

Although all productive sectors will be affected, special attention will be paid to the tourism sector, promoting actions that create sustainable tourist destinations, in which circularity is a feature of competitiveness.

These actions focused on the productive system’s competitiveness will be complemented by actions aimed at promoting responsible consumption to the broader society, with the goal of closing cycles and with a preference for local production whenever possible.

Finally, the potential of archipelagos in the cooperation space will be harnessed to create a benchmark for the implementation of the Circular Economy in island territories, developing a sustainable model for generating endogenous value that contributes to the broader community’s quality of life, through the responsible use of natural resources and the protection of ecosystems.

Projects under this objective do not in principle contribute specifically to the pillars of the Atlantic Action Plan, although there may be actions related to the blue economy that contribute to pillars one and two of the Atlantic Action Plan.

The type of actions will include, among others, the following:

The vast marine-maritime territory and the ecosystems, and biodiversity, of Macaronesia islands and African partner countries offer interesting possibilities to carry out projects on green infrastructure, green and blue economy promotion, and protection of the rich natural heritage of the area.

A green infrastructure is defined as a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural spaces and other environmental elements designed and managed in such a way as to offer a wide range of ecosystem services. It includes green spaces (or blue in the case of aquatic ecosystems) and other physical elements incorporated into land (natural, rural and urban) and marine areas.

Among the multiple functions of the Green Infrastructure are those related to the environment – protecting ecosystems and biodiversity – and those related to the economy – promoting the development of the green economy, job creation and sustainable management in the territory.

From an environmental point of view, investment in green and blue infrastructure can effectively contribute to the goal of reducing biodiversity loss. As stated in the EU Strategy on Biodiversity for 2030, in the last four decades, the global population of wildlife species has reduced by 60% as a result of human activity and almost three quarters of the surface of the Earth have been altered. The current network of protected areas is not big enough for biodiversity to be safeguarded, and the creation of green infrastructures is presented as an effective solution.

But green infrastructure is more than just an instrument for conserving biodiversity. It can make an important contribution to regional and local development, climate change mitigation, disaster risk management, agriculture and forestry, and environment goals.

From an economic point of view, green infrastructure can be a catalyst for growth, attracting domestic investment and generating jobs, reducing environmental costs and generating health benefits. Investing in green infrastructure can help to breathe new life into the economy by encouraging innovative approaches and creating new green businesses. “Green” jobs already represent approximately 5% of the labour market. It is no longer a question of finding a compromise between the economy and the environment, but rather of increasingly appreciating synergies and mutual benefits.

The extensive marine-maritime area in the cooperation space as well as the unique ecosystems of the Macaronesia islands offer interesting possibilities for developing green infrastructure projects at the scale of the MAC transborder/transnational space. This would not only generate considerable benefits by ensuring the resilience and vitality of some of the most precious ecosystems in Europe and the West African coast but could also become a flagship initiative for the promotion of green infrastructure at national, regional and local levels, through coordinated and joint actions.

Projects under this objective are expected to contribute to the Atlantic 2.0 Action Plan for a sustainable, resilient and competitive blue economy. Projects under this objective are expected to contribute to the Atlantic 2.0 Action Plan for a sustainable, resilient and competitive blue economy. Specifically, they are expected to contribute to the two Objectives of the fourth pillar of the Plan (Healthy Ocean and Resilient Coasts): Strengthening coastal resilience and combating marine pollution. they could also contribute to the second pillar: Blue Skills of the Future and Ocean Literacy.

In parallel, other actions will continue to be supported that are aimed at protecting and conserving the rich natural heritage that exists in the cooperation space, as well as forms of use and management that are compatible with sustainable economic activities.

The types of eligible actions include, among others: