Tatiana Nuño joined Seas At Risk in February 2023, coming from Greenpeace Spain where she was in charge of climate and energy issues. She combines her passion for the ocean with her work in favor of the EU’s marine environment.
What does the change you are trying to achieve look like? Why is the EU important?
I advocate for policies to protect marine biodiversity. Seas At Risk argues for a ban on harmful activities, such as trawl fishing. We want more Marine Protected Areas in the EU to protect vulnerable species and habitats and increase the resilience of marine ecosystems to climate change.
The EU is a very important actor: most environment and conservation policies are adopted at EU level. The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) for example, is key . The EU should set the example by developing consensual frameworks for policies that lead to better ways of life. In the face of the global climate and biodiversity crises, we need policies that are developed in consultation with communities and other stakeholders. The EU has an important role to play in to scale up these policies internationally.
Which challenges are you facing?
Politicians tend to focus on a short-term vision linked to their electoral mandate of 4 or 5 years.This is a problem if we want policies that are sustainable in the long term.
Policy-makers also tend to focus on economic growth, giving less importance to common goods and non-monetary values. Political representatives pay more attention to business than to citizens, business interests trump social interests.
Another challenge is misinformation. Citizens are not getting accurate information about the importance of environmental and social policies and the benefits they bring. We are also seeing the growth of more conservative parties that pay less attention to policies to combat climate change and the biodiversity crisis. I believe that political parties should put aside their differences and work together on environmental policies, because we all need healthy ecosystems.
One tip you want to share with other public interest advocates?
Every effort counts. We have to be persistent, aware, courageous and not give up. It’s important to understand how the European bubble works and how policies are made in order to have an impact. It’s important to stay in touch with citizens and to be truthful and rigorous when we share information, to gain support from stakeholders for policies that put the planet and people first.