Graça Carvalho spoke at the opening of the 13th edition of Universidade Europa, a political training initiative that brings together around 70 young people in Curia (Aveiro), with speeches on Sunday by the Prime Minister and leader of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, and the head of the European list of the AD (a coalition that will bring together PSD, CDS-PP and PPM), Sebastião Bugalho.

In a panel dedicated to the environment and climate, which also featured a speech by MEP Lídia Pereira, the Minister of the Environment and Energy was questioned about the impact on Portuguese agriculture of the EU's increasingly stringent demands.

"Work must be done to modernise and introduce new technologies in different sectors. Much has already been done in industry, it is being done in transport, and a similar effort must be made in agriculture. Agriculture can have a lower impact on the environment than it does, if it uses all available scientific knowledge," said Graça Carvalho.

The former MEP stressed that the priority of European funding for agriculture will be precisely this: "Using knowledge to reduce impact, because it is possible to have a lower impact," she said.

MEP Lídia Pereira -- the only "repeater" on the PSD list in 2019 for the European elections on 9 June -- admitted that a great effort is being asked of farmers, but stressed that "she has not met any" who are not concerned about the impact of climate change.

Regarding the recent past in this sector, the minister considered that "Portugal has made a commendable effort in renewable energies", but pointed out areas where the country is "frankly bad".

"We have 38% of emissions in the transport sector, when the European average is 28% - this is largely due to the fact that we have completely abandoned, or largely abandoned, the railway," she said, promising that she will work with the current Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, in this area.

Other priorities identified by the minister include reducing energy poverty - warning that there will have to be a "major private and public investment" in improving the energy efficiency of buildings - increasing recycling rates and improving water management, an area in which she acknowledged "a complicated situation", with part of the Algarve and Alentejo already in a situation of permanent scarcity.

"The first policy is to try to reduce consumption, with the involvement of people, reduce losses and use recycled wastewater, for example on golf courses and gardens," she said.

In this regard, she committed to continuing the previous government's project for the Algarve desalination plant, which is already open for tender - "we hope to have it up and running soon" - and to take advantage of "the dams that exist and are still underused".

"They have to be the first priority and only after all this should we think about new things," she said.

The two speakers defended the European Union's commitment to the fight against climate change, stressing that the European continent produces 7% of greenhouse gas emissions (it was 14% in 2009), compared to almost 27% in China, and highlighted the importance of international negotiations.

"We have to lead by example, no one will follow us if we don't," said the minister, committing to a strong Portuguese presence at the next climate summit, in Baku, in November, despite confessing that it is "a bit strange" to hold this event "in a place that smells of oil everywhere".

"That will not stop us from being there and doing our negotiation and appealing to others to make an effort at least equivalent," she said.

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