The challenge of 2023 will be to prop up the “post-oil” Ecuador that receives more income from conservation, says Gustavo Manrique, Minister of Environment

The creation of the Hermandad Reserve in the Galapagos and the increase in protected areas and water protection are part of the positive that occurred this year in Ecuador in relation to the protection of nature, he assures Gustavo ManriqueMinister of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition.

Meanwhile, what remains pending and is a challenge, according to the official, are the controls on illegal mining that destroyed large areas of the Amazon and the oil companies that have staged oil spills that contaminated rivers in 2022. Manrique affirms that in 2023 the Government also seeks to cement the “post-oil Ecuador” where economic resources are increased by promoting conservation although, he clarifies, while continuing to extract oil or minerals.

This year began with the creation of the Brotherhood and what is considered a milestone for conservation. What are the positive aspects that Ecuador achieved in favor of the environment this past year?

Brotherhood is very powerful beyond concept per se of the protection of underwater flora and fauna. From that process I rescue that it was in consensus with the fishermen, between four countries, which already has an international financing mechanism of 150 million dollars.

Now, on the subject of environmental quality, we have delivered 39 environmental licenses that add up to 955 million dollars in investment and that generate 5,800 jobs. The previous government in the same period delivered two.

We have suspended 151 mining companies that did not comply with environmental parameters. We also established the obligation to recycle 85% of used lead batteries. We created the obligation to recycle electrical and electronic waste in 700 tons per year. We also created the obligation to recycle lubricating oils. All this because we want to go from 4% of the level of waste recycling that the country has at a national level to 20%

We also created the professional certification of the basic recycler. We have increased the protected national territory (marine and terrestrial) by 42%. This includes new areas and others that were expanded. In addition, we have promoted the incorporation of 44 new species of flora and fauna. We have created the first deforestation-free production certificate. We received two million dollars, for indigenous communities, through the REDD+ program for reducing percentages of deforestation.

We created the Ecuador Carbono Cero program for companies to measure their footprint and reduce it. In water protection, we created ten new water protection areas. We have signed conservation agreements for 400 million dollars. The ten-point plan to finance the planet’s biodiversity was also presented.

Nevertheless, During the year there were difficult issues such as the spill of more than 6,000 barrels of oil in Napo and we saw the damage caused by the illegal mining in Yutzupino, also in Napo. What are the negative aspects of this year?

What is pending is the control of illegal mining, without a doubt it is a challenge, but it is part of organized crime. It is proven that illegal mining, wildlife trafficking and drug trafficking are connected and that is why the popular consultation is relevant.

Illegal mining contaminates water, deforests, white slavery, it has all the evils attached to it. I think we also have a lot to improve on logging controls. In the oil sector we have a challenge and controls must be improved. The spill that you mention, thank God, we were able to collect more than 5,500 barrels.

I also believe that we can continue to improve efficiency in procedures. When we arrived there were more than 136,000 procedures on hold and we have processed more than 80,000. In addition, I believe that we must continue to improve environmental education because, although public policy is important, in the end we do not need 8,000 million perfect environmentalists, but imperfect ones so that each one can do their own thing, denounce them. When the community

In addition, it is necessary to continue creating the structure and legal framework that allows Ecuador to be a world power in carbon sequestration to mobilize resources for indigenous peoples and nationalities. Today there is a worldwide frenzy to save the planet and much of this is in the carbon dynamics. Ecuador has an opportunity there and that is why question eight of the popular consultation, which if approved, will allow peoples and nationalities to be compensated for their conservation efforts. The current government is working for this post-oil Ecuador.

Large-scale mining companies have already begun to appear in the country’s framework indicators. They are the ones that generate the most income and the ones that have the most net profits. Does that post-oil Ecuador include industrial mining?

In post-oil Ecuador, you don’t have to lower income, rather you have to raise it. Where from? Income from conservation, from regenerative tourism, from genetic material that is in our Amazon to manufacture medicine, from active ingredients to make sustainable cosmetics, from carbon sequestration. The construction of a post-oil Ecuador has to be based on conservation.

All this in terms of new income, but the reality is that we have to accept that minerals are part of the resource to save the planet whether we like it or not. How do we change diesel cars to electric ones if we don’t have the minerals for the new engine, how do I stop pumping oil to generate energy if I don’t have the silicon for the solar panel, how do I make the steel tower that is needed to generate wind power?

It must be accepted that minerals are necessary in this transition. A few weeks ago the 8 billionth inhabitant of the planet was born and he will need a house, a car, food and so on. You have to accept the minerals and to say otherwise is to have a formula that I don’t know or have double standards.

The challenge is to extract with zero net loss of biodiversity, when the water is returned it is in better condition compared to when it was collected and the community is wealthier compared to when they first entered (to build a mine). All this is possible. (YO)