Gunter Pauli (68 years old, Antwerp, Belgium) is an economist, writer, entrepreneur and father of the concept of the blue economy, which advocates the use of the seas and the return to local production. But he says he sees himself only as “a molester with disruptive ideas that question dogmas.” For this reason, he does not hide his joyful surprise that the University of Cádiz has “taken the risk” of investing him with a doctorate. honoris causa. Pauli took advantage of the event, held this past Thursday, to defend his umpteenth idea: decarbonize maritime transport under the idea of Sea Metroa fleet of small boats with renewable energy that is already working in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
Ask. Was your approach to the blue economy made in 1994 expected to have such impact?
Answer. The book The Blue Economy It has been translated into 60 languages and there are already 23 blue economy government ministries. We are in a very interesting moment because politics has decided to create a framework to implement, and the only reason is because there are concrete projects. When we talk about artificial intelligence, everyone says yes, but specifically, what does it mean? In the case of the blue economy, the largest initial project was on the island of El Hierro, where we verified that it is possible for a small island, far from everything, to be able to recover not only its economy, but to do so with renewable energy.
Q. Have developed countries overcome the idea that progress and environmentalism are opposing elements?
R. We are talking about the regeneration of the ecosystem with its culture. The juxtaposition of economic progress with ecology is a very European thought. But the key is, how do we regenerate the ecosystem? How do we eliminate, for example, in the Marquesas Islands [Polinesia Francesa], the acacias that came from South America and that are invading us? We are going to remove the acacias, with which we will make a substrate to grow edible mushrooms that will reduce the import of food that nowadays arrives frozen. Regeneration of the ecosystem, not just protection, with economic development more focused on self-sufficiency.
Q. Does that mean abandoning the aspiration for eternal economic growth?
R. That model was very good for rebuilding Europe after World War II, but it is not good for health and resilience in these peripheral cultures. There, people do not seek to accumulate money and goods. He seeks the recovery of his culture. And in this recovery of culture, tradition or the ecosystem, there is a very interesting economic phenomenon.
If I buy diesel for my generator, the money goes out and doesn’t come back. If I take advantage of the wind, the fruit or the local chicken, I am importing less and I will circulate money on my island. It is a multiplier effect, which leads to economic growth without setting it as an objective. This is the good thing about the blue economy. We respond better to the need for water, food, health, housing, energy, but with what is locally available.
We need technology. For example, a traditional wind turbine on most islands does not work because the wind is too strong. You need to climb to more meters to capture energy. This technology needs to be imported. Globalization should not be about merchandise, but about technology.
Q. We have seen harsh protests from the European camp, complaining that the 2030 Agenda makes them less competitive.
R. Let’s be honest. What has the green economy brought us? It has given us ecological products at a high cost, putting us out of the market. When you want a green economic transition, but everyone has to pay more, you don’t have it because it’s for the rich. That is why we define the blue economy. You have to change the business model.
Therefore, I understand the farmers’ protest. In the European model we have to pay to be ecological, but to be competitive we need to have the lowest price. Hence the EU subsidies. The future is to transform a subsidy into investment capital so that we have more added value. Europe has not yet adopted this model.
Q. Nor is it at the head of the technological race.
R. Europe has a lot, but at this moment it has a focus that is war. No. It has to be the continent of peace.
Q. Do you think that this bellicose discourse can make the EU slip away from the promised ecological reconversion?
R. Several European countries are already saying that they are not going to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda. But civil society does not have to sit back and say ‘well, it’s already decided’. On the contrary, civil society and, among others, the academic community, have to make other decisions. Therefore, a round of applause to the University of Cádiz for being the first in Spain to have a blue economy course and to decide that there is another model of entrepreneurship.
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