"Studies agree that it is more expensive to wait and not act than to reduce emissions to slow down climate change," says Kepa Solaun, managing partner of Factor Group and professor of Economics and Environment at the University of Navarra.

The expert participated along with three other specialists from the academic center in the round table "Climate change, a multidisciplinary vision" in which the issue of climate was addressed from the point of view of science, architecture, communication and economics. The event, organized by the Scientific Culture Unit of the University of Navarra and the Science Museum, was held on the occasion of the World Climate Summit in Madrid.

Climate change, according to Kepa Solaun, is "a challenge of enormous magnitude because of its global nature and its impact on essential aspects of our economic system". In his opinion, curbing its impact is less costly than addressing its impacts, but "requires coordination, generosity and vision that puts the institutional capacity of the international community to the test". He added that there are multiple options available for companies, governments and citizens to reduce their emissions "with low or even negative costs".

Inmaculada Pascual, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, moderated the round table and introduced the topic as "a complex problem, which must be approached from a holistic perspective and all factors must be taken into account".

Jesús Miguel Santamaría, scientific advisor to the European LifeWatch-ERIC infrastructure and professor of Air Pollution and Chemistry, stated that the generalized increase in global temperature is a clear fact: "Ten of the warmest years since records have been kept have been in the 21st century. Since the Industrial Revolution, greenhouse gas emissions are causing a significant alteration".

Massive and uncontrolled urbanization

For his part, Bienvenido León, Professor of Science Journalism at the University of Navarra, spoke of the fundamental role of the media: "It is necessary for climate change to be definitively placed on the news agenda and to increase its presence in the media, as an issue close to citizens and connected to everyday life".

Finally, the Navarre architect Patxi Mangado spoke, stressing that the problem lies in the "massive and uncontrolled urbanization, lacking in planning, infrastructure and services, which is a disastrous response to the massive influx of rural population". For the architect, this arrival causes disastrous effects on the human, physical and environmental environment.