Antoni Riera: "There is no guarantee that the conclusions of the Sustainability Pact will be implemented."

PalmToni Riera, Professor of Applied Economics at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and Director of the Impulsa Foundation, coordinated the first phase of the Pact for Sustainability. This initiative, created two years ago by President Marga Prohens, aims to address overtourism and its associated problems. Following the change in tone from the Balearic Government, which now claims it no longer considers extraordinary measures against overcrowding in the islands "so necessary," Riera advocates for moving towards a more sustainable model.

We are just weeks away from the final peak of this legislative session. Will the Pact for Sustainability be able to finish its work on time?

— I took on the task of laying the groundwork for the transition agenda. Its implementation rests with the Ministry of Labor, which is responsible for the timeline.

How do you assess the Government's change of criteria regarding issues such as the increase in the ecotax (Sustainable Tourism Tax)?

— The Pact was launched because there is a shared social, political, academic, and business awareness that the Balearic Islands must take a step forward towards sustainability. It is true that this debate coincided with a period of social protest due to tourist overcrowding. However, it is more ambitious than simply managing overcrowding. The Pact does not focus solely on overcrowding. It also considers a range of options, including the control, limitation, and regulation of incoming tourist flows. Furthermore, it recognizes the opportunity to implement economic incentives in the form of taxes, subsidies, and other incentives. It does not shy away from the debate on overcrowding: it proposes a wide array of instruments to address congestion and create an increasingly sustainable territory.

But do you think the government should have defended the ITS increase?

— The strength of the Pact lies not in simply saying yes or no to a specific measure, but in having the stakeholders in the Balearic Islands present it as a shared roadmap. We must trust the judgment of this social dialogue forum. It is up to the members of that forum (the Government, island councils, unions, employers' associations, and hoteliers) to interpret it. The document's strength lies in its understanding of sustainability not as a goal to be achieved, but as a highly complex process. There are many variables to manage and improve. This complexity necessitates analyzing all facets of sustainability from a holistic perspective. It doesn't address innovation, agriculture, mass tourism, etc., in separate chapters, but rather analyzes the reality as a whole, taking into account the interconnected effects.

What guarantee is there that the conclusions of this Pact will be implemented?

— It depends on whether the table has them on the table, and then on whether the different parties adopt them. There's no guarantee. This is a tool.

What structural change needs to be made to move towards sustainability in the Islands?

— We all agree that the Balearic Islands must shift from volume to value. More important than what we produce is how we produce it. The key is not whether we produce industry, tourism, or agriculture, but how we produce it. The way it has been produced over the last 20 years has not been satisfactory enough. Not only have we become poorer, but tensions have emerged regarding housing, overcrowding, and access to basic resources. It is clear that a structural change is needed. It's not about ceasing to do one thing to do another, but about doing what we do in a way that generates greater economic, social, and environmental value. This transition is not easy or immediate; it requires a great deal of negotiation, flexibility, and generosity.

But do you understand that this lack of clarity and timing is generating unease in a society that is demanding immediate answers?

— The answer doesn't lie in the Pact; it lies in political action. I have a problem that I've been carrying for a long time, one that has been growing, and I must address it as a society.

Are the results of the Pact still valid, after the left-wing parties and social entities abandoned it?

— Yes. The instrument is there; it was finally built with the contributions of those who were involved, and also those who left. My job was to build it.