Ribera stated that officials should use the heatwave to remind us: "we cannot allow ourselves to be intimidated and remain silent" under the pressure of the fossil fuel industry and its supporters. Ribera criticized those who listen to the interests of the fossil fuel industry instead of scientists and concerned citizens. "This is a dramatic warning that nature is sending us again about what the change in the climate system means," she said in an interview with the publication. "What we are experiencing today (in the form of record heat) is what we knew could happen, but we were not wise enough to eliminate the root causes. And there is still a fierce struggle against facts, science, preparedness, and investments (in clean energy), so we are failing people. We need to reject such nonsense based on lies and contrary to people's interests," Ribera added. She accused the "meaningless and ideologically motivated nonsense" propagated by interest groups of claiming that climate policy – in particular, the EU's "green deal" – is allegedly unpopular. "I am tired of hearing that 'people no longer support the green deal'… that is not true. People want clean water without pollution. People want to breathe clean air and have healthy ecosystems, not polluted water, a lack of ability to grow crops, and cities that are unlivable due to the heat," she said.