Last year, the renowned climate scientist Maisa Rojas, 50, left her academic comfort zone and took the post of Chilean environment minister in the progressive leftwing government of Gabriel Boric. The physics associate professor with an Oxford doctorate was one of many bold appointments in a cabinet that promised to promote ecological and feminist values, social justice and devolution. With Chile suffering prolonged fires, droughts and heatwaves, she has helped the country pass a climate law and a nature law to protect biodiversity.
You are one of the leading scientists in Chile. Why did you enter politics? Is it true that you got involved after the first round of the presidential election, when it seemed that a conservative climate denier, José Antonio Kast, might take power?
Yes, that definitely was a big part of it. I really, really felt that in this critical decade, when climate actions need to be an urgent priority, we could not afford to have a climate denier as president of our country.
