To: Valvanera Ulargui, General Manager of the Spanish Office for Climate Change,
SECRETARÍA
Address: Plaza San Juan de la Cruz, 10 – Madrid 28071 (Spain)
Tel: 0034 91 597 67 45/47
e-mail: buzon-dgoecc@miteco.es
Dear Vulvanera Ulargul,
My name is Ron Israel. I am the Director of Climate Scorecard, an international NGO working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Based on a review of Spain’s policies, much can be done to increase your country’s climate ambition, achieve the global goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, and become carbon neutral by 2050. We suggest that at COP28, the Spanish Delegation make the following announcements related to increasing their Paris Agreement NDC pledge and ending the production and use of coal.
#1. Spain could announce Its Strengthened Commitment to the Paris Agreement: The recent revision of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (INECP), which raises your greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target from 23% to an ambitious 32% by 2030, is a highly encouraging step. Furthermore, an even more ambitious approach at COP28 should be considered, aiming for a 65% reduction in emissions and a carbon neutrality target by 2040. To reach this goal, Spain should triple the renewable energy capacity to ensure environmental preservation and benefits for local communities, double energy efficiency by 2030, and implement a comprehensive set of policies that prioritize the average citizen’s needs. Achieving these targets will require a long-term commitment involving the entire Spanish business network, with a special focus on SMEs. Spain should also review the entire range of policies, not just environmental ones, emphasising promoting innovation and fostering broad participation rather than overburdening the economy with excessive taxes in an inflationary environment.
#2 Spain should steadfastly commit to phasing out fossil fuel production by 2030 equitably without relying on carbon capture and storage technologies. This commitment should prioritize an inclusive transition across all sectors and boost the industry’s competitiveness, extending to import and export operations. According to Funcas[1], Spain boasts substantial infrastructure for renewable energy generation; however, it currently falls short of meeting the final energy demand, contributing only about 10% of the required primary energy. Despite this, Spain ranks among the top ten countries globally in terms of the proportional contribution of renewable sources to electricity generation, as indicated by Eurostat in 2022. In the journey towards decarbonizing the economy, electricity plays a pivotal role, serving as the sole energy vector with the necessary maturity to efficiently distribute generated energy for household and major economic sector applications.
Please let us know if Spain can make these commitments at COP28.
Best Regards,
Ron Israel
Director
Climate Scorecard
[1] www.funcas.es