Despite the critical focus of Spain’s climate policy and action understandably being directed to its two most carbon-intensive industries, energy, and transport, jointly making up about 50% of the country’s total carbon emissions, the agriculture industry has bizarrely been left largely excluded from the environmental spotlight. Yet, contributing to around 3% of GDP, the agricultural...
Looking Back 2022: Extreme Weather Strains Energy Resources Looking Forward 2023: Plan to Secure 74% of Electricity with Renewable Energy Resources After a turbulent year setting off with the wettest march in 61 years, the earliest heatwave in over 40 years, and complete with the warmest New Year’s Day in over 20 years, 2022 has...
The Spanish power grid is considered a legal oligopoly, with the most significant five large companies dominating 84.9% of the market in 2019. Following global trends, the national power grid was largely decentralized and partly liberalized in 1997, separating its generation, transmission, distribution, and supply components. While transmission and distribution remained in complete government control,...
Data Provided on Renewable Energy Generation and Consumption by Red Electrica Following the European Green Deal, which has set binding targets for EU member states to reach by 2030, Spain has drawn considerable attention with its ambitiously laid out National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) 2021-2030, committing to overachieve an expected 32% share of renewables...
Diverging from reducing trends of GHG emissions seen in other industries in the EU, transport-related emissions have steadily increased and subsequently become more pronounced. Transport-related emissions account for a considerable amount of the EU’s total GHG emissions, amounting to 22%, excluding shipping and aviation. In Spain, the situation worsens, with transport emitting 82.5 million tons...
Spain’s sweltering summer came with three abnormally extreme heat waves that occurred sooner, lasted longer, and was categorized with higher intensities compared to previous years. The unambiguous consequences of anthropogenic climate change are becoming ever more apparent. Though decarbonizing the economy should remain at the forefront of national climate policy, the reality of the Anthropocene...
Back to the bars, beaches, and climate negligence. The almost-complete easing of travel-related restrictions in the first quarter of 2022 has jumpstarted recovery in Spain’s tourist industry, reaching around 70% of its pre-pandemic levels. With packed beaches, bars, and nightclubs, the world’s second most important holiday destination is showing nostalgic signs of normality. Despite providing...
After a decade of meager development in renewables onset by policy miscalculations in 2008, Spain has begun to once again bolster momentum in heeding its Paris Agreement obligations. Indicator Frequency Data Source Baseline Measurement (July 2019) First Measurement (July 2022) Monthly electricity demand nationwide (GWh) Monthly RED Electrica 24,283 GWh 23,552 GWh Total electricity generated...
It is well known that any war has a great impact on the environment and on the economy. But, how is it related to climate change policies? First, let’s remember that market instabilities always lead to a strong increase in energy supplies. With the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the price of electricity has reached...
HIGHLIGHTS Passage of Law 7/2021 on Climate Change and Energy Transition Approval of PERTE ERHA (Proyecto Estratégico para la Recuperación y Transformación Económica de Energías Renovables, Hidrógeno Renovable y Almacenamiento) on Renewable Energy, Renewable Hydrogen and Storage Significant Emissions Reduction, Due to the Pandemic NARRATIVE The main greenhouse emission policies/events in Spain for 2021:1)...
