In July 2020, the government of Spain announced the closure of 15 coal-fired power plants, arguing the production of electricity was no longer profitable due to a combination of market conditions and political decisions by the European Commission. Coal emission prices make it so that it is more profitable for countries to produce green energy...
In Spain, over 90% of Spaniards are aware that climate change is happening. Whether it’s a rural farmer’s agricultural business struggles, a coastal resident’s hurricane scare, or a city dweller’s new requirements to buy a car with a cleaner engine, climate change affects most, if not all, Spaniards today. Naturally, the academic field concerning climate...
The Spanish job market is notable for its economic downturn during the 2008 recession, which led to a 6-year-long financial crisis, also known as the Great Recession or the Great Spanish Depression. While much of the world also suffered in 2008, the Spanish crisis lasted much longer and dug itself more deeply into Spanish society...
Much of Spain is at risk for climate disasters and changing landscapes over the coming decades, yet most of their climate justice efforts still focus on emerging economies rather than their home country. This focus re-purposes leftover enthusiasm for the COP25, hosted in Madrid in December 2019, and also stems from the fact that Spain...
In early May 2020, the Spanish cabinet approved an important new climate law draft, with the objective of net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan also included an estimated €200 billion in investment, the creation of 350,000 new jobs, and a boost to the national economic growth by 1.8% over the next ten years. This is...
Most of touristic Spain is known for, among other things, its ideal location for warm summers and tasty wine. While the Mediterranean climate that Spain boasts for its tourists is not known for growing many things well, it is well suited for some specific crops such as citrus fruits, olives, figs, and wine. It has...
*Note: Article written April 18, 2020; as this is an evolving situation, data and situations may have changed by the publication of this article. Spain has been one of the countries hardest hit by the COVID–19 pandemic worldwide. As of mid-April, Spain had contributed nearly 200,000 cases of the 2 million across the globe, accounting...
In 2018, Spain underwent a major energy reform, focusing in large part on the renewables sector, something Spain is very proud of and also something that Climate Scorecard often mentions in their Spanish country posts (see here and here). In early 2019, further energy reform was paused while Prime Minister Sanchez was having trouble putting...
As part of the European Union, Spain has historically not had an explicit carbon tax on all products but has generally priced its general energy taxes at high levels for the everyday consumer. Spain began pricing a portion of its carbon in 2014, and according to the OECD’s records from that time, Spain priced over...
2019 was a year of increasing visibility of climate change: motivated global citizens stepped up to the plate and demanded change from global leaders, many 2020 presidential candidates from the U.S. finally put real focus on climate change as one of their top priorities and campaigning strategies, and “climate crisis” was the word of the...
