Spain is making progress in its fight against climate change, according to the latest report prepared by the Sustainability Observatory (OS), an association that ensures compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the 2030 Agenda and other initiatives that ensure a future based on sustainability.
In its conclusions, the organization points out that, in 2023, greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 5.3% compared to the previous year. If compared with the data obtained in 1990 (first with records), it represents 3.3% less and 36.6% less compared to 2005, the year in which the worst data of the last three decades were recorded.
In the opinion of the authors of the report, the reduction achieved this year “marks the appropriate direction” to reach the 2030 objectives of the Climate Change law. Even so, they warn, the pace of decarbonization will have to be increased and reduced by at least 7.5% each year.
The report Evolution of greenhouse gas emissions in Spain (1990-2023) shows an uneven transformation. After the decrease in 2018, 2019 and 2020, emissions grew again in 2021 and 2022, to decrease in 2023.
If the data is confirmed, the OS believes that it will represent the largest drop “along with that of the crisis unleashed by the coronavirus, which represented the largest decrease in emissions in 2020.”
The main author, economist and head of climate change at the OS, José Santamarta, attributes this reduction to the increase in hydraulics and the increase in the penetration of renewables, especially photovoltaics. Furthermore, he adds that “the increase in gas could be reduced if the storage capacity with pumping and especially solar thermal energy increases.”
Hydroelectric production grew by 43%, pumping by 41%, wind power grew by 3.8% and photovoltaic power by 33%. Wind power alone prevented the emission of 30 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2023, they add. In addition, according to data in the report, oil consumption decreased by 2.1% compared to the previous year and natural gas fell by 13.4%.
Although the authors of this report point out that progress is being made in the right direction, they call for eliminating gas from the equation as soon as possible, unlocking and increasing investments in solar thermal, reducing intensive livestock farming and promoting self-consumption until at least 20GW is installed and the massive implementation of renewable photovoltaics in areas without ecological value such as artificial areas, parking lots or landfills.
Furthermore, they remember that “the magnificent opportunity of Next Generation funds must be taken advantage of to finally decarbonize the economy and allow a low-carbon green recovery.”
