Spain approves the first climate change law

The Spanish Congress of Deputies approved a law this May with the aim of curbing climate change, but what does it entail?

Spain’s first climate change law officially came into effect last Thursday, after receiving the support of all parties in parliament except the PP and Más País, who abstained for various reasons, and the opposition of Vox. But beyond the symbolism of these kinds of decisions, you’re probably wondering what this new law actually entails, and we’d like to answer that question: what exactly does this new law do?

At first glance, several commitments can be identified that rangein line with the 2030 Agenda promoted by the United Nationsand the plans of the European Green Deal. Spain has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 23% by the end of the decade, using 1990 levels as a baseline. Furthermore, this commitment doesn’t stop there; it’s merely an intermediate step towards achieving climate neutrality, the deadline for which is 2050 at the latest.

On the other hand, regarding the ever-increasing role of renewable energies, this roadmap stipulates that at least 42% of final energy consumption must be from renewable sources by 2030, reaching 74% of electricity generation from these sources, compared to the current 40%. These targets, according to several media outlets, are expected to be revised upwards in 2023. Furthermore, new hydrocarbon extraction projects in Spain are now prohibited, and the hydraulic fracturing technique, or fracking, is banned.

Regarding mobility and its crucial role in climate change, the big news is the ban on the sale of combustion engine vehicles by 2040 and the requirement that by 2050 the entire fleet of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles must be carbon-neutral. This news, coupled with the requirement for municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants—or 20,000 when they have air quality problems—to establish low-emission zones, positions electric vehicles as the real alternative to current pollution problems.

Regarding the current lack of electric vehicle charging points, service stations will be required to install these charging stations. A phased plan has been created, starting with larger establishments and eventually extending to smaller gas stations. Larger stations will be required to have at least one electric vehicle charging point with a power output of 150 kW or higher within 21 months of the legislation’s approval. Furthermore, new buildings under construction will be required to include these charging devices; this measure will also apply to existing buildings and non-residential private buildings with a capacity of more than 20 people.

Teresa Ribera, Minister for Ecological Transition, has highlighted that“It’s a law that the country needed and that had been postponed for too long.”This, in the words of the minister, has been due to “the degree of involvement and interest” of the different parliamentary groups, after receiving a total of 758 partial amendments in the Lower House, of which 3 have been incorporated – along with another 16 transactional ones – and 585 amendments in its passage through the Senate, of which 5 have been included.

“We are tackling complex challenges at a difficult time for our society, and yet it is in this very situation that the urgency of transforming our development model and our way of life by integrating sustainability and resilience criteria into it becomes fully evident,” Ribera stated.