Expatica news

EC targets for carbon emissions expected to benefit Spain

24 January 2008

BRUSSELS/MADRID – An ambitious plan presented yesterday by the European Commission aims to reduce CO2 emissions across Europe in an attempt to reach a global agreement that will replace the Kyoto protocol from 2012 onward. Due to several factors, Spain will find it easier to hit the targets should the plan be approved.

The measures aim to reduce 2020 CO2 emissions by 20 percent with respect to 1990 levels – some 14 percent less than 2005 levels. The plan also intends for 20 percent of the energy consumed in the EU to come from renewable sources, such as wind and solar power. The plan will cost each citizen EUR 3 a week, much less than the estimated EUR 60 cost that would be incurred if no action were taken to prevent by global warming.

The new plan focuses first on industry, which produces 60 percent of total emissions in the EU. Each company will be forced to bid for emission rights – for example, each cement factory will bid against all its European competitors for the right to produce emissions. The sector will be forced to reduce levels by 21 percent by 2020 with regard to 2005 levels.

The reduction of emissions from cars, heating, lighting and so on will be reduced 10 percent by 2020 under the plan. The individual objective for each country will be based on its GDP.

Spain benefits from this new system in several ways. Firstly, 2005 is the year used as a reference point – a year with extremely high emission levels in Spain. The second is that the population level of each country is taken into account. Given the high level of immigration that Spain has seen over recent years, its ceiling for emissions will be higher.

The fact that Spain has already made inroads into moving to renewable energy sources will also assist its adhesion to the proposed plan.

[Copyright EL PAÍS / Andreu Missé / Amelia Castilla / Rafael Méndez 2008]

Subject: Spanish news