The Government of Catalonia has joined political institutions around the world in declaring a climate and environmental emergency with the aim of achieving the mitigation objectives set out in the Law on Climate Change, adopted in August 2017. The government has made a commitment to:

 

 

As the text approved today states, the Catalan government is concerned about the impacts that climate change is having now and will have in the future, in Catalonia and around the planet, and believes it is necessary to raise awareness of the danger this phenomena represents, as the scientific community has repeatedly warned. Apart from the obvious impact on ecosystems, climate change could cause significant damage to the Catalan productive economy, ranging from negative impacts on the functioning and maintenance of many infrastructures to significant alterations to the environments in which activities such as tourism, agricultural production, and water- or energy-intensive industry activities are carried out. Health impacts are another important consideration.

 

According to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2018) on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above the pre-industrial level, we need to cut global emissions by around 45% by 2030 (from 2010 levels) and achieve zero net emissions by 2050. Furthermore, a recently published report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES 2019) warns that nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history and that the rate of species extinction is accelerating.

 

In Catalonia, the Third Report on Climate Change (2016) highlights the difficulties that many sectors and ecosystems will face in the coming decades in a warmer, drier climate where extreme phenomena are more frequent, and in an environment that presents a series of particular challenges – for example, water resources are already under intense pressure; there have been drastic changes in land use, the coastline has been significantly altered by human activity; agriculture is excessively focused on feeding animals, and self-sufficiency in food production is low; biodiversity is continuously being lost; renewable energies are not well developed; and urban environments often have high levels of pollution. Tackling all these challenges is vitally important for the welfare of citizens and to ensure that Catalan society remains competitive, fair and cohesive.

 

 

The Law on Climate Change is a turning point and a response to the challenges Catalonia faces. The Law, passed with broad support in Parliament, includes ambitious goals such as achieving GHG neutrality and transitioning to a 100% renewable electricity production model by 2050. Implementing the Law will take determination and committed action by all actors, including civil society and economic sectors – and especially all levels of government.

 

With the participation of civil society and economic sectors, the Catalan government also adopted the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Strategy of Catalonia 2030, which establishes specific objectives and indicators. Civil society is making its voice heard, demanding that governments and political institutions take clear, decisive action. A good example is Fridays for Future, an international movement of school students who are asserting their right to a future without the burden of climate change and demanding that measures be taken to make that future possible.