Climate-KIC Spain participates as an expert in the conference to elaborate the future Spanish Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition

Spain, on its road to economic recovery, growth and sustainability, has in its roadmap the creation of the future Spanish Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition. In addition to being fully convinced that the commitments made with the signing of the Paris Agreement are not only beneficial to our planet and our society, because the challenge of climate change can be also an opportunity for sustainable growth and job creation for Spain.

The commitment made by the current government to draft a law that would give voice to all parties and actors to develop a consensual legal framework, began to come true last week in Madrid with a conference of experts to draft the Spanish bill on Climate Change and Energy Transition.

The conference was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, the Environment Minister, Isabel García-Tejerina, and the Energy Minister, Álvaro Nadal.

At the opening, Rajoy said that “to tackle climate change, we must focus on the work of those communities, social movements and civil society that suffer the impacts of climate change day by day.” And also revealed that “new policies and measures are necessary to comply” with the objectives that Spain has as a member of the EU and signer of the Paris Agreement, reason why the Government of Mariano Rajoy has committed to approve a Law of Climate Change and Energy Transition.

In her speech, García Tejerina stated that this law “is the appropriate instrument to drive the necessary transition towards a new economic model, low in emissions, with a vocation of permanence”, which requires a broad social and political consensus.

The law should “facilitate the accomplishment of the International and European commitments that Spain has taken on”, the representative of the Environment also pointed out.

Climate-KIC Spain, through its General Director Jose-Luis Muñoz, has been invited as a key expert in designing proposals that facilitate the paradigm shift and the transition to a new model of economy.

TRANSITION TO A NEW ECONOMIC MODEL IN THE DEBATE DAYS

The discussions that have been developed in this framework and have been dealt all the issues in depth, with reflections from all points of view and with the leading experts in those areas of knowledge. In her statements, the minister has said that the sum of all must allow us to find a balance to position ourselves at the lead of the new model of development in action for the climate and to set up a European leadership. “The government is ready to listen, because we want Spain to be ready to lead the transition to a new low carbon model” Garcia-Tejerina also said.

The work developed in these two days has focused on agriculture, food, forestry, cities, transport, energy, industry and adaptation to climate change.

The Director of Climate-KIC Spain, Jose-Luis Muñoz, has been the spokesperson to showcase the conclusions of his table on the New “Law of Climate Change and Energy Transition” in Spain.

Some of these proposals are in line with the Climate-KIC strategy, such as the fostering of public-private partnerships, support for training, innovation and entrepreneurship, that means the support of the knowledge triangle integration as a basis for the creation of the new economy and new employment niches. It was also proposed the development of tax balance mechanisms and incentives for innovation and effective solutions to tackle climate change, as well as the promotion of ecodesign and the concept of waste as a resource, to integrate them into a circular economy strategy.

In his speech, Muñoz also congratulated the Spanish Government on this strategic and participatory initiative, while shift the need to create a steady, long-term, predictable, coherent and harmonized legal framework throughout the national territory, as well as the importance of coordination between administrations and other existing legislation.

Muñoz, in the context of his participation in this debate, commented, “the fact that Climate-KIC has been invited as an expert to this important debate that will set up the Spanish legal framework, where it will be developed the measures and actions to accomplish the commitments made by the Paris Agreement, shows that our community and initiative is one of the main European players in the field of fighting climate change and we have much to contribute to the national policies…”

The conclusions of these sessions will be an important contribution that will be used to elaborate the Law of Climate Change and Energy Transition. However, the minister has warned that “this is only the beginning,” as we are called to ensure an orderly transformation of our economy towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. “We want to continue with this model in which we all contribute our ideas and solutions,” he completed.

All the contributions of the working sessions will be published soon. In addition, a public consultation process will be initiated previous to the drafting of the bill, which expects the active participation of all Spanish society.