Sánchez assures that Spain has reduced CO2 emissions associated with electricity by 17%.

Madrid, July 28 (EFE).- Spain has reduced CO2 emissions associated with electricity generation by 17% compared to the previous year as part of the government's "third priority": climate change adaptation and mitigation, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized Monday.

Taking stock of the current political situation and reporting on the government's actions over the past six months at a press conference in Moncloa, Sánchez reviewed the executive's achievements in relation to the priorities agreed upon two years ago, which also include the economy and employment, strengthening the welfare state, and strengthening institutions.

"A conscious policy"

In his appearance, Sánchez recalled that in 2018, the first measure adopted by his government was the declaration of a climate emergency in the country, and since then, Spain has had "a consistent policy of energy transformation and adaptation and mitigation to this climate emergency."

Over the last six months, "very important" measures and laws have been promoted, according to the head of the Executive, such as the Law on the Prevention of Food Loss and Waste, "which will help prevent more than 1.3 million tons of good food from being wasted each year in the country—equivalent to all the food that goes into 26 million domestic refrigerators in this country."

"We have strengthened the protection of our ecosystems, declared ten new special conservation areas within the Natura 2000 Network, extended the Moves III program, which seeks to promote electric and connected vehicles, and we have managed to reduce our CO2 emissions associated with electricity generation by 17% compared to the previous year," he stressed.

Reduction of greenhouse gases

Sánchez considered all of this a "source of pride" for Spain, as it indicates that the country is growing and that the economy "is growing strongly, with quality employment, with social cohesion," and with a "fairly significant reduction, compared to 2018, in greenhouse gases and CO2."

"This has a lot to do with a policy that combines economic growth with the ecological transition, and we demonstrate, in the face of those who deny the data and the science, that we can grow and reduce CO2 emissions," he said.

Sánchez also noted that the actions taken by his government in this area have led to Spain being named "the fifth most sustainable major economy in the world" in a ranking compiled by Yale University (USA).

"Even so, it's clear that we cannot become complacent because climate change continues to advance, and Spain, along with many other European countries, is still far from being the green and resilient country we dream of," he warned.

He also considered that we must continue promoting the circularity of production systems, "so that waste becomes a major resource for other industries," and therefore we must continue investing in renewable energy, storage, and energy interconnections.