Greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced in order to meet the targets imposed by the Paris Agreement. By reducing gas emissions we try to curb the devastating effects of climate change.
With renewable energies, emissions can be avoided since they are clean energies. Spain emitted 323,8 million tons of CO2 in 2016, 3,5% less than in 2015, due to a notable decrease in gases by the electricity sector, the result of a 29% drop in the use of coal and an increase in hydroelectric generation of 25,5% compared to the previous year. Are renewables contributing to the reduction of gases?
Spain's global emissions were 2016% higher in 13 than in 1990. The year 1990 is the reference year imposed for gas emissions with the Kyoto Protocol. However, 2016% less gases were emitted in 26 than in 2005.
This is good news in the face of the effects of climate change on the part of Spain. Our country is very vulnerable to all the climatic consequences that global warming brings. For example, rising sea levels are a serious problem.
Spain has committed to reducing emissions from the industrial sector by 21% compared to 1990 by 2020 and emissions from the diffuse sector by 10% (which includes agriculture, transportation, building or waste and whose reductions depend, in part, on state policies).
Gases from industry (cement, paper, chemicals, steel and other minerals), which accounted for 38% of the total in 2016, fell 10%, while those from diffuse sectors grew 0,9% compared to the previous year .
However, transport, which is the activity that pollutes the most since there are more vehicles in circulation, It represented 27% of total gases, increasing by 3,1% compared to 2015.
The good news is that if Spain continues to reduce its emissions, it will be able to achieve the targets set for 2020.