Spain’s new left-wing coalition government on Tuesday declared a climate emergency and promised to send ambitious legislation to the country’s parliament within the next 100 days—moves that were welcomed by campaigners who responded with calls for “concrete and immediate” action plans.
Tuesday’s declaration came just two weeks after the Spanish parliament voted to approve a coalition government formed by Unidas Podemos and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, following months of failed negotiations between the two parties.
The declaration also came less than a week after Barcelona declared a climate emergency and unveiled 103 measures that are collectively crafted to help Spain’s second-largest city halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. As Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau put it, “This is not a drill, the house is on fire.”
Colau’s comment echoed those of activists worldwide pressuring all levels of government to pursue bold policies that cut emissions and combat the climate crisis. While campaigners across Spain celebrated their government’s declaration, they also vowed to keep fighting for action on par with what scientists say is necessary in a rapidly warming world.
In the Spanish city Huesca, a branch of the global youth climate strike movement Fridays for Future—founded by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg—was among the groups demanding that the nation’s government follow the declaration with urgent action.
“Now it’s time to see… if there will really be major changes that take us away from the catastrophic path we find ourselves on,” declared Extinction Rebellion (XR) Spain.
The global XR account responded to the declaration by tweeting that “we want governments to act together and start solving this #PlanetaryEmergency NOW. #DeedsNotWords #BeyondPolitics.”
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