Spain: Positive action on climate change
There is now no denying that global warming as a result of climate change is creating a worldwide impact. In territories like the Mediterranean, according to the UN Environment Programme, abnormal temperature fluctuations are leading to extreme weather events, and coastal regions face heightened disaster risks like flooding. For Spain, lying on the Iberian Peninsula and with a total of 5,755 km of coastline, these warnings are not to be taken lightly.
The Spanish population is accustomed to summer heat, but in August 2025, Spain experienced its most intense heatwave ever, lasting 16 days and with an average of 4.6℃ above expected annual maximums. These extended high temperatures also fed into the worst wildfire season seen in 30 years, with an estimated 350,000 hectares of land burnt and more than 11,500 people unhoused.
In 2019, Greta Thunberg told the World Economic Forum “I want you to act as if the house is on fire – because it is.” And Spain has now taken these warnings head-on. Their Climate Emergency Plan calls for urgent change, and places the country at the forefront of national sustainability models in Europe. The aim is to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, reduce emissions by 32 percent by 2030, and reach 81 percent renewable energy in power generation. It has made it a legal obligation for Spanish companies to monitor and influence their supply chains in terms of carbon impact.
In addition, it has rephrased ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) for businesses as a pathway to green investment and global competitiveness rather than a burden; it is encouraging companies to adopt higher standards of resilience to climate change within urban planning, construction codes and infrastructure development, for example, explaining that these more exacting standards will be more attractive to investors.
Another example of strengthening political will in the area of sustainability is the new 2025-2028 Foreign Action Strategy. This will invest €115.8 million into areas such as wildfire prevention and further funds to reduce transport emissions in the country. This Action Strategy has been closely coordinated with the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO), whose purpose is to ensure Spain’s continued growth towards a more ecological and sustainable model. This Ministry was created in 2023 and manages more than €23,000 million to invest in Spain’s environmental future.
MITECO has previously developed a close working relationship with the EU LIFE Programme, the EU’s funding instrument for ‘the environment and climate action’, which has already worked in various areas of Spain employing traditional fire control methods as part of an initiative called “Life Landscape Fire”. This project combines age-old prescribed burning techniques with modern grazing methods using advanced technology such as virtual fencing to reduce the volume of fuel loads in forests and create more enduring terrains. It also targets increased biodiversity by removing invasive species which hinder the established balance of autochthonous flora.
By deeply studying the patterns of human interactions with the land, they are identifying actions that can be taken to reduce vulnerability in the region. These studies have helped to develop Silvopastoral Land Management plans, an agricultural system that combines tree-growing with livestock rearing.
Making the education and involvement of local communities an integral part of their mission means that there are highly motivated and engaged agents on the ground to ensure policy become reality. This uniquely diverse approach to truly challenging situations has meant that “Life Landscape Fire” has become a model for other European regions with elevated fire risk, and has proven itself as such when it became one of the nine finalists, from approximately 150 projects, to be recognised in the 2025 Life Awards.
Spain’s Foreign Action Strategy also describes the need to decarbonise its transport, with €1,735 billion of funding going into the Moves III programme. This offers grants of up to €7,000 for individuals trading in an old car to switch to an electric vehicle, and provides incentives to install more charging stations for individuals and companies. This has prompted a massive up-tick in the use of electric vehicles in the country, with over 142,000 more electric vehicles and more than 113,000 charging points popping up in various regions to date.
Spain‘s evolving climate strategies and progressive investment plans are not only creating more sustainable communities within the region, but also serve to show how Spain is indeed heeding the alarms and choosing to lead a global movement of policymakers who are fighting for change with action, not baseless promises.
