The Basque Country is calling for the elimination of fossil fuels and the faster decarbonisation of the economy and society

• Opinion of the Basque Government after the Dubai COP28

• Tapia believes that the Energy Transition and Climate Change Act will spur on the decarbonisation process in the Basque Country

The Basque Country has played an active role at the Dubai COP28. At the end of COP28, the Basque Government has evaluated the agreements adopted at the world summit and its Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment, Arantxa Tapia, has been categorical: “The Basque Country will intensify and accelerate the measures to decarbonise the economy and society with an unquestionable commitment to eliminating fossil fuels". 

The Basque Country's roadmap for the progressive elimination of the use of fossil fuels is in line with the European Union's commitment; and the Basque Government is disappointed at the lower level of ambition being shown by some leaders present at COP28. A country such as the Basque Country is not going to let down its guard, as decarbonisation is essential for our development to be sustainable and fair, from the social point of view. Therefore, Tapia stressed that "we continue to be committed to net zero by 2050, but we are working to speed up and bring forward that timeframe". 

Conversely, the Basque Government welcomes the consensus regarding the agreement to triplicate the production of renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030.  The Basque Country is in a strong position regarding energy efficiency, but Tapia stressed our country's outstanding debt as "the challenge of the renewables raises questions for all local institutions and Basque Country overall, and action can be the only overwhelming response to that outcry".

This two-pronged focus on efficiency and renewables will significantly help to cut greenhouse gas emissions. A social pact regarding the energy transition and climate change will therefore need to be adopted and will help to develop the goals of the future legislation and the ensuing planning instruments.

There is thus a pressing need for legislative instruments to act as stimulus, such as the Sectoral Territorial Plan of Renewable Energies, which is at an advanced stage, and the Energy Transition and Climate Change Act that may be passed in the coming months, whose content is being studied by the Basque Parliament.

The Basque Country regrets the slow progress being shown by the States as regards their climate ambition; even though the Global Emissions GAP report concludes that progress has been made since 2015, the greenhouse gas emissions forecast for 2030 still need to be cut by 28% for the 2ºC pathway of the Paris Agreement.  The Basque Country has cut its emissions by 15% in 2022 on 2010, the benchmark year of the IPCC special report.  We are on track, but greater and faster efforts will be needed.

The Basque Government has welcomed the new role recognised for subnational governments at the COP28 summit, along with the agreement reached on the Loss and Damage Fund, which was launched at COP27 in Egypt and is for the economies of the most vulnerable countries. 

Given this obvious need for faster actions to achieve goals, Minister Tapia stressed the lever of technology and for planning in line with the possibilities of the territory. 

We have robust environmental planning. The challenge now involves passing the Energy Transition and Climate Change Bill which is currently making its way through the Basque Parliament.  We need a stable legal framework to bring the Basque Country in line with all European and international rules and policies.  It is a fundamental tool, which will allow us to decarbonise society, be more resilient to the impacts of climate change, and to do so in a just way, with nobody left behind.