Emissions in Spain - Statistics & Facts
Spain, as one of the main economies in the European Union (EU), is also responsible for a considerable share of the bloc’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2021, it ranked as the fifth-largest emitter of GHGs in the EU, only behind Germany, France, Italy, and Poland. Even if Spain is one of the leading contributors to the problem in the region, its emissions have shown a downward trend in the past years. GHG emissions in the Mediterranean country peaked in 2007 and have been plummeting ever since, reaching 1990 levels in 2021.
In terms of greenhouse gases, the main contributor to the country’s emissions is CO₂ , accounting for roughly 80 percent of the total share. It is followed by methane (CH₄) – mainly a result of agricultural activities – which represents around 14 percent of Spain’s GHG emissions.
In addition to all these measures, Spain proposed an update to its National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan in June 2023, increasing its ambitious emissions reduction target from 23 percent to 32 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The new proposal also plans to increase the share of renewables to 48 percent of final energy consumption and boost the electric vehicles fleet to 5.5 million by 2030.
Main sources of GHG emissions
The main contributor to Spain’s emissions is the transport sector, which holds over one-quarter of emissions in the country. Transport emissions mainly refer to carbon dioxide (CO₂), which originates from road transport, national marine mobility, and diesel-powered railroad traction. Despite ranking fourth amongst the top GHG-producing sectors, the electricity sector has some of the largest corporate emitters in Spain. Leading the list, however, is multinational Madrid-based company Repsol, which also operates in oil and gas exploration, and generated 12.4 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent worth of greenhouse gases in Spain in 2022.In terms of greenhouse gases, the main contributor to the country’s emissions is CO₂ , accounting for roughly 80 percent of the total share. It is followed by methane (CH₄) – mainly a result of agricultural activities – which represents around 14 percent of Spain’s GHG emissions.
Spain’s climate action
In recent years, Spain has performed better than the EU’s average in terms of greenhouse gas emissions reduction, with its emissions per capita standing below the bloc’s average. In May 2021, the Spanish government approved the new Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, which aims to achieve national climate neutrality by 2050 – that means, to emit only greenhouse gases that can be absorbed by natural sinks, such as oceans and forests. Despite Spain’s energy mix still being dominated by fossil fuels, the country is slowly progressing towards its environmental targets. Between 2018 and 2019, Spain closed almost all its coal mines, in line with the country’s objectives to phase out both coal and nuclear power generation.In addition to all these measures, Spain proposed an update to its National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan in June 2023, increasing its ambitious emissions reduction target from 23 percent to 32 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The new proposal also plans to increase the share of renewables to 48 percent of final energy consumption and boost the electric vehicles fleet to 5.5 million by 2030.
