60% of the Balearic Islands’ greenhouse gas emissions come from cars, planes and boats. The Committee of Experts on Energy Transition and Climate Change called on the government to reduce private mobility in the land, air and maritime domains, promote agriculture and review planning for the implementation of renewable energies.
These are some of the demands expressed by this group of scientists created within the framework of the Balearic Climate Change Law, after meeting on Thursday the President of the Government, Marga Prohensand the Minister of Trade, Employment and Energy, Alejandro Saenz of San Pedro.
The chairman of the committee, Pau de Vilchezhighlighted that 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in the Balearic Islands come from the transport sector and, “No matter how much renewable energy is used, if mobility is not tackled, emissions will not be reduced enough and climate change cannot be fought”reports Europa Press.
“A responsible government must provide a responsible response to this challenge and, therefore, policies must be coherent and transversal so that they affect all ministries and are effective,” he stressed.
Likewise, he stressed that the situation, with regard to climate change at the global level, is “extremely worrying” since all scientists in the world have raised the voice of “alarm” and called for “climate policies increased”.
“The Balearic Islands are an island territory particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and heatwaves.“, a phenomenon which killed 50,000 people in Europe last year and 60,000 in 2022”, he underlined.
De Vílchez called for promoting active mobility, on foot or by bike, and promoting the development of agriculture “not only because it provides food, but also as a carbon sink”.
The president of the commission highlighted that every year airport traffic records are broken in the Balearic Islands, which means that the indicators “are not positive”. “The Climate Change Law requires that in 2040 emissions from the Balearic Islands are 40% lower than in 1990 and currently they are double, so there is a lot of work to do”he insisted.
Asked about the measures given to them by the Government to reduce emissions derived from mobility, he indicated that they were exposed to the train project in Llucmajor, for which they requested an extension to Campos.
However, de Vílchez indicated that, if this work was to end in 2032, “it will take place very little by little” and warned that, if climate change is to be limited to a “more or less safe” level, emissions by 2030 “must be cut in half”.
“This involves renewable energy, reducing the unnecessary use of cars, because every day in Palma 50,000 cars travel one kilometer; and promote public transport or build cycle paths,” he proposed.
Asked about the proposed measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from air and maritime transport, the representative of the expert group admitted that the reduction in air traffic corresponds to the AENA and stressed that the decision to expand Palma airport was a “disaster” and “irresponsibility.”
Thus, the Autonomous Administration was asked to reduce tourist promotion or tourist places. Regarding maritime transport, he explained that what is most imported by boat to the Balearic Islands are “fossil fuels”, something that would change with more renewable energies and greater mobility on foot or by transport public.
Another of the subjects on which the expert spoke was the continuity of free public transport, for which he was favorable because “If motorists are subsidized on the roads, why not subsidize those who pollute less, cause fewer accidents and take up less public space?”
De Vílchez also evaluated the final low-emission zone (ZBE) project presented this Wednesday by Palma City Hall, for which he requested that it be extended beyond the Avenues given that “the majority of mobility in Palma is outside this area.
“The objective of the ZBE is to reduce traffic to reduce emissions linked to climate change and which have an impact on people’s lives, because in Spain 10,000 people die every year due to pollution linked to private transport” , he declared.
Renewable energies
On the other hand, the UIB biology professor Elena Baraza addressed the protests that have sparked the various photovoltaic park projects in the Balearic Islands, of which he said that the decision of where they will be placed “is taken by the companies that promote them”.
“These parks are projected on land that they find at adequate prices, with evacuation routes, inclination and production that give them greater economic performance,” they said.
The biologist asked to have a social perspective so that its establishment is located in the places closest to where the energy will be consumed, with a “minimal” environmental impact and occupies less land.
“The Government must play a proactive role so that the island councils approve their projects for the implementation of renewable energies and take into account the potential of their implementation in urban areas,” said de Vílchez, adding that the Executive would launch a call for tenders for a study of these characteristics.
Another of the documents the government is working on is the Energy Transition Plan, which should be a “basic” element for the next ten years and which should have been approved three years ago.
