The Junta de Andalucía announced the reforestation of nearly 2,500 hectares in the region with the planting of more than 1.5 million treesan action that will make it a “reference and leader in Spain in the compensation of CO₂ emissions”.
Juanma Moreno, president of the Regional Government of Andalusia, explained that “these trees will absorb the CO₂ equivalent of the emissions of 220,000 kilometers per day from gasoline cars”, a total of 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in thirty years.
Moreno, who participated in the COP29 Climate Summit in Baku during the meeting Multi-governance climate action: regional cooperation for local government and the private sectorstated that to achieve this, the key is Andalusian catalog of CO₂ absorption projects which will include 27 projects compared to 26 in the national catalog.
Development of public spaces
Thus, he emphasized that the private companies must offset CO₂ that they issue for their activity and that the Régie will make these projects available to them on public lands and forests so that they can plant these million and a half trees in Andalusia.
It should be remembered that the first blue carbon absorption project in Europe will be launched in the Bahía de Cádiz National Park, where Iberostar, Navantia, Moeve, Eulen and Metro de Málaga They participate in the reconstitution of the original plant ecosystem associated with coastal marshes with the aim of improving the CO₂ absorption capacity.
On another note, he said that we had before us the opportunity to consider climate finance a global necessity address more ambitiously the economic sufficiency of the fight against climate change and seek solutions that improve this financing, opening it to private sector participation.
Adapting to changes
The Andalusian president indicated that Andalusia is a Mediterranean region and one of the territories most exposed in Europe to drought, heatwaves and torrential rains and appealed to the responsibility that the regions have, which must be done as co-participants to local authorities and the private sector because “both have in their hands the development of actions that result in the design of more resilient cities and environments more adapted to change”.
At this point he emphasized that Andalusia is the largest region in southern Europe in terms of population and territory. and one of those who suffer the most from the effects of global warming and added that this community takes the commitment to decarbonization and green energies very seriously, betting on the development of adaptation solutions and providing companies with innovative methods of offsetting emissions.
In this regard, he mentioned the project CO2RK Life that fight against degradation and protection of cork oak forestswhich are large carbon reservoirs and in which companies and institutions interested in offsetting their CO₂ emissions participate.
“Programs like this are part of a solid strategy in Andalusia, supported by the increase in registration of Andalusian emissions compensation systemin more than 40%, organizations and carbon footprints,” indicates the Andalusian president.
Biosphere reserve
He thus highlighted that in the last two years the organizations and carbon footprints of the Andalusian Registry have already reached 272 and 494 respectively, which means greater collaboration in the field. emissions capture projects.
This is where he emphasized that, for these projects, the Andalusian community has a clear advantage, since it is the community in Spain with the largest declared area. Biosphere reservesince, as he specified, 50% of the territory is forested, to which are added the 1,000 kilometers of coastline and the high concentration of wetlands and ecosystems which act as carbon sinks.
To conclude, he insisted on the importance ofadapt to climate change and be able to mitigate its effects and appealed to society because, as he said, “this is a global battle that does not include territorial, social or political boundaries, nor should it include personal boundaries “.
