Scorecard summary:
Fulfilment of Rio Conference Commitment- Red
Current Government Position on Climate Change-Red
Per Capita CO2 Emissions-Green (5.72 metric tons per person in 1992)
National CO2 Emissions- Green (223 million metric tons in 1992)
OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
Increasing emissions substantially, not
trying much, and not active in promoting common EU position.
NATIONAL CLIMATE PROTECTION GOAL:
The target is to increase CO2
emissions
by 25% by the year 2000 in comparison with 1990 levels. This approach
was agreed with the EU as part of the agreement for joining the cohesion
group of countries (Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Greece), on the grounds
that per capita emissions are low compared to other countries in the EU.
There is however a reluctance amongst partner EU countries to continue
this arrangement for the post 2000 period.
SPECIFIC FEATURES:
Per capita emissions in 1992 were the third
lowest of
all OECD countries. This is partly explained by the high contribution of
nuclear energy and hydropower in electricity, nevertheless power
generation is the biggest contributing sector to CO2 emissions in Spain:
in 1992 its share of total CO2 emissions was 32 percent. CO2 emissions
have grown steadily from 1960 to 1981, then remained relatively stable
until 1988, when they started growing again Energy planning is not
well-developed in Spain but from the mid- eighties the sector has been
impacted by the liberalisation of the economy. This has
meant that the oil sector has been de-monopolised and the heavily-
subsidised coal industry
restructured. Imported natural gas is expected to generate a significant
limiting influence on emissions in the second part of the decade as it is
expected to virtually double its share in total energy supply as a
substitute for coal and oil.
NEGATIVE FEATURES:
The National Energy Plan assumes a GDP growth
rate of
3.6 percent in the 1990s which has consequent impacts on energy use in a
without measures scenario between 1991-2000. Politically, Spain has
become one of the small group of countries within the EU which are
effectively blocking the agreement of an early target. Gasoline prices
are amongst the lowest in the EU which has contributed to an increased
dependence on road transport for imports and exports since the late
1980's. The railway system is obsolete and not well-developed outside
densely- populated interurban belts. CO2 emissions from transport are
expected to increase significantly.
POSITIVE ASPECTS:
Spain has endorsed the introduction of CO2
energy tax
at the EC level, especially if it is implemented in the transport and
residential sectors, and provided that it is differentiated for national
circumstances. Estimates indicate that cogeneration capacity has
increased from 1GW in 1990 to 2.7GW in 1995. The target for renewables
has been met. The share of nuclear in total power generation is expected
to decline to 23 percent by the year 2000 as a result of the nuclear
moratorium prohibiting new nuclear generating capacity.
Source: Energy Policies of IEA Countries 1996 Review. Independent NGO
Evaluations of
National Plans for Climate Change Mitigation - Europe second review,
Climate Action
Network, Brussels, August 1994