On May 21, Law 7/2021, the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, was published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

The Royal Decree can be consulted in the following link of the BOE: https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/05/21/pdfs/BOE-A-2021-8447.pdf

The Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, said: “We are marking a milestone, a starting point from which to always look forward and go further, never less. This law addresses complex challenges at a difficult time for our society”.

Mrs. Ribera emphasized the intense work that all the parliamentary groups have been carrying out, which shows the degree of involvement and interest that the law has aroused.

The Law, which comes at a key moment to activate the levers of economic recovery, establishes the objectives to achieve full decarbonization of the economy by 2050.

In the last two years, Spain has made more progress than ever before in terms of climate commitments, international leadership and the development of public policies.

Spain’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2050 is reflected as follows:

  • Regarding emission reduction targets in specific sectors (mobility, thermal uses in buildings, waste or agriculture) which, with a 39% reduction, is 13 points above the 26% target set by the European Union.
  • Regarding final energy consumption for 2030, the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan sets a target of 42% for Spain, while the European Union establishes a penetration of renewables of between 38% and 40%.
  • Regarding energy efficiency, the Spanish target is 39.5%, while the European Union considers an increase of between 36% and 37% to be necessary by 2030.
  • In 2023 the first review of the targets will begin (only upward revisions are possible):

And as for Renewable Energies, the promotion with specific plans of the use of renewable gases is established, including biogas, biomethane and hydrogen, incorporating among others the following measures:

  • Annual targets for the penetration of renewable gases in the sale or consumption of natural gas.
  • Certification system that allows the supervision and control of obligations.
  • Regulations that favor the direct industrial use of gases or their use for mobility solutions as well as injection into the natural gas grid.