The Secretary of State for the Environment, Pablo Saavedra, said today that the government’s reformist policies in the last four years have made it possible to strengthen environmental protection in a way that is also compatible with the generation of employment and sustainable economic activity in Spain.
This was underlined by Pablo Saavedra during today’s presentation of the Environmental Profile of Spain 2014, together with the general directors of Environmental Quality and Assessment and the Natural Environment, Guillermina Yanguas; of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea, Raquel Orts; of Water, Liana Ardiles and of the Spanish Office for Climate Change, Valvanera Ulargui.
During this presentation, they detailed the different indicators included in this publication and assessed the progress made so far in the objective of moving towards a low-carbon economy.
Saavedra explained that the Environmental Profile of Spain, which has been published annually since 2004, has become a benchmark for all those bodies, institutions and citizens who need a rigorous diagnosis of our environmental situation.
The eleventh edition of this report, which collects the most recent data available on the environment and is based on the analysis of 79 indicators, describes the situation of Spain in relation to strategic areas or sectors for the environment.
It is a report for managers, experts and scientists, and citizens in general, which disseminates the progress of our country in the search for sustainability and the improvement of efficiency in the use of natural resources.
This 2014 edition has 18 chapters, among which are environmental areas, such as air, water, soil, nature, waste and the productive or development issues or sectors from which the main pressures on the environment originate, such as agriculture, transport, industry, tourism, among others. Officials from the General State Administration and the Autonomous Communities, technicians and experts participate in its preparation, making it possible to advance in the model of dissemination of environmental information.
DECREASE IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Among the different indicators, in the fight against climate change, the Environmental Profile shows that in 2013 greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 7.7% compared to the previous year. This figure within the framework of the EU-28 places us below the average in per capita emissions and GDP-emissions. Therefore, the downward trend that began in 2008 continues, as Saavedra pointed out.
He also explained that the indicators on energy intensity and use in our economy indicate that “while our GDP grows, and despite the increase in population over the past decade, the desired, necessary, decoupling has taken place and our production grows while reducing unit energy consumption”.
INCREASE IN PROTECTED AREAS
He also stressed that Spain is a world leader in biodiversity, with exceptional natural capital and that, in 2014, it was the EU-28 country that contributed the most land area to the Natura 2000 Network (18.9% of the EU total). It was also the country with the second largest marine area in this Network (22.5% of the total).
With regard to the areas that have the highest environmental protection in our country, the Environmental Profile shows the evolution of the number of visitors to the current 15 National Parks and indicates an increase of 24% in 2014, with a total of 14,307,591 compared to 11,538,103 visitors in 2013.
Likewise, in the first year after its declaration as a National Park, the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park has received 3,388,000 visitors, according to the Environmental Profile. It also points out that the figure of National Park is approaching one hundred years of history in Spain and that, with the approval of the new Law 30/2014, on National Parks, its essence remains unchanged both in the exceptionality it entails and in its natural wealth, social recognition and outstanding cultural, educational and scientific values
In terms of waste, the Environmental Profile highlights the reduction that has occurred in Spain in the generation of municipal waste, going from more than 650 kg per inhabitant in 2000 to 449 kg per inhabitant in 2013 according to the latest available data from Eurostat. This represents a reduction of almost 32% in the period 2000-2013, while in Europe it has been reduced on average by only 8%.
With regard to the protection of the terrestrial part of our coastline, in 2014, the entry into force of the General Coastal Regulations has been a fundamental advance in achieving the objectives of making environmental protection compatible with the carrying out of economic activities.
The work carried out in the field of Marine Strategies has also obtained international recognition and, in the case of Marine Protected Areas, it has gone from a marine protected area of 1% in 2011 to 8% at the beginning of 2015, according to the Secretary of State.
HYDROLOGICAL PLANNING
Spain has been a pioneer in the management of river basins and in 2014 a cycle of hydrological planning was completed, as Pablo Saavedra recalled. Thus, in just over two and a half years (June 2014), it has been possible to approve all the river basin management plans that depended on the State, which has meant an important work of coordination and collaboration with the Autonomous Communities and with the users, thus managing to overcome the delays accumulated in the two previous legislatures.
Thanks to this work, the water we have and the demands that exist have been quantified and it has been possible to draw up programmes of measures, included in the hydrological plans, which mark the path to be followed to achieve the proposed objectives, which are none other than to meet all the demands, respecting and protecting the environment in Spain. The revision of these plans has been promoted to close the second planning cycle (valid until 2021), which is expected to be approved before the end of this year.
The Environmental Profile includes indicators of improvements in water use, with a reduction in the average water consumption of households between 2004 and 2012 from 171 litres/inhabitant to 137 litres/inhabitant.
Likewise, despite the drought, this hydrological year, measured week by week, almost 10% more water is being stored in our reservoirs than the average of the last 10 years. The average quality of inland waters due to organic pollution and that of bathing water have also improved, according to this publication.
As in previous years, the Environmental Profile will be available on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (www.magrama.es) and, for the third consecutive year, the Ministry has developed a version for mobile devices for the Environmental Profile, facilitating its access and, therefore, its consultation and use and with the aim of achieving greater dissemination.
