The ‘Green Growth Group’ has held its first meeting in Spain as part of the ‘Carbon Expo 2015’ discussion forum, which has taken place at a key moment for international negotiations.
 
On 26, 27 and 28 May in Barcelona, an important representation of international decision-makers in the field of climate change analysed the challenges and actions of this fight before the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention (COP21), which will be held in Paris next December.
 
Spain has taken an active role in this event through the Spanish Group for Green Growth, an initiative created in 2014 and coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, which brings together the Administration and nearly forty companies in the country involved in the fight against climate change and in the change towards a low-carbon economy.
 
During the opening ceremony of the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, recalled that “governments and companies must demonstrate that the fight against climate change is going to be the key to a new growth model”, because “climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing society today”.
 
In addition, he insisted that “coordinated action is essential” and explained the measures implemented at the national level in the fight against climate change, focused on investing in Spain to discover the potential of new business areas, and on helping companies willing to start the path towards a low-carbon economy.
 
This group is part of the “Green Growth Group” created in 2013 in the European Union, with the intention of discussing green and low-carbon economy policies. The companies that join this group are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% compared to 1990 levels and to increasing the contribution of renewable energies to reach 27% of the final energy consumed in Europe.
 
They will also try to improve energy efficiency by 27% compared to the trend scenario. All these premises will be reviewed in 2030. The companies that are part of the Spanish Group for Green Growth value the work of the Government very positively, and the agreement of the last European Council in which these declarations are established.