Spain to set more ambitious 2030 emissions reduction target, source says

The Spanish government will pledge by the end of the decade to cut emissions by about 7% more than previously set but not as much as demanded by environmentalist groups, a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told Reuters.

The government will raise its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target by several points to about 30% less than was emitted in 1990, the source said, from a present goal of 23% less.

The tougher target will be included in an update of Spain's climate and energy road-map due to be sent to Brussels by the end of June, in which goals for hydrogen and renewables power generation are also expected to be more ambitious, the source said.

Madrid, like its European partners, is in the process of updating its national energy and climate plan - known by its Spanish acronym PNIEC - through 2030.

The plan was formally adopted in 2021, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine upended the energy market and sparked Herculean efforts to wean the EU off Russian gas and speed up the green transition.

Such plans are key road-maps for companies to plan investments, as they establish targets for energy efficiency and renewables, among others. European capitals have until the end of June to submit the draft updated plans to the European Commission, while the final texts are due by June next year.

In its guidance issued at the end of last year, the EU’s executive arm said that "the updates should focus on the need for more ambitious climate action, a faster clean energy transition, and increased energy security."

Spain's move is likely to disappoint environmental groups, which demanded a much tougher target of 55%. In 2020, Greenpeace and other groups filed a climate change lawsuit in Spain's top court, claiming that the government wasn't doing enough to tackle climate change. The ruling is expected in June, according to Greenpeace.

Reuters