The Canary Islands’ Green Initiative: A Comprehensive Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In a significant stride towards environmental responsibility, the Consejería de Transición Ecológica, Lucha contra el Cambio Climático y Planificación Territorial of the Canary Islands government has launched an Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. This ambitious project aims to quantify carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from energy consumption across various territories and economic sectors within the islands. The insights garnered will be vital for assessing the impact of decarbonization measures planned for the archipelago.
Understanding Emissions: The Top Contributors
Recent data shows a few surprising contenders when it comes to CO2 emissions per capita. The municipalities leading this list include Tías in Lanzarote, followed closely by Pájara, La Oliva, and Betancuria in Fuerteventura, and Tejeda in Gran Canaria. These figures can be partially explained by the relatively low populations of certain areas, such as Betancuria and Tejeda, which can skew per capita figures. Additionally, the intense tourist pressures faced by Lanzarote and Fuerteventura accentuate their emissions profile, highlighting the critical interplay between tourism and sustainability in these regions.
In terms of total emissions, the major urban centers—Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, and Telde—dominate the list. Together, they account for nearly 40% of the archipelago’s total population, indicating that urbanization plays a significant role in the overall environmental impact.
A Foundation for Action
José Antonio Valbuena, the regional minister overseeing this initiative, emphasized the foundational work that led to the inventory’s realization. The Declaration of Climate Emergency in August 2019, along with the 88 municipalities’ commitment to the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (PACES), were pivotal in enabling a comprehensive and detailed inventory. Without these initial steps, accurately identifying greenhouse gas sources would have been an arduous, if not impossible, task.
“This inventory is essential not just for the Canary Islands government but also for all local administrations,” Valbuena remarked. It will serve as a metric for assessing the effectiveness of actions taken to combat climate change, aligning with the forthcoming Canary Islands Climate Change and Energy Transition Law.
The Path Ahead
Valbuena clarified that much work remains to be done, contingent on local administrations completing their PACES. To this end, the Green Offices of the Canary Islands are reaching out to expedite these processes, ensuring that municipalities receive the support they need for timely completion.
The development of a comprehensive catalog of emissions will provide a holistic view of carbon outputs within the islands. This is not merely about municipal data; it encompasses critical factors such as carbon footprints, the impact of ports and airports, public facilities, and even the tourism sector.
Methodology and Implications
To create this inventory, the Consejería’s Climate Change service gathered and organized data from existing emissions inventories aligned with the Sustainable Climate Action and Energy Plan (PACES). The incorporation of carbon footprint calculations enables a granular view of emissions by sector, territory, and even on an individual basis. This detailed level of insight is particularly advantageous for tourist-heavy municipalities, where actual occupancy rates often differ significantly from census figures.
Valbuena highlighted the utility of this tool in identifying the primary CO2 sources across the islands, allowing for the measurement of decarbonization efforts effectively.
Predicting Future Emissions
In addition to cataloging current emissions, the Inventory will estimate energy-linked emissions per island and provide forecasts for how greenhouse gas emissions should evolve by 2040—a target year for the Canary Islands to achieve a fully decarbonized economy.
Furthermore, plans are underway to develop an information tool that will offer easy access to data regarding emissions at municipal, insular, and regional levels. This promises to track the predicted CO2 trajectory leading up to 2040, reinforcing the legal imperative of the goal after the impending approval of the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law.
Expanding the Focus: Air Travel Emissions
In an innovative step forward, Valbuena announced the beginning of work on a second tool designed to measure emissions from flights landing in the Canary Islands. This development aims to implement strategies for carbon capture, thereby reducing the carbon footprint associated with travel to and from the islands.
The Canary Islands’ commitment to this comprehensive inventory represents a landmark effort in the fight against climate change, combining meticulous data collection with actionable insights that are poised to guide future policy and community actions toward a more sustainable future.
