As expected —and several studies had predicted— the greenhouse gas emissions ejected by the Spanish economy grew again in 2021. Specifically, they increased by 5.1% compared to the previous year, as reflected in the advance of the inventory published this Wednesday by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and that must be sent to community institutions and the UN so that the country's progress in its different international commitments to combat global warming can be controlled.
Despite the growth, Spain is not close to pre-pandemic levels.
In fact, it is still slightly below the emissions that the country had in 1990, the point that is taken as a reference for climate plans.
Last year the country's total emissions were 288.6 million tons of CO₂ equivalent (the unit used to measure these gases).
And in 1990 they were 290.1 million, 0.5% higher.
The objective that Spain now has on the table with its Climate Change Law is to ensure that by 2030 they are 23% smaller than those of 1990.
The recent evolution of these gases responsible for warming has been marked by the pandemic.
In 2020, the closure of the economy caused them to fall by 12.5%, much more than the average of the European Union, where an 8.5% decrease was registered.
The rebound now in Spain is led by economic recovery, although last year it did not return to pre-pandemic levels: emissions in 2021 were 8% lower than in 2019.
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The main responsible for the increase in emissions last year was once again transport.
75% of the global growth is due to those caused by the consumption of transport fuels, which grew by 14%.
Road transport is the most emitting sector in Spain and accumulates 27.6% of the total greenhouse gases.
And in 2021 it increased by 13.8% compared to 2020, when strong restrictions on mobility were applied.
If the bad news about the inventory is the increase in emissions from transport, which continues to be linked to oil, the good news comes again from the electricity sector thanks to the advance of renewable energies, which in 2021 covered 46.7% of all the country's demand.
Emissions from the electricity sector grew by 0.4%, while total generation increased by 3.4%, which means that the decarbonization process continues.
Currently, the electricity sector represents 11.3% of all emissions in the country.
Industry represents 20.7% and agriculture and livestock 13.4%.
The remaining 13.4% corresponds to the residential, commercial and institutional sectors and waste.
Regarding gases, carbon dioxide (CO₂) continues to be the one with the greatest presence with 78.6% of the total, followed by methane, 13.2%.
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