The Government of the Canary Islands approves the draft Law on Climate Change

The Governing Council has approved today the draft Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition of the Canary Islands, through the report by which the opportunity and objectives of this future regulation are assessed.

This Law will mean a change of model, since it establishes obligations for both the private and public spheres and, at the same time, sets short-term objectives for the administrations, as well as concrete guidelines for all sectors of the Canary Islands, in tune with the European regulations on climate action.

The approval of the draft law by the Governing Council is the first step in a process that now continues with the period of public exposure for 45 days and that will be communicated in the near future in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands.

The purpose of the Executive is to repeat the success of the previous participatory procedure, which accumulated up to 170 contributions, and turn it into the most participatory Law that has been promoted in the Archipelago. To this end, and in parallel, the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning of the Government of the Canary Islands, is holding meetings and consultations with companies and interested groups and has launched a survey on climate change that will serve as a reinforcement of this regulatory text.

The horizon marked by the Ministry is that the Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition of the Canary Islands is approved by the Governing Council as a bill in the first half of 2021 and, from that moment, begin its parliamentary processing.

This regulatory text will be complemented by other instruments such as the Canary Islands Climate Change Strategy, the Canary Islands Energy Transition Plan and the Climate Change Action Plan, which are already in the preparation phase. These tools will allow the Canary Islands to align with European and state climate policies.

The purpose of the future Law is the development and implementation of the set of measures that guarantee a neutral balance of greenhouse gas emissions in the Islands, with the progressive reduction of the use and consumption of fossil fuels and the establishment of an energy model based on demand management and renewable energies.

It also lays the foundations for actions in terms of mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change, by reducing the vulnerability of people and their property, natural resources, infrastructure, public services and terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems.

It also seeks to promote the resilience of social and economic sectors to the effects of climate change, as well as the promotion of education, training, innovation, research, development, competitiveness and technology transfer in these areas.

Other priority objectives set by this Law are the integration of public health in climate action policies, as a mechanism for the prevention and management of risks, or the promotion of ecological transition, social cohesion and climate action policies, at the level of the outermost regions and other territories.

The Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition of the Canary Islands also contemplates specific measures for areas such as public administrations, tourism, transport, agriculture, livestock, fishing, health, urban planning, architecture, industry, hospitality or security.

The normative text also contemplates the creation of management and coordination bodies that guarantee the development of its articles, as is the case of the Climate Change Agency, which will provide direct support to local administrations and the different private entities that need it.

Source: Government of the Canary Islands