Spain Widened Gap With Kyoto Goal in 2005 - Report
Date: 21-Apr-06
Country: SPAIN
A report by environmental group Worldwatch and the Spanish trade union CCOO showed this week that output of CO2 and other greenhouse gases rose to 53 percent above the 1990 base year.
Spain is allowed a 15 percent increase in greenhouse gases between 1990 and 2008-12 under the Kyoto protocol. Most other rich countries have curbed their output of the gases, believed to be responsible for global warming.
In 1990 Spain lagged behind the rest of the European Union in terms of living standards.
The country's rapid industrial growth over the last 15 years, along with rises in car ownership and electricity consumption, have led to higher greenhouse gas output.
The 2005 emissions figure was worsened by drought, which crimped hydroelectric power production and meant utilities had to resort to coal and gas for more of their generation.
Compared with 2004, emissions of greenhouse gases rose 3.4 percent to reach 442 billion tonnes.
Primary energy consumption grew 3 percent last year, but the amount of fossil fuels Spain burned rose 5.3 percent. That was partly because hydroelectric power production dropped 40 percent in a year with the lowest rainfall on record.
The Spanish government has a number of energy efficiency plans in force and the Worldwatch/CCOO report estimated that these would stabilise Spain's emissions at around current levels, or 52.54 percent above target.
"That scenario would oblige Spain...to acquire emissions rights in the market to cover the excess above 15 percent, or some 100 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year."
European carbon dioxide emissions prices now cost just over 30 euros a tonne, which implies Spain would have to spend some 3 billion euros (US$3.7 billion) a year -- 0.3 percent of current GDP -- on buying emissions rights from 2008.
The power industry accounted for 31 percent of emissions in 2005 and road transport 28 percent.
Utilities have to respond to demand for electricity that is still growing at around 3 percent a year, in line with Spain's economic expansion.
Economic growth in turn is being largely driven by the construction industry, which started 800,000 new homes in 2005 alone, and spending on consumer goods.
The government has just revised its 2004 emissions estimate and has not yet published a figure for 2005.
