ACN
Introduction of gas, commitment to renewable energies and energy saving are some measures that are taken to alleviate climate change
The analysis of the data reflected in the ‘Inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in the Canary Islands', commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment of the Canary Government, indicates that in twelve years (from 1990 to 2002) these emissions have grown in the Archipelago by 32.8 percent, which means having doubled the target (15 percent) granted to Spain by the Kyoto Protocol.
According to the Minister of the Environment of the regional Executive, Domingo Berriel, we are facing an "important" but not "alarming" fact, since they state that numerous initiatives are being carried out from their department to alleviate the effects of climate change and that, in addition, "there is still time".
Undoubtedly, within the actions to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other equivalent gases that produce the so-called ‘greenhouse effect', the Canary Government's most determined commitment is to introduce gas as an energy source for the Islands, since, according to Berriel, it would mean reducing emissions of these gases by 30 percent that are currently produced by the combustion of oil.
Undoubtedly, and as can be seen from the aforementioned Inventory, the energy sector is the main cause of emissions of these gases, since it represents 90.5 percent of the total weight of the sectors causing these emissions, having experienced an increase of 27 percent in the last twelve years. Other sectors such as Industry have experienced a spectacular increase in these emissions (933.6 percent compared to 1990), but still only account for 1.2 percent of the total weight.
"This is why the Ports of Granadilla and Arinaga are so important," Berriel pointed out, referring to the locations that the Canary Administration has chosen to implement regasification plants, despite the strong social and institutional opposition presented. However, he comments that these are not the only measures that are being carried out.
In this sense, he assured that from his department there is a "firm commitment to intensify alternative energies", pointing to the tender for the allocation of wind power that should be decided shortly and that will mean, he said, "a penetration of 15 percent in the energy production market in the Canary Islands". He also spoke of plans to continue installing solar panels in the Archipelago and campaigns and actions aimed at promoting energy saving as other mechanisms to alleviate climate change.
Great energy growth
Berriel justified the fact that greenhouse gas emissions in the Canary Islands have doubled the forecasts that the Kyoto Protocol estimated for Spain in "the great economic and population growth" that the Islands have experienced in recent years.
In addition, technicians from Sodecan (Society for the Economic Development of the Canary Islands), responsible for preparing the Inventory, state that, in their eagerness to be "as rigorous as possible" in this document, they have included statistical parameters that they knew would negatively influence the results, despite not being expressly obliged to include them.
For example, they point out that the inclusion of data referring to maritime fuels of ships calling at Canary ports has negatively affected, which, as is known, belong in their vast majority to foreign industries. The same occurs when including data on the incidence of international flights, for example.
However, they assure that, despite the "alarmist data" presented by other institutions in this regard, this extensive document reflects that the emission of greenhouse gases in the Canary Islands "has been balanced in the last two years".