COP 25: Catalan government urges ‘crucial’ results from climate summit in Madrid

Government delegation attends global meeting to tackle climate emergency

Catalan minister for Territory and Sustainability, Damià Calvet (by Gemma Alemán)
Catalan minister for Territory and Sustainability, Damià Calvet (by Gemma Alemán) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

December 3, 2019 12:07 PM

The Catalan government is hoping for "crucial" results from the COP25 global summit taking place in Madrid to tackle the climate emergency.

Running from December 2 to the 13, the United Nations-backed meeting is expected to gather over 25,000 representatives from 200 countries.

Minister for Territory and Sustainability Damià Calvet will lead the Catalan delegation attending the conference. He will take part in a series of meetings focused on climate action at the regional level.

"State governments can’t ignore the potential of regional governments’ climate action," Calvet said at a UN meeting in New York last September. He stressed that regions are better qualified to manage crucial issues in the fight against climate change, such as public transport, water supply, waste management, and urban planning.

Climate Change Law cut down

Last July, the Constitutional Court cut down the Climate Change Law passed by lawmakers in the Catalan parliament. The ruling, which came about following a legal challenge from the Spanish government, overturned crucial measures, such as the limiting of CO2 emissions, the ban on fracking, and a plan to shut down all nuclear power plants by 2027.