Madrid’s path towards climate neutrality

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In the last few years, almost the whole world is working hard on strategies and solutions for reducing the effects of climate change. The European Union is among the greatest supporters of green regulations, which resulted in the establishment of the European Green Act. This agreement proclaimed the desire (and the need) for Europe to become a climate neutral continent by 2050.

Many cities started their own strategies on promoting circular economy, in order to follow the framework set by the European Commission. Madrid, the capital of Spain, is no different, with two major strategies already prepared.

The first strategy, called Waste Prevention and Management Strategy 2018-2022, was proposed by the Department of Environment and Mobility and was ratified by the City Council. The vision of this strategy is the transformation of waste. The end result of this strategy is zero waste generation and functional circular economy.

There are several general proposals included in this strategy, such as commitment to drafting of new by-law against pollution, the establishment of new rules for event organizers and increasing the number of selective points near commercial areas and hotels. The whole plan will be supported by a budget of 1,554 million euro, which will also help introduce better selective collection of organic matter for all residents and businesses. Additionally, this funds will be used for promotion of agro-industrial composting.

The goals of this strategy are establishment of bonds between policies and residents of the city. This will be done through introduction of citizen participation and environmental commitment of residents. The whole process will also promote cohesion of this project with all sectors of the economy, with special focus on innovation, competitiveness and creation of quality jobs.

Some of the initiatives of these strategies will include the existing infrastructure. For example, the clothes and textile industry already utilizes collections of old and unused materials from homes. The plan is to enhance this with new selective centers, which will not only collect materials such as textile, but also electrical and electronic equipment. 

The second strategy, called the Madrid 360 Environmental Sustainability Strategy, focuses on improvement of air quality around the city. This strategy was crafted through the joint effort of the City Council and Mayor of Madrid José Louis Martínez-Almeida. The regulations and changes presented in this project are all in-line with European Union objectives, with three main axes: transformation, mobility and administration.

The first special action taken as part of this strategy was the pedestrianization of Puerta del Sol and its surroundings. This is a basis for further similar projects with two main goals: promotion of historical heritage and reduction of pollution.

The second special action was the Zero Line, a project in public transportation. The city established two bus lines, which consist of electric buses and are completely free. These new lines will enable residents to circulate around Central and adjacent districts. The plan is also to increase these types of lanes in the future. Currently, out of 2,000 buses owned by public transport company, only 68 are exclusively electric. In the future, there are plans to increase their number progressively, until their number reaches 668 by the year 2027.

Furthermore, there will be projects which will establish Metropolitan Forest. This program will enable 600 hectares to be transformed into forest, with 100,000 trees planned for planting along with several ecoducts. The Metropolitan Forest program is supposed to be finished next year.

These two strategies will enable the city of Madrid to accomplish goals set in Agenda 2030. With improved mobility, waste management and other factors, Madrid will also drastically improve quality of life for its residents with regards to both health and economy. (photo credit: Freepik)