19 Sep 2019
ENVIRONMENT.- Climate Change. The time of change
CLIMATE SUMMIT – PROPOSAL OF CHANGES TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
This September, the Climate Summit takes place at the United Nations delegation in New York. Various sessions will discuss the impacts of climate change. Global emissions are reaching unprecedented levels that seem to have not yet reached their peak. The last four years have been the hottest in history and winter temperatures in the Arctic have increased 3 ° C since 1990. Little progress has been made since the Climate Summit agreements in December 2015, held in Paris. In this FORUM which the foundations of a fight against climate change and the reduction of agents that affect environmental sustainability were achieved. Many countries have turned all their best intentions, through mitigation policies, to definitely reduce emissions of pollutant gases into the atmosphere, which should be applied as of 2020.
The latest analyzes indicate that an immediate action is taken in conjunction with all countries, carbon emissions could be reduced by twelve years to stop the increase in the average annual temperature. In recent years, sea levels have been rising. Some coral reefs are dying and it is beginning to be noticed that the impact of climate change also affects health through air pollution. Heat waves also affect food safety.
The New York Climate Summit also includes the Youth Climate Summit. This is a proposal designed for young leaders who are immersed in the promotion of actions to mitigate climate change. The announced presence of numerous young people, very active, innovative and committed, has surprised even the organization itself, since these days prior to the official start of the Climate Summit are already taking place previous events on climate action.
With regard to the European Union policy, which considers the fight against climate change as one of the priorities, it has several directives and regulations. The energy and climate program aims at 2030 for a 40% reduction in internal emissions compared to 1990. And by 2050, also according to the 1990 emissions, it sets an ambitious objective of a reduction of 80% by 85% To achieve these objectives, the European Union promotes renewable energy, the creation of a European market for emission rights, energy efficiency and a reduction of emissions in waste management, transport and buildings. The states, as is the case in Spain, have promoted national plans, more or less quickly, to adapt the different directives of the European Union.
In the case of Catalonia, the Government has the Catalan Office of Climate Change and a specific interdepartmental commission in this area. In recent years, within the framework of the Catalan policy against climate change, the Catalonia Energy and Climate Change Plan 2012-2020 and the Catalan Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, horizon 2013-2020, have been promoted.
In Catalonia, the local world, through the Pact for Climate and Energy, promoted by the European Commission, and various tools and networks supporting governance, has a great implication in the fight against climate change, despite of the competence, economic and technical limitations. In any case, adaptation to climate change requires a change in governance at the local level.
In this regard, the Barcelona City Council already has an action plan in place that plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 210 thousand tons, which represents 6% per year. The Consistory wants to carry out ten crash measures that will begin to apply as of January 1, 2020. A Low Emission zone has been established where traffic restrictions will be carried out that will be permanent and will affect vehicles that do not have of the environmental ecolabel provided by the General Traffic Directorate. These vehicles may not circulate on weekdays both in Barcelona City and in much of its metropolitan area in a global agreement between the different municipalities of the urban conurbation of Barcelona, in a calendar of restrictions in which some actions will already be taken out from December 2019.
Although these new winds of change will take force in a few years, the reality starts to be felt in different sectors of society that have long been trying to find alternatives to continue to ensure the good performance and sustainability of this world. Renewable sources increasingly widespread, enforcement policies in tune with the environment… Endless efforts by civil society in order to support the good intentions of major governments struggling to fulfil this commitment. And, in that context, a new technological revolution that reflects one of the values of our company, Avant Grup, always conscious of environmental needs and climate change, backed by European legislation appears: the Euro VI engines, a new generation for buses with zero CO2 emissions.
CO2 emissions caused by transport in the European Union currently constitute 3.5% of global CO2 emissions. Faced with such a situation, a change was necessary to promote that hopeful future for which each and every one of us watches over. Already at the time, Avant Grup was a pioneer ahead of the deadlines established in the use of its predecessor, the Euro V. The fleet of Avant Grup buses is made up of new vehicles that not only convince with this new generation of engines, but also With all the innovations that guarantee a relaxed, serene and profitable driving and comfort and comfort for passengers.
