Tapia: "The Basque Country takes a transformative step with an Energy Transition and Climate Change Law that leaves no one behind"
22/01/2024
The Regional Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment, Arantxa Tapia, welcomed the broad agreement reached on the Energy Transition and Climate Change Law, which will soon enter into force.
Of particular note are the commitments on tackling climate change, disinvestment in fossil fuels and the dissemination to and participation of the public.
"This law is a landmark, transformational step forward for the Basque Country. It responds to a particular moment in time and geopolitics in an appropriate way. It is an agreement for the Basque Country, and, as such, I would like to thank the three groups that reached the agreement, EAJ-PNV, PSE and EH Bildu, for the work they did and for being realistic, which enabled us to reach this agreement".
For Regional Minister Tapia, this Law is a new tool that is different from anything that already exists, and has been tailored to the reality of the Basque Country, which means that "it ensures competitiveness in order to safeguard employment without leaving anyone behind. We talk about it being sustainable because it responds to the threat of climate change. And we describe it as being fair because, without lowering ambition, this measure represents a fair transition and safeguards employment".
The new Energy Transition and Climate Change Law includes four features of note:
- A commitment to invest in climate change
- It sets an affordable fee for renewable energy producers to offset the environmental impact
- Disinvestment in fossil fuels
- The need for outreach and citizen participation
