Atlantic Council GLOBAL ENERGY CENTER M O D E L S F O R D E C A R B O N IZI N G C I T I E S • M A R C H 202 3 ISSUE BRIEF
Valencia, Spain: Decarbonization Through Innovative Partnerships BY PETER ENGELKE AND JOSEPH WEBSTER
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s climate change has transitioned from abstract threat to tangible reality, cities have become increasingly aggressive in pursuing decarbonization solutions. By examining the decarbonization efforts of specific metropolitan areas as case studies, local, regional, and national leaders can gain a better understanding of what strategies might work in their own jurisdictions. This paper focuses on the decarbonization pathway of Valencia, Spain, a city of about eight hundred thousand inhabitants that is recognized as a global leader in sustainability. Valencia has unique characteristics that shapes its efforts to lower its carbon footprint. The city has capitalized on the opportunities afforded by the compactness of its five-kilometer radius, and by a port with limited reach into the Spanish hinterland. To decarbonize, Valencia is attempting to limit the use of personal cars; incentivize public transportation; improve energy efficiency in buildings; and use key technologies, such as hydrogen or ammonia, to reduce emissions of certain industrial sectors. Similar to other cities that are working toward emissions reductions, Valencia faces obstacles to decarbonization that must be overcome. The primary challenges are related to measuring emissions, assigning responsibility for them, and incentivizing market actors to deploy capital for decarbonization. While every locale is unique, lessons learned from Valencia are likely to have great relevance for other cities looking to reduce emissions.
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ATLANTIC COUNCIL
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