Spain Takes Steps to Curb Energy Consumption

Spanish ministers have approved a batch of urgent measures to curb energy consumption and slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions, ministers said on Friday.

The central government will set an example by reducing energy consumption in its own buildings, with a goal of saving at least 9 percent by 2012 and 20 percent by 2016.
The Industry Ministry said a new energy saving plan for 2008-12 should produce a saving in primary energy usage of the equivalent of 88 million tonnes of oil for the five years together.

That represents 60 percent of Spain’s total primary energy consumption last year and implies a reduction of 238 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main element of the greenhouse gases widely believed to be causing climate change.

Most of those savings have to come from transport, followed by agriculture, construction and the energy industry.

There is also funding for urban transport policies and for studies and pilot projects to improve company and public transport.

Other measures will look for ways to encourage companies to send more freight by rail or sea instead of by road.

Planet Ark