Spanish Prime Minister Acknowledges Climate Change in Spain |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Nov 29 2007 at 4:00 PM |
President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, affirmed that the Spanish government is strongly committed to do everything possible to reduce CO2 emissions and place Spain in the front line of change for saving energy and changing production and to fight against global warning.
Zapatero encouraged people to "start in the home, saving energy". To this end, the government will reward families who contribute to energy change by saving power in their homes.
After launching new renewable energy installations in La Moncloa, the President stated that there is not a moment to lose in the fight and that this is a great opportunity for the Spanish people to "get active and vote for change in the way power is used".
"Climate change is the most serious challenge the world is facing today and we must draw up a new contract between man and the planet" he said, after highlighting that Spain would "bend over backwards" in the next climate conference in Bali next December, to preserve the quality of life, in accordance with the other members of the EU.
Zapatero also received a report on climate change in Spain, which he had requested at the last presidential conference, and he pointed out that the animal and plant life in Spain was seriously affected by climate change and many species were in danger of extinction. The secretary of the PSOE, José Blanco, also said earlier that morning, that climate change would be at the centre of the party's campaign and that the socialist budget to reduce global warning would not include a special tax on petrol.
Zapatero's s speech is part of the general trend towards debate on climate change becoming an important factor of elections. Last Sunday, the conservatives lost the elections in Austria, after 11 years in power, and the first thing that the new labor president, Kevin Rudd, did was to commit to sign the Kyoto protocol and draw up measures to reduce the CO2 emissions.
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