Climate KIC Spain boosts new national public-private partnership for climate action

Climate KIC Spain is playing a major role in a new national public-private partnership dedicated to delivering climate action objectives in line with the Paris Agreement.

Along with The Spanish Green Growth Group, the Spanish Office for Climate Change, the UN Global Compact in Spain and NGO ECODES, Europe’s leading climate innovation initiative has helped launch the Spanish Platform for Climate Action.

The platform is a cross-sectoral initiative, creating a community of public authorities, private companies, innovators and entrepreneurs committed to tackling climate change in Spain. It aims to boost the ambition needed to tackle climate change by making participating organisations’ climate targets and emissions reductions visible.

So far, companies including Enagas, Telefonica, Indra Sistemas, Emasesa, gasNatural fenosa, GroupoDKV, Contazara, Climate-KIC partner Ferrovial and Iberdrole have committed to formally establishing absolute emission reduction targets.  

By joining the platform, they also disclose their carbon footprint data to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment’s (MAPAMA’s) Carbon Footprint scheme, the Spanish carbon offsetting projects register and agree to participate in Global Climate Action, NAZCA Platform of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

According to Director of Climate KIC Spain, Jose-Luis Munyoz, these commitments demonstrate accountability and transparency, and show how Spanish companies are playing their part in meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement. This will raise the level of ambition for climate action in Spain.

Climate KIC Spain was invited to join as a strategic partner due to its standing for innovation and entrepreneurship. While the Spanish Government initiated the platform, Climate KIC Spain has helped convene stakeholders across the climate action community, on the basis that increased collaboration between business, research and education — ‘knowledge triangle integration’ – can boost climate innovation.

Munyoz added: “Climate KIC is uniquely placed to bring together changemakers from companies, academia, research and public bodies. By participating in these collective efforts, our community can help to identify and create innovative solutions that address climate challenges.”

The Spanish Platform for Climate Action, endorsed by the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Patricia Espinosa, was launched by the Spanish Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, Isabel García Tejerina earlier this year.

Munyoz said: “With the climate action community gaining more traction and attention in Spain, start-ups and changemakers in the innovation community will be better able to access the knowledge and networks they need to accelerate their solutions to climate change.”

Join the platform

All Spanish organisations committed to tackling climate change and delivering on the objectives of the Paris Agreement are invited to apply to join the Spanish Platform for Climate Action.

Joining the platform will give organisations better access to the climate action ecosystem in Spain and raise their visibility with public authorities and financiers.

To join the Platform, companies should:

• Join the Community #PorElClima, which is run by the Spanish Government
• Set emission reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement and report on their compliance publicly
• Register their carbon footprints in the Spanish Ministry of Environment and Agriculture’s (MAPAMA) National Registry
• Apply for membership of the NAZCA (Non-state Actor Zone for Climate Action), which is a network within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change