Climate change

Global warming is the greatest environmental threat we face and, as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned, it is “the challenge that will define our era”. Scientific data show that its effects are unfolding at an unprecedented rate, with clear consequences. According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2024 was the warmest year on record. The organisation estimates that the global average temperature is between 1.34°C and 1.41°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900). Time is running out and, without immediate action, the situation could become irreversible.

Solutions to global warming require a coordinated response from countries around the world to address its main impacts, including rising sea levels, increasing average and extreme temperatures and melting polar ice. Under the Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries agreed to set emissions reduction targets to keep the rise in the global average temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels¹ and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. This would mean achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. As part of this commitment, the European Union has pledged to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.

Industrialisation has led to an exponential increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane. These gases trap heat and help keep our planet habitable. Since the beginning of the last century, their concentrations have risen sharply. Before human activity began significantly altering the balance, natural processes helped regulate emissions. The increase in these gases, mainly caused by the growing combustion of fossil fuels, has led to more infrared radiation being trapped in the Earth's atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect and raising global temperatures. This, in turn, is associated with other changes in the Earth system. This current climate disruption caused by human activity is known as climate change.

Although countries differ considerably in their past and future contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, all will experience the consequences, making coordinated global action essential.

Human influence on the climate system is clear. Our activities generate greenhouse gases (GHGs), which accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat, intensifying the greenhouse effect and contributing to rising global temperatures. Their effects can persist for many millennia before natural processes remove them from the atmosphere. Although most greenhouse gases occur naturally and are essential for life as we know it, since without them the planet would be too cold, industrialisation has caused their concentrations to increase exponentially since the beginning of the last century.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the greenhouse gases produced mainly by human activity. It is responsible for 63% of human-induced global warming, while other gases emitted include methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases.

The future climate will depend on the warming already committed to as a result of past human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, future emissions and natural climate variability. It is therefore essential to stabilise atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that prevents dangerous interference with the climate system. This requires action to transform the current energy model, which is based on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, whose combustion generates large quantities of greenhouse gases and has been one of the main causes of climate change. Two-thirds of global GHG emissions are attributable to energy production for electricity consumption, transport, heating and industry.

The term “greenhouse effect” refers to the trapping of the Sun's heat on Earth by a layer of gases in the atmosphere. Without these gases, life as we know it would not be possible because the planet would be too cold, with temperatures around 30°C lower. Most greenhouse gases occur naturally. However, industrialisation has caused emissions and atmospheric concentrations of these gases to increase exponentially since the beginning of the last century, when natural processes helped balance emissions in the absence of significant human interference. As the concentration of these gases rises, more infrared radiation is trapped in the Earth's atmosphere, causing global warming.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the gas we emit in the greatest quantities and is therefore responsible for most global warming, owing to the large volume of emissions and its long atmospheric lifetime. However, other gases emitted in smaller quantities can have a much stronger warming effect. These include methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. We also emit precursor gases that form substances in the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect, such as ground-level ozone (O₃), as well as aerosols such as black carbon (soot), which can have either a cooling or a warming effect.

Scientific evidence shows that global warming and its associated effects, including melting ice, rising sea levels and changes in patterns of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, hurricanes and torrential rain, are occurring at an unprecedented rate. These changes have a significant impact on human wellbeing and all sectors of activity, both directly and indirectly, through their effects on natural ecosystems and socioeconomic systems. Animal and plant species are expected to become extinct as habitats change too quickly for many species to adapt in time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also warns that the health of millions of people could be threatened by an increase in climate-sensitive infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue, malnutrition and waterborne diseases. However, risks are unevenly distributed and are generally greater for disadvantaged people and communities, widening the gap between developed and developing countries and exacerbating problems associated with migration and social conflict. In short, we face a climate emergency with serious economic and social consequences. Without serious, rapid and decisive action, the situation could become irreversible.

Climate change is one of the main threats to biodiversity, alongside habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation of natural resources and invasive species. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns alter species' distributions, biological cycles and ecosystem balances, placing increasing pressure on many vulnerable populations.

The scale of the problem is reflected in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened SpeciesExternal link, opens in new window. , which recorded more than 49,000 species threatened with extinction among those assessed in its 2026 update. In addition, a global assessment published in 2025 concluded that 24% of the freshwater animal species studied, including fish, dragonflies, crabs and shrimps, face a high risk of extinction.

Global warming exacerbates these threats by altering terrestrial and marine habitats, intensifying heatwaves and increasing the risk of ecosystem degradation, including damage to coral reefs. Biodiversity loss also affects human wellbeing, as nature provides essential services such as clean water, food, pollination and climate regulation. Protecting ecosystems and reducing the pressures they face are essential to preserving natural wealth and moving towards a sustainable future.

The first Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change was held in Berlin in 1995. These meetings, known as COPs, bring together the countries that are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty signed by almost every country in the world.

The process began at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where the UNFCCC was adopted to establish a framework for international cooperation on climate change. The Convention entered into force in 1994 and, since then, COPs have been held annually, bringing together representatives of the signatory countries to negotiate measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global warming.

It was not until COP21 in 2015 that a global treaty, the Paris Agreement, was adopted and ratified by 195 countries. The agreement established the shared goal of keeping the rise in the global average temperature below 2°C while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. Iberdrola participated in the latest summit, COP30, in Belém (Brazil), where we continued to highlight the importance of electrification, supported by the development of electricity networks, the deployment of renewable energies and the stronter energy storage capacity.

Climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity, and addressing it requires joint action from all stakeholders. Mitigation and adaptation measures taken in the coming years will be decisive. Governments must adopt measures and make ambitious commitments to reduce emissions and adapt to their impacts. The private sector must translate multilateral agreements between governments into action and facilitate the financing needed to achieve their objectives.

Different economic sectors must contribute to these efforts. In the energy sector, for example, we must advance decarbonisation by promoting renewable energy, reducing the use of fossil fuels, improving energy efficiency, encouraging more rational energy consumption and making transport more sustainable.

Individuals can also help reduce emissions and protect the environment through their everyday habits, decisions and actions. Key measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change include commitment, with people calling on governments to take political action; participation, through individual contributions to the sustainability of their communities; healthy habits, such as walking, cycling, using public transport and consuming responsibly; environmental awareness, by building societies that value and respect nature; and efficiency and innovation, by prioritising energy savings and renewable energy.

The private sector has a major role to play in tackling climate change, and environmentally conscious citizens can support organisations that demonstrate a genuine commitment to shared values. It is therefore important to identify and report potential greenwashing: misleading communications or marketing campaigns that make consumers believe a brand is taking action on climate change when it is not, with the sole aim of attracting environmentally conscious customers. This increasingly widespread practice is highly damaging both to the planet and to companies that genuinely invest resources in moving towards a sustainable model.

The current energy model, based on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, whose combustion generates large quantities of greenhouse gases, has been one of the main causes of climate change. Two-thirds of global GHG emissions are attributable to energy production for electricity consumption, transport, heating and industry. Achieving climate targets requires a strategy based on decarbonising electricity generation through renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and electrifying other energy uses. Renewable energy in the electricity sector is a competitive alternative to conventional generation sources.

Technological advances are also making competitive electricity-based solutions possible for end uses such as transport and buildings. Transport accounts for a quarter of global CO₂ emissions and most urban air pollution. One highly effective way to address both problems, which share a common cause, is to electrify transport through electric vehicles, improving energy efficiency. Electric mobility is increasingly competitive, and cost parity between electric and conventional vehicles is expected to be reached in the coming years. In this transformation, electricity networks will play a fundamental role in facilitating the integration of renewable energy and the electrification of the economy

There are many actions you can incorporate into your daily routine to help reduce your climate and environmental impact. The key is to make climate considerations part of everyday decisions, alongside factors such as cost and health. Walking, cycling or using public transport is a good way to avoid CO₂ emissions. If you need to use a private vehicle, consider choosing an electric one.

You can also try to reduce fossil fuel use at home by electrifying energy consumption, for example by installing a heat pump instead of a boiler, or by using renewable energy solutions such as aerothermal, geothermal and thermodynamic solar systems. At the same time, you can improve your home's energy efficiency by using energy-efficient light bulbs, checking your windows, maintaining your boiler and using heating efficiently. Other ways to tackle global warming include responsible consumption and investment, reducing waste and prioritising recycling and reuse. Recycling at home is essential to helping combat climate change.

A carbon footprint measures the impact of human activities on climate change. It is an indicator that calculates the quantity of greenhouse gases, expressed in units of carbon dioxide equivalent, released into the atmosphere directly or indirectly by an individual, organisation, event or product.

For individuals, these emissions can arise from transport, food, household energy use and other activities. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change require a move towards a more sustainable energy model by progressively replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency. Various tools and calculators are available to help you calculate your carbon footprint.

Education plays a fundamental role in understanding today's environmental and energy challenges. Schools can help younger generations learn about the available alternatives, understand the importance of using resources responsibly and develop more sustainable habits. To achieve this, it is important to incorporate topics such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility and environmental protection into the classroom.

Teachers need the tools to help young people understand the causes, impacts and consequences of climate change as a global challenge. They should also help students understand how human pressure makes nature vulnerable and the role that energy and mobility can play in addressing this challenge, while encouraging responsible and efficient use of resources.

Around the world, various citizen movements and social organisations promote action to address climate change, protect biodiversity and support more sustainable development models. Through demonstrations, awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, petitions and public participation, these groups seek to influence public policy, business practices and societal habits.

They include Fridays for Future, a youth movement calling for stronger climate action; Extinction Rebellion, which promotes citizen mobilisation and non-violent civil disobedience; and environmental organisations such as Greenpeace, which runs campaigns related to environmental protection .

Citizen participation also takes place through neighbourhood associations, local groups, community initiatives and organisations working on climate justice, energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable mobility. Together, these initiatives contribute to public debate and the search for solutions to reduce emissions and protect ecosystems.

When referring to an organisation's carbon footprint and the emission sources included in its calculation, it is important to understand the concept of scopes. There are three scopes – Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 – each defining a different category of emissions and helping identify the appropriate measures to address them.

• Scope 1 covers direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organisation. These include emissions from fuel combustion in boilers and vehicles, as well as fugitive emissions resulting from gas leaks.
• Scope 2 covers indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with the generation of purchased electricity consumed by an organisation.
• Scope 3 covers other indirect emissions generated across a company's value chain. These include emissions associated with the extraction and production of purchased materials; the use of products sold; business travel using external transport providers, such as commercial airlines; and the transport of raw materials, fuels or products by third parties.