International Day against Climate Change

Aware of climate change: Iberdrola's Causes, Actions and Commitments

Climate change is a global phenomenon characterised by alterations in weather patterns. With the aim of raising awareness of one of the most urgent and pressing challenges facing humanity, the International Day against Climate Change is celebrated worldwide on 24 October, a date designed to reflect on what climate change is and how our individual and collective actions can make a difference in this cause.

At the Iberdrola Group, we join this celebration as true leaders in the fight against climate change. Our involvement with this international day is mainly reflected in our commitment to a decarbonised and sustainable energy model, which is embodied in our Climate Action Plan emissions neutrality. But why is it so important to fight the climate crisis and actively participate in the celebration of this day?

Why is the International Day against Climate Change celebrated?

International Climate Change Day, celebrated around the world on 24 October, is a unified, global response to the challenge of climate change. This date originates from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and is celebrated to raise awareness of the urgent need to address this phenomenon. Its significance goes beyond a simple calendar event, being a warning that climate change is a real threat that requires urgent global action.

According to the UN, it is scientifically proven that human action is solely responsible for global warming over the last 200 years, causing devastating effects that are increasing every year. The organisation estimates that approximately 3.3 to 3.6 billion people live in contexts that make them highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. From extreme weather events to biodiversity loss and resource scarcity, its consequences are felt in different parts of the world.

International Climate Change Day therefore reminds us of our shared responsibility to take concrete action to mitigate and adapt to these changes. Aimed at governments, businesses and citizens, it is a reminder that, if we act collectively and with commitment, we can begin to turn the climate situation around to build a more sustainable future for generations to come.
 

Main causes of climate change

The impact of climate change on the economy and society is caused by a series of human activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide and methane as a result of burning fossil fuels. These emissions of polluting gases, which have been increasing over the years since the age of industrialisation, are the key factor in the rise in global temperature and its consequent effects that plague some of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Understanding the main causes of this phenomenon is essential to effectively address it. 

 Burning of fossil fuels

The combustion of oil, natural gas and coal for power generation and transport is the main source of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and therefore a major cause of climate change. The massive use of this type of fuel as an energy source has caused the concentration of CO₂ in our planet's atmosphere to skyrocket, reaching a figure of 417 parts per million (ppm) today, as warned by the Global Carbon Project (2022) - a level 50 % higher than the 278 ppm before the Industrial Revolution.

 Deforestation

Logging, fires and the conversion of forest land into urban or agricultural areas are other human activities that release significant amounts of CO₂ into the atmosphere. At the same time, deforestation also reduces the earth's ability to slow climate change, as forests act as carbon sinks that absorb and capture CO₂ to reduce its presence in the air.

 Intensive agriculture

Large-scale agriculture emits methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) through practices such as rice cultivation, livestock rearing and excessive use of fertilisers. Its activity also involves the removal of natural vegetation cover and the disruption of local ecosystems, affecting the planet's ability to regulate the climate.

 Industry and chemical processes 

Various sectors of industry produce emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, mainly for the manufacture of electronic components, plastics, cement, steel and other consumer goods. The commercial and residential construction sector alone, for example, is responsible for more than 34% of energy demand and around 37% of energy-related CO₂ emissions.

 Transport

Internal combustion vehicles, such as cars, trucks, aircraft and ships, emit large quantities of polluting gases. This makes the transport sector today one of the major contributors to carbon emissions into the atmosphere and the resulting climate change. Aviation alone, whether commercial or military, accounts for 10 % of total emissions in this sector.

 Energy use

Coal, hydrocarbons and natural gas are still used to run heating and air-conditioning systems in both commercial and industrial buildings. Studies show that the energy sector remains the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

Iberdrola's commitment: Strategies to mitigate climate change

We all have an important role to play in the fight against climate change. Iberdrola, aligned with the European objectives, knows that the electricity sector assumes a significant responsibility to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and to be a decisive driver for compliance with international commitments. For this reason, for more than 20 years the company has been setting a series of objectives to achieve a global economy with low CO₂ emissions that achieves climate neutrality through the energy transition

 This involves adopting measures to decarbonise the electricity sector and electrify the economy in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The first concept refers to some of its actions in the energy field, such as the promotion of renewable energies (offshore and onshore wind, hydroelectric and photovoltaic), the development and digitalisation of smart grids and the promotion of efficient storage. In terms of electrification, this strategy focuses on promoting the use of electricity as an energy source in sectors that traditionally rely on fossil fuels, such as transport, heating and industry.

The Group also contributes to specific action plans such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which make up the International Development Agenda, known as Agenda 2030. Among these 17 goals set by UN Member States, SDG 13 (Climate Action), which focuses on the need to take action to mitigate climate change, stands out in particular.

 To make progress with this goal and build a low-carbon future, it adopts a series of measures such as the implementation of the Iberdrola's Climate Action Plan, which brings forward the goal of carbon neutrality of generation plants to 2030 and also assumes the commitment to achieve total decarbonisation of the company by 2040; joining The Climate Group's EV100 initiative to electrify its entire fleet of vehicles in Spain and the United Kingdom; planting 20 million trees by 2030; and closing all its coal-fired plants.

UN legal instruments in the fight against climate change

Over the past decades, the international community has worked to develop legal instruments to address the challenge of climate change. One of the fundamental pillars in this fight is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a conference that annually brings together almost two hundred countries that establishes basic obligations to curb the climate crisis

This meeting, known as COP, the acronym for Conference of the Parties, originated in 1992 during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, when member states identified the need to create a new conference to address the problem of climate change. Since then, COPs have gained prominence as meeting points for negotiating and shaping the climate agenda of nations, reaching significant international agreements that set targets in response to climate change

One of the most notable milestones in history was the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, which represents the first international commitment to limit greenhouse gas emissions. In the document, signatory countries pledged to reduce their pollutant emissions by at least 5 % compared to 1990 levels in the five-year period 2008-2012. Although it faced challenges in its implementation and some countries chose not to ratify it, this agreement laid the groundwork for future climate negotiations

Years later, in 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted and signed by virtually all countries in the world, marking a crucial step in the fight against climate change. This agreement sets ambitious targets to limit the global temperature increase to below 2°C compared to the pre-industrial era, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. It also encourages international cooperation and mobilises financial resources to support developing countries in their climate efforts.

Iberdrola's commitment to the summits organised by the United Nations is reflected in its active participation in these meetings and in the adoption of an energy model aligned with the main international agreements. At the Climate Summit 2022, for example, held in Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt) in November 2022, the electricity company participated in more than 60 meetings, forums, and gatherings with leaders of governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to discuss actions to consolidate a greener, digital, and sustainable global economy.