CITIZEN COMMITMENT FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE BARCELONA
The More Sustainable Barcelona Network for a better future
On May 7, 2024, the commitment to achieve a more prosperous, inclusive, equitable, resilient, and responsible city will be presented, bringing together the maximum number of agents committed to a better future.
The current economic, energy, social, and cultural systems cannot continue as they are if we genuinely want to strive for sustainability. We need significant and disruptive changes.
It is time to decide how we want to live and coexist and to change the model. We must act now, and do so responsibly, jointly, and continuously.
Join the Challenges!
We act together by establishing all possible alliances between administrations, organizations, companies and citizens to face these major city challenges:
The Citizen Commitment for a More Sustainable Barcelona
The 2024-2034 Citizen Commitment for a More Sustainable Barcelona reflects the will and aspirations of the More Sustainable Barcelona Network for achieving a more sustainable and responsible city in terms of the impact our lifestyle has on a local and global scale. It adapts to current challenges and gears its actions towards providing firm, common responses to the climate emergency and the eco-social crisis.
Download the Commitment
Barcelona for the Climate
Once again, Barcelona is reaffirming its determination to combat climate change. The B+S Network's Commitment responds to the city goal of expanding its network of committed climate-action allies, as set out in the 2030 Change for the Climate Plan, while also aligning with the City Climate Agreement, presented to the European Commission in September 2023, which establishes mitigation goals for accelerating the city's energy and climatic transition. The Agreement includes the Commitment to Climate Neutrality by 2030 and defines a preliminary road map for the city's decarbonisation. This is what Barcelona has established within the framework of the European Mission for 100 Smart and Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030, defining work with the city's business and social network in order to achieve the established goals.
We are aware
We are aware that we face great common challenges and that in Barcelona they are specifically defined in:
Climate emergency
The average annual temperature in Barcelona increased by 2ºC between 1780 and 2022. According to the sixth IPCC report, it is still possible to halve CO2 emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. But the report warns that the window of opportunity is closing: it’s now or never. As a European Union Mission City, Barcelona has committed to reducing its emissions by 80% by 2030.
Loss of biodiversity
Barcelona must protect and regreen its land, river and coastal environments. We must restore our ecosystems and increase the city’s flora and fauna with species that are suitable for our water system, improve the ratio of green space per resident and maximise socio-environmental services.
The production and consumption model
The global model has brought about major economic and social transformations that have led, in turn, to human rights violations, eco-social conflicts and increased migratory flows. We must promote a culture of waste prevention and social and solidarity economy initiatives.
The health of the planet and people
Our habits directly affect the state of the natural environment. In turn, the situation of the planet influences people’s health, causing or exacerbating health conditions and impacting mortality rates. We must restore our connection with nature, promote physical and mental health and seek comprehensive well-being, both individually and collectively.
The food model
Barcelona’s food sovereignty is weak and largely dependent on an intensive, globalised, agro-industrial food system. It is time to rethink how we eat, with a cross-cutting approach that will promote shorter, fairer and more balanced food chains and prioritise buying local, supporting local shops, restaurants and farmers, as well as the ecological sustainability of the entire food chain.
Access to housing
16% of families in Barcelona devote over 40% of their income to housing. We must guarantee access to high-quality, decent housing in sustainable and healthy conditions, especially for vulnerable groups and young people.
Safe, sustainable and healthy mobility
Although eco-mobility (public transport, cycling or walking) accounts for over 80% of journeys within Barcelona, traffic continues to be the source of most air and noise pollution, as well as over 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. We must continue to promote sustainable mobility by making public transport accessible in all the meanings of the word, including financially, both in Barcelona and in the entire metropolitan area.
The cultural and educational model
We need to produce and share knowledge; promote changes in values, attitudes and habits; encourage best practices, and change the consumer model in ways that help us to incorporate the culture of planetary limits. We must explain to all types of audiences that it is possible to consume less and live better, and that it is also possible to live well without harming the planet, with a quality of life and a level of happiness and well-being equal to or greater than what we have now.
The energy model
9.6% of the energy consumed in Barcelona comes from renewable sources. Meanwhile, 22.7% of Barcelona residents experience energy poverty. We must accelerate the transition towards a model of reducing energy consumption and maximising renewable, locally-generated energy.
Watter management
Barcelona has reduced the domestic consumption of drinking water to less than 100 litres per person per day. But there is still room for improvement, particularly in relation to managing and optimising alternative water resources for uses that do not require drinking water.
Working together
We know that everyone is, and should be, protagonists in this necessary transformation which involves a commitment to sustainability, everyone within their own range of responsibility and capacity for action. Schools, organisations, companies, shops, trade unions, social organisations, children, young people, adults and senior citizens: everyone is needed in this mobilisation.
Join us!
If you join the 2024-2034 Citizen Commitment for a More Sustainable Barcelona, you will form part of the More Sustainable Barcelona Network and act together to face the city's climate challenges:
- You will collaborate with individual actions and participate in collective ones organised by the More sustainable Barcelona Network.
- You will share your initiatives and act as a spokesperson for those who promote the More Sustainable Barcelona Network.
Entities, companies, commerce and professionals Schools Citizens
CHALLENGES
The human race is facing a complex challenge, in a scenario of climate emergency and eco-social crisis, which requires a commitment to finding solutions on a local and global scale, resolutely and urgently.
The key to tackling the major challenges facing our city is the sum of our complementary, collaborative actions aimed at achieving the same goal.
In that regard, Barcelona is promoting a new line of action: the City Collaborative Challenges. Challenges focusing on issues of special relevance, which various Barcelona stakeholders are tackling with the same common objective, in order to achieve a significant impact on the city's sustainability and climate action. A contribution to the challenges may be via actions, projects or measures that each stakeholder can develop in their own field of action and sphere of influence.
The priority challenges for the 2024-2026 period are decarbonisation and saving water.
DECARBONISATION
SAVING WATER
The More Sustainable Barcelona Network
The More Sustainable Barcelona Network is the group of organisations and city residents committed to sustainability, who are collectively building a Barcelona that is responsible in regard to people and the environment.
It is made up of citizen organisations, business and commercial organisations, schools, universities, professional associations, trade unions and administrations. More recently, individual city residents have also joined.
The Network promotes sustainability measures, shares good practices and develops collaboration projects among its members. It is represented by the Citizen Council for Sustainability.