DECARBONISING

DECARBONISING

CHALLENGE: an 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, based on an annual reduction of 15% (or equivalent), in accordance with Barcelona's Commitment as a member of the European Mission “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030”, formalised and validated by the European Commission in the Climate City Contract.

Decarbonising Barcelona is an enormous challenge, which must be approached from a city-wide perspective. We therefore encourage all those administrations, organisations, companies and private individuals to join us and support this aim by offering their own significant contribution to achieving climate neutrality, thereby making Barcelona a healthier, more resilient, inclusive and sustainable city.

As a member city of the European Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030, Barcelona is committed to accelerating the process of decarbonisation, aiming for an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions(*) during this decade. This goal is part of the 2024-2034 Citizen Commitment to a More Sustainable Barcelona and it is specified in the above-mentioned Climate City Contract, validated by the European Commission.

By joining this challenge, we assume the following commitments:

To progress towards decarbonisation, we are developing our own strategy and doing everything within our power to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 15% within a year.
In order to ensure transparency, we monitor the obtained results and share the data with the platform of organisations taking part in the challenge.
In order to favour collective learning, we share good practices and other significant experiences that the organisation carries out along this path.

The main lines of action are:

Saving energy.
Fostering renewable energies.
Eliminating fossil fuels.

Accepting the challenge of decarbonising the municipality, progressing towards making Barcelona a climate-neutral city.

Join the challenge!

The working project for challenges requires members to form part of the More Sustainable Barcelona Network and to have signed the More Sustainable Barcelona Citizen Commitment. If you have not yet done so, you can do it now.

(*) The group of emissions taken into consideration by the commitment are those that come from energy consumption in buildings and vehicles (electricity, natural gas and other fuels), as Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

Common FAQs

General aspects

We understand working for challenges to be a specific means for achieving a significant impact on sustainability and the climate challenge in the city, through promoting initiatives and projects.

The stakeholders taking part in this process are the City Council and city companies, organisations, shops, schools, residents and research centres. All of them are committed to developing measures in their area of action and sphere of influence.

The two challenges that are being prioritised for the 2024-2026 period are “Decarbonising” and “Saving Water”. A commitment to these challenges is part of the More Sustainable Barcelona Network, within the framework of the new 2024-2034 Citizen Commitment to Sustainability.

These are voluntary projects, open to all who wish to contribute and to achieve a positive, transformative impact.
In addition to the two challenges that are currently active (“Decarbonising” and “Saving Water”), in coming years, Barcelona City Council will be working on the following challenges, also on sustainability issues:
- Let's Get Moving!: encouraging private vehicle users to get around the city in their everyday lives via public transport, bicycles and walking.
- Eating Smart: offering healthy, low-carbon options on menus (restaurants, school canteens, community kitchens, catering services) and adopting measures to avoid food waste.
- A city full of life: increasing and improving the green surface area of public and private spaces.
- Setting Boundaries and Embracing Circularity: Reducing material consumption and promoting circular consumption and production.
- Going local: promoting local products at local shops.
- Protecting Ourselves from Heat and Cold: Offering private spaces to serve as climate shelters.
Joining the challenges involves access to advice and helping to achieve the objectives of improving sustainability in your municipality, through your company, organisation or family. Thanks to this support, you can enjoy better environmental positioning, save on your electricity and water bills, as well as benefiting from the available tax breaks and establishing synergies with other members.

Practical aspects

You have to sign the form for the challenge you wish to join. Remember, you must be part of the More Sustainable Barcelona Network and have signed the Citizen Commitment for a More Sustainable Barcelona.
You can join the challenge at any time. However, if you join now, you will find out about all the available activities and support tools.
Yes, it will. During the 2024-2026 period, the “Decarbonising” and “Saving Water” challenges will be active. In coming years, other sustainability challenges will also be activated.
You need to be a member of the More Sustainable Barcelona] Network, and you must live or carry out a large part of your activity in Barcelona. Joining is voluntary and free of charge.
Once you join the challenges, the More Sustainable Barcelona Technical Secretariat will ask you for your consumption data, in order to calculate your GHG-emission and water-consumption impact and potential savings, depending on the challenge you have joined (carbon footprint and/or water footprint). This data will be processed under current data-protection and privacy criteria.
If you have a question, you can contact the Technical Secretariat for the challenges, via the following email address: reptesbcnsostenible@bcn.cat
You will have access to various resources, which will soon be available in the “Toolbox”: Cross-cutting resources, Resources to save water and Resources to decarbonize us. You will also have access to advice. This personalised support involves collective working sessions and spaces for resolving queries, in the case of companies and organisations.
Yes. Currently, the following subsidies are available in the “Toolbox“: Cross-cutting resources, Resources to save water and Resources to decarbonize us.

Decarbonising

GHG emissions of human origin are the main cause of global warming. All of our activities have associated GHG emissions. It is vital to reduce them in order to mitigate the local and global impacts of climate change, if we want to preserve today's planetary conditions.
The calculated emissions are direct and indirect emissions from acquired energy. The information you will be asked for to calculate the challenge goals are as follows:
- Institutions and organisations: energy consumption of buildings (electricity, natural gas, diesel and other fuel consumption), renewable energy production, machinery fuel consumption, own-vehicle fuel consumption. In addition, if there is consumption due to heating or cooling networks or refrigerant gas emissions.
- City residents: energy consumption of buildings (electricity, natural gas, diesel and other fuel consumption), renewable energy production and own-vehicle fuel consumption.
Decarbonising initiatives, i.e., reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, are part of the following projects:
- Saving energy and being more efficient: changing habits and investing to make savings.
- Plugging into renewables: installing renewables, contracting green energy, joining shared self-consumption.
- Eliminating fossil fuels: opting for more sustainable mobility, decarbonising air conditioning and kitchens.
You will find a list of actions taken by city companies, institutions and organisations relating to each of the challenges on this page. These actions have already been carried out and involve an improvement in terms of sustainability, going beyond compliance with current environmental regulations.
Yes. You can join more than one challenge, if you so wish.