Barcelona Metropolis

Climate change is accelerating. Each year, temperature records are broken, and we are forced to devote ever greater resources to recovering from the shocks of extreme weather events. The damage is growing, not only in material terms but also in human lives. A study published in January in Nature estimates that, without decisive action, Europe could see 2.3 million premature deaths by the end of the century due to rising temperatures. Barcelona is among the cities most at risk.

Cities, once places of shelter, are now becoming vulnerable places in the face of climate change. They are grappling with a two-fold challenge: to reduce their impact on global warming while also mitigating its inevitable consequences. If cities are the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, they can also be the most powerful drivers of change. Barcelona has demonstrated a clear commitment to this goal. In recognition of its efforts, the European Commission selected the city in 2022 – out of 400 candidates – to join the “EU Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030”.

Changing this dynamic is no easy feat. It requires overcoming entrenched inertia and aligning a broad range of interests towards a common goal. Achieving carbon neutrality calls for action on multiple fronts at once – from urban planning to service management, from energy systems to mobility and water management. These efforts must go hand in hand with mitigation strategies, including reducing the urban heat island effect, tackling water stress and preventing damage from increasingly frequent easterly storms.

These are the objectives of Barcelona’s Pla Clima [Climate Plan], launched by the City Council in 2024, with a budget of over €1.8 billion through to 2030. This roadmap is structured around six major programmes, each with a detailed set of measures and actions. We stand at a critical juncture, but we must not be overwhelmed by the scale of the challenge, nor succumb to paralysing eco-anxiety. We know what must be done to find a way out of this predicament. That is exactly what this plan sets out to achieve: a combination of public policies and individual action.