Strategy for the Adaptation of the Spanish Coastline to Climate Change

Enacted in 2021, this law establishes Spain's legal framework for achieving climate neutrality by 2050, aligning with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. It mandates a 23% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels), alongside ambitious renewable energy targets, including 42% of final energy consumption from renewables and 74% renewable electricity generation by 2030. Energy efficiency measures aim for a 39.5% reduction in primary energy consumption within the same timeframe. The law also prohibits new hydrocarbon and radioactive mineral exploitation, requires emission-free transport systems in cities with populations exceeding 50,000, and emphasises sustainable urban mobility.

The legislation includes a national Just Transition Strategy to ensure equitable economic opportunities, particularly for vulnerable regions, while fostering adaptation and resilience to climate risks across critical sectors such as water, biodiversity, and health. It creates governance mechanisms like the Expert Committee on Climate Change and Energy Transition to monitor progress and updates to Spain's Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC). Projecting investments exceeding €200 billion by 2030, the law is expected to enhance Spain’s GDP by €16.5–25.7 billion annually and generate 250,000–350,000 new jobs. The focus on education, innovation, and public awareness underscores its commitment to a holistic and inclusive transition.

This collection represent a body of policies, strategies, and plans enacted under this law. 

Law 7/2021 on climate change and energy transition [Spain]

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Laws and Policies

CCLW

CCLW national policies

The Strategy for the Adaptation of the Spanish Coastline to Climate Change outlines Spain’s commitment to enhancing coastal resilience to climate change impacts through a structured, evidence-based approach. Developed by the Spanish Climate Change Office (OECC) in collaboration with the University of Cantabria, the strategy progresses in three phases. The first phase evaluates changes in coastal dynamics and projects future trends under various climate scenarios. The second phase assesses potential impacts on natural spaces and human uses of the coastline. Finally, the third phase establishes actionable policies supported by objective indicators to mitigate and prevent climate-related effects. Central to this initiative is the Law 2/2013, which incorporates climate adaptation into Spain's Coastal Law, mandating prospective climate impact assessments for public projects and outlining strategies to safeguard coastal areas.The strategy is guided by principles of sustainability, including rational use of resources, energy efficiency, and the preservation of biodiversity, ecosystems, and cultural heritage. It highlights the interplay of anthropogenic activities, such as emissions and land use changes, with climate risks, advocating for coordinated measures to minimise their combined effects. Strategic Environmental Assessments and inter-administrative collaboration are integral to its implementation, ensuring robust diagnostics and adaptive interventions to protect Spain’s coastal integrity against the dual pressures of climate change and human activities.

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

Any compulsory, unrequited payment to the government levied on corporations or individuals. This can be for environmental reasons, such as introducing a Carbon tax to set a price that emitters must pay for the greenhouse gases they emit.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

This sector includes firms and individuals offering specialised expertise in fields such as law, accounting, consulting, science and engineering.

A drought is an extended period of unusually dry weather marked by a significant and sustained lack of precipitation, falling below a specific threshold over a large area for more than a month

An integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, that enables individuals, communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely action to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events.

Activities involving the catching, processing, and selling of fish for food, recreation, and industry.

Activities of businesses and institutions that provide financial services and products to individuals and organisations.

Actions to adapt human health, healthcare systems and well-being to climate change.

Air pollution involves harmful contaminants in the air, affecting both indoor and outdoor environments. It can lead to health issues like respiratory diseases and heart problems, and climate impacts such as global warming. Pollutants can damage plants, trees, habitats, and water bodies like rivers and lakes.

Activities that provide lodging, food, and entertainment services to guests, including hotels, restaurants, and resorts.

Financial support to help individuals manage the effects of unexpected events, securing their livelihoods and increasing the resilience of people and businesses to the changing climate. It’s especially vital in developing regions where everyday risks, climate-related weather extremes, or crop failures can push people into poverty. Without insurance, people may have to resort to selling assets or cutting consumption to cope with losses.

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Actions and measures to adapt and increase resilience of societies and the economy to climate change.

Activities that relate to the production of goods and services from forests.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater systems to climate change.

Electricity generation from devices driven by the movement of salt water, differences in saltwater temperatures, or salinity gradients.

This sector involves managing waste treatment, sanitation, pollution control and environmental cleanup.

Electrical energy generated from mechanical devices driven by flowing fresh water.

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

Conditions that enhance the feasibility of adaptation options. Enabling conditions include finance, technological innovation, strengthening policy instruments, institutional capacity, multi-level governance and changes in human behaviour and lifestyles.

Coastal zone and marine-related actions and measures to adapt and increase resilience to climate change

This sector involves the distribution, treatment, and conservation of water resources.

This sector provides communication services, software development, and IT solutions.

People whose health, both mental and physical, makes them more vulnerable to the effects of climate change

Codes and standards are regulatory instruments that specify minimum standards to protect health and safety. This ranges from performance standards, which prescribe outcomes while allowing flexibility to achieve compliance, to the more prescriptive approach of technology-specific standards.

This sector involves activities to move goods and people, alongside the storage of products.

Fossil gas, commonly known as natural gas, is a fossil fuel consisting chiefly of methane with smaller amounts of other hydrocarbons and trace gases, found in underground deposits.

A long-lived, colourless gas, chiefly emitted from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and cement production.

This sector involves the wholesale and retail selling of goods.

A subsidy is a direct or indirect payment to individuals or businesses, typically provided as a government cash payment or a specific tax reduction.

Social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced

People with different national or cultural traditions from the dominant population

Direct investments by the governments using public funds. This can be to support climate initiatives or integrate climate into other projects.

The activities of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of energy, including electricity, gas, and renewables.

The release of heat-trapping gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and industry.

Actions to adapt and increase the resilience of rural and urban infrastructure and settlements to climate change.

Any substance with chemical properties that can cause physical harm to people or damage the environment, including ammonia, carbon monoxide, phosphine, chlorine, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, pesticides, dioxins, microplastics, benzene, asbestos, aflatoxins, fluoride, methanol, and toxins from marine sources.

Risks to the ecosystem health of the marine environment, including ocean warming, ocean acidification, and ocean deoxygenation, harming biodiversity, species health, ecosystem services, and coastal community livelihoods.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.

Activities that involve the cultivation of crops and raising of livestock for food, fibre, and other products essential for human life and industry.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Kinetic energy of airflow transformed into useful energy, mostly electrical energy.

Actions or measures to adapt freshwater, coastal and marine systems to climate change.

Zoning and spatial planning are both methods for guiding the distribution of people and activities in a space, and are regulatory restriction.

Activities of government agencies and institutions that provide public services, enforce laws and manage public resources.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

This sector involves activities that impart knowledge and skills to individuals, including formal schooling, vocational training and educational support.

Social inclusion is the process of improving the terms on which individuals and groups take part in society—improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity.

Geohazards are adverse geological phenomenon's that are capable of causing widespread damage or loss to property, life and the environment, such as earthquakes, volcano eruptions and tsunamis. Climate change can increase the frequency and severity of some geohazards, such as landslides, and soil erosion.

Strategy for the Adaptation of the Spanish Coastline to Climate Change

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Just transition

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance