Spain: Autonomous Communities must strengthen their enviromental policies

The five most important Spanish environmental-friendly organisations (WWF/Adena, SEO/Birdlife, Greenpeace, Ecologistas en Acción and Amigos de la Tierra) have recently made a call for all the candidates to the coming regional elections to commit with the environment and with sustainable development. These organisations have proposed political parties to commit to a number of specific, feasible and realistic measures that would guarantee that Autonomous Governments contribute to alleviating the present environmental crisis. In this regard, it has to be taken into account that Spanish Autonomous Communities have broad powers in many basic aspects influencing sustainable development and that they must not ignore their responsibilities. The measures proposed affect twelve thematic areas, being particularly important the following: climatic change, affected by transport and energy regional policies; urbanisation; water; and increasing waste production. Environmental-friendly organisations specifically demand that Autonomous Governments commit to energy saving and to renewable energies, develop plans for sustainable mobility and limit the use of private means of transportation; suit new urban development plans to real needs, concentrate them on the outskirts of urban areas and protect coastal areas; promote an efficient use of water both in agriculture and in the private sphere; and to reduce waste production by at least 10%. These organisations also give their views in the areas of agriculture and rural development, seas and coasts, biodiversity, forests, industrial production and prevention of environmental effects.