SPAIN FOR A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY

Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, and Spain, ranked among the ten countries most affected by extreme weather events, is on the frontlines of this escalating climate emergency. In October 2024, the devastating flood in Valencia claimed 227 lives. Last summer, Spain also faced record-breaking heatwaves surpassing 45ºC in several regions and causing 2,635 deaths, while recent catastrophic wildfires have destroyed more than 350,000 hectares, killed 4 people, and forced thousands to evacuate their homes. These climate impacts are no longer distant warnings. They are the new normal and will only intensify unless the world takes the bold decision to end its dependence on coal, oil, and gas.

Spain has both a historic responsibility and opportunity to lead the way out of the fossil fuel crisis, as part of the EU, which, together with the UK, account for nearly one-fifth of historical global emissions—second only to the United States. A figure that would be much higher if emissions coming from the consumption of imported goods were included. The EU is also causing environmental damage and human rights violations in Global South countries due to its fossil fuel consumption. With its economic weight, technological capacity, and diplomatic influence, Spain can set a precedent for Europe —and the Global North— by becoming the first EU country to join the growing bloc of 17 participating nations discussing the negotiations of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

This overdue leadership would also align with growing international legal obligations on fossil fuel production. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights recently ruled that States must supervise and limit fossil fuel exploration, extraction, and processing to protect human rights. The International Court of Justice has gone further, calling on States to halt new fossil fuel licenses and cooperate internationally for a just energy transition. These rulings make one thing clear: ending fossil fuel expansion and working together for a fair phase-out is no longer optional for governments; it is a legal duty. 

Spain is ideally placed to be a first mover and help advance that duty within Europe, persuading others to assume their responsibility and act on the inevitability of a fossil-free future — with no excuse for delay. Global demand for fossil fuels is indeed set to decline, and existing projects already exceed what the world can safely burn before 2050 if we want to respect the 1.5 °C limit. Renewables are cheaper than ever, with ample space in Europe to deploy them without harming nature, food production or communities. 

Domestically, as one of the most climate-committed countries in the European Union,  Spain ranks second in Europe for installed renewable energy capacity, and is committed to climate neutrality by 2050. In addition, the country has banned new exploration and extraction projects of fossil fuels within its territory, and has accelerated the closure of coal plants through a Just Transition Strategy, although this strategy has ample room for improvement in terms of equal participation and accountability. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national climate pact following the catastrophic wildfires of the summer.

Additionally, Spaniards strongly support ambitious climate action. According to the latest Eurobarometer on Climate Change, 88% are concerned or very concerned, and 90% believe national authorities must act urgently. Over three-quarters agree that reducing fossil fuel imports would strengthen energy sovereignty and benefit the EU economically, and that public support should prioritize sustainable energy even if it means reducing or ending fossil fuel subsidies. At the same time, the rise of the far right is a warning and a call for a different response: one rooted not in injustice and discrimination, but in community, solidarity, and collective wellbeing (buen vivir), ensuring dignity and prosperity for all, not just the privileged few.

Phasing out fossil fuels is both a climate and a social imperative. It can reduce inequality, energy poverty, and conflict, while building a safer, healthier world. Spain still relies heavily on imported fossil gas from volatile regions, exposing the country to unstable markets and geopolitical risks, while existing fossil projects already exceed what the planet can safely burn. Renewable energy, by contrast, is abundant, cheaper than ever, and domestically produced—reducing exposure to supply shocks and crises. Although we should also consider that the technology needed to generate renewable energy depends on certain critical minerals, and that their extraction must not replicate the extractivist and colonialist patterns of the past.

Therefore, a just energy transition is an opportunity to increase the overall well-being and quality of life of Spaniards. Cleaner air could prevent the 25,000 deaths and the more than 60,000 hospital admissions currently caused by air pollution every year. Investing in quality public transport and sustainable urban planning would make our cities more liveable and walkable (and cyclable), creating more green spaces and more space for people to connect and live healthier lifestyles. Additionally, transitioning to renewable energy and improving energy efficiency would create between 363,000 and 560,000 jobs in the next five years, according to the last estimates of Spain’s Climate and Energy Plan.  

Finally, the energy transition offers an unprecedented opportunity to rethink our energy system to make it more democratic and participatory. A just energy transition must include the promotion of energy communities and cooperatives, empowering citizens to participate directly in the transition, lowering household bills, and reducing dependence on big energy corporations and volatile fossil fuel markets.

The recent massive blackout across Spain and Portugal underscored that true energy sovereignty will come from modernized grids, storage, and flexible systems to harness wind and solar —the most reliable and cost-effective sources—while fossil fuels only deepen vulnerabilities, from price spikes to supply disruptions driven by instability and extreme weather.

Spain has started to prove its commitment at home — the challenge now is to elevate that leadership to the global arena and accelerate the fossil fuel phase-out worldwide.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged to make Spain "a global leader in energy transition", and a driver of a “new prosperity model” focused on wellbeing, equality, and environmental sustainability for everyone and everywhere. By joining the 17 participating nations already championing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, Spain could transform its commitments into world-changing action and position itself as a bridge — within Europe and with the Global South — to drive more ambitious climate diplomacy at COP30 and beyond.  

By joining the Treaty, Spain could prevent its energy transition from being based on a new extractivist model painted green which, under the guise of sustainability, reproduces the injustices of the colonial fossil fuel matrix, transferring predation to the Global South and repeating the violation of territories, ecosystems, and communities. This responsibility echoes Pedro Sánchez’s recent commitment together with the Presidents of Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Colombia, who collectively reaffirmed their willingness to defend “democracy, human rights, and social justice”.

In 2021, Barcelona became the first European city to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, joining a movement of more than 130 cities putting pressure on national governments. It is now time for the Spanish national government to lead the EU into a fossil-free future, protecting its people, strengthening its economy, and demonstrating its moral leadership and genuine compromise with climate action and justice.