Decarbonisation and compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030, as well as the implementation of a solution to reduce energy costs are the maxims that Torrevieja town hall has established as goals for its sustainability project “Torrevieja quiere ser Nativo Sostenible”, an initiative that has been commissioned by the Alicante-based consultancy firm Nativos Sostenibles, and whose first phase has concluded “very satisfactorily”.
With the actions carried out by Nativos Sostenibles so far, a saving of more than 444,000 kilograms of CO2 has been achieved that has not been emitted into the atmosphere, since the use of 100% green energy drastically reduces CO2 emissions, and therefore, the carbon footprint of the city.
After the work in raising awareness and promoting the use of 100% green energy, a Sustainable Native badge has been created especially for this project, in which the Council and more than 40 shops and businesses in the town of Torrevieja have collaborated, which already show the distinction in its establishments with pride of being consumers of energy of 100% renewable origin.
The Torrevieja project wants to be “Native Sustainable” and acts on the 2030 SDGs. Mainly, it has a positive impact on the following:
SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (Climate action), objectives that highlight the need for clean and renewable energy to help combat climate change.
SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), by reducing the negative environmental impact per capita of cities, including paying attention to air quality. Thanks, among other things, to the work carried out in raising awareness of the promotion of the use of energies of 100% renewable origin.
SDG 17 (Partnerships to achieve the goals). The project, through public-private collaboration, as well as raising awareness and creating a municipal community of Sustainable Natives, is an example of an alliance with the aim of advancing in the achievement of the SDGs.
The project combines awareness and dissemination actions at street level, with technology that Nativos Sostenibles is developing in collaboration with the University of Alicante (UA), in a project subsidised by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI).
The Torrevieja and Nativos Sostenibles project is in line with the new REPowerEU Plan, which was presented by the European Commission on May 18, to put an end to the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels. There is a double urgency to transform the European energy system: weaning off Russian fossil fuels (at a cost of €100 billion a year for Europeans) and tackling the climate crisis. Among the initiatives promoted under this framework and that Nativos Sostenibles helps to comply with, the following stand out:
The EU’s solar energy strategy, which specifies doubling solar PV capacity by 2025 (more than 300 GW) and installing 600 GW by 2030. The plan calls for rapid and massive deployment of rooftop solar panels, starting with the buildings that have the highest energy consumption.
A rooftop solar initiative with a legal obligation to install solar panels on public and commercial buildings and new residential buildings. The EU wants these permits to be obtained in less than 3 months, while ensuring that solar installation is mandatory for all new buildings and when they are being renovated.
Establish a target of 10 million tons of domestic renewable hydrogen production and 10 million imports by 2030, in order to replace natural gas, coal and oil in difficult-to-decarbonise industries and transport sectors.
More than 72% of consumers demand a better, healthier and more sustainable environment, while 80% of the buildings built in Spain are not efficient and do not meet the minimum requirements of the Energy Efficiency Certificate. These are some of the data that the project takes as a reference to validate the importance and need for awareness and dissemination of the use of 100% renewable energy, using public-private relations.
According to numerous studies, around 70% of consumers value sustainable criteria when making purchasing decisions about products or services. Precisely, among the actions that are already planned in the near future in Torrevieja is to create a web page that advertises those ‘Native Sustainable’ establishments, so that citizens and visitors learn about sustainable actions by the businesses of the municipality. In this way, the Council is committed to bringing sustainability, communication and energy saving closer to everyone.
