Marrakech, Nov 16 (IANS) Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced at the climate change conference here that his country will introduce a new law to ensure it reduces carbon emissions.
"Spain is fully committed to this task," Xinhua news agency quoted Rajoy as saying on Tuesday.
Rajoy renewed Spain's commitment to fight against climate change and reiterated his promise to push for a specific law on the matter.
Rajoy is in Marrakech for the UN Climate Change Conference, along with more than 70 heads of state and government, Efe news reported.
The Spanish Prime Minister hailed the Paris Agreement on climate change signed almost a year ago, calling it the biggest environmental challenge facing the world.
"Now we have to move from agreements to action. Only in this way will we achieve... making life on the planet healthier for current and future generations," he said.
As a sign of his commitment, Rajoy said that one of the first moves of his new government was to send the Paris Agreement to Parliament for ratification.
The move was delayed as Spain was paralysed for 10 months due to the absence of a fully functioning government in Madrid.
On climate change, he said, all political elements within Spain were sensitive.
He hoped that the ratification process would move quickly.
He was speaking to the media after the meeting and was accompanied by Spanish Agriculture, Food and Environment Minister Isabel Garcia Tejerina.
Rajoy also noted that Spain was already on the road to fulfilling the greenhouse gas emission objectives for 2020 and was working to fulfil the ones for 2030, a move which he called "ambitious".
He reiterated his promise to send to Parliament a climate change bill incorporating all the commitments and instruments necessary for the Spanish economy to transform itself.
He did not set a specific date for ending hydrocarbon use in Spain, but insisted that his country would comply with the objectives set for 2020.
The Paris Agreement includes emissions goals legally not binding, but merely a promise by each country to try to fulfil the goals established under it.
The Spanish Prime Minister said climate change was the "biggest challenge facing society" and commented that following the Paris Agreement, the "challenge is to build on those foundations and put them into action".
"Only by doing this will we be able to make a healthier life on the planet for future generations and also for ourselves," he concluded.
