Approval of the Barcelona Energy Improvement Plan (PMEB), which sets out measures to make Barcelona the city with the highest presence of solar energy in the world. 

Significant steps such as the Energy, Climate and Air Quality Plan 2011–2020and the 2011 Environmental Byelaw, which included objectives for climate change mitigation and adaptation to its effects.

Within the framework of the 2015 COP21 in Paris, the City Council presented the Barcelona Climate Commitment (CBC), reaffirming municipal commitments such as the Covenant of Mayors for Energy and Adaptation. 

Approval of the Climate Plan 2018–2030, structured around four pillars: mitigation, adaptation/resilience, climate justice and promotion of citizen action. This Plan received the Covenant of Mayors Award for the best initiative by a large city.

Establishment of the Climate Emergency Committee, , with participation from over 200 organisations.

Approval of the Climate Emergency Declaration (2020), which strengthened and accelerated the actions of the Climate Plan by adding new measures and calling on other administrations to collaborate. Seven systemic changes were identified (urban planning, mobility, energy, economy, consumption, food and culture) alongside two necessary adaptation measures.

Drafting of the Climate Emergency Action Plan 2030, also known as the PAEC, recently updated with the Climate Plan government measure, which serves as the city’s overarching climate strategy.  

Barcelona, within the framework of the European mission “100 Smart and Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030”, defined its City Climate Contract  (CCC), which was evaluated and validated by the European Commission in March 2024. The agreement incorporates the guiding principles and proposals set out in the 2030 Climate Emergency Action Plan and serves as the roadmap to accelerate Barcelona’s decarbonisation.

Barcelona City Doughnut. Barcelona applied the Doughnut Theory by Kate Raworth (London, 1970), developed in her book “Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist (2017)”. This proposes a new human-centred economic model that moves away from pursuing wealth at the expense of environmental limits and social justice.

The document provides a portrait of Barcelona based on a series of indicators and city challenges defined through various debates and inspiring conferences held in the city.

The 2024-2034 Citizen Commitment for a More Sustainable Barcelona reflects the will and aspirations of the More Sustainable Barcelona Network for achieving a more sustainable and responsible city in terms of the impact our lifestyle has on a local and global scale. It adapts to current challenges and gears its actions towards providing firm, common responses to the climate emergency and the eco-social crisis.

The More Sustainable Barcelona Network’s Commitment responds to the city goal of expanding its network of committed climate-action allies, as set out in the 2030 Let’s Change for the Climate plan, while also aligning with the City Climate Contract.

Under this Commitment, organisations that join the decarbonisation challenge also contribute to fulfilling the City Climate Contract.