Barcelona and the climate emergency

Mobility is responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions imputed to the city. The current mobility model is still highly dependent on fossil fuels, particularly linked to the use of private motor vehicles but also air and sea transport.

This not only actively contributes to climate change but also entails a high level of pollutant emissions on a local scale that affect public health (NOX and PM). A radical change in the mobility model is required on a local and regional scale, and, at the same time, a more rational use of the major infrastructures, such as the port and airport.

We want a city with a more sustainable mobility model and a smaller carbon footprint, and for this change to bring with it a transformation of the public space where people are the protagonists.

Key actions and actors

Improving the spaces for pedestrians and active mobility

• Improve pavement accessibility and comfort, increase the pedestrian zones, improve vertical mobility (escalators and lifts), increase the number of traffic-calmed streets, where maximum priority is given to pedestrians.    
  • Barcelona City Council 
• Calm traffic in the city generally, to increase road safety and foster a friendly environment with lower energy consumption and fewer emissions. Hierarchisation of the road network, so on most streets traffic speed is less than 30 km/h.    
  • Barcelona City Council 
• Consolidate the cycling infrastructure and improve the quality, connectivity and safety of the existing network, while prioritising the axes that give the network its structure. Increase the number of anchoring points and create high-capacity bike parks at strategic points and the main public transport interchanges,    
  • Barcelona City Council, AMB

Improving and promoting a bigger offer of collective public transport

• mprove the viability, competitiveness and capacity of the city’s bus network. Increase the frequency and reduce the journey times of services on the basic local network.
  • Barcelona City Council, AMB
• Complete the tram network and manage it better.    
  • Barcelona City Council, AMB
• Substantially increase the interurban bus services with a dedicated infrastructure of interurban bus lanes on the city’s main access roads: B-23, C-31 Nord and C-33.
  • AMB, Government of Catalonia and Spanish State
• mprove the on-street interchange areas of public transport, the intermodal stations and the regional and metropolitan bus terminals    
  • Government of Catalonia and Spanish State
• Put into service the metro initiatives in the Infrastructure Master Plan that would bring higher profitability more quickly: the central stretch of L9, the L4 link at La Sagrera and the L3 link at Trinitat Vella.    
  • Barcelona City Council, Government of Catalonia
• Increase investment in commuter and regional trains to improve regional public rail transport, prioritising those actions that would mean a greater reduction in GHG emissions Speed up completion of the La Sagrera station.    
  • Government of Catalonia and Spanish State

Reducing the use of motor vehicles

• Extend the strategy of car parks and regulated parking to the whole city. Review the criteria applied to all areas of the city and all motor vehicles, including motor bikes and goods traffic, and agree on applying consistent policies with the metropolitan municipalities and the AMB.    
  • Barcelona City Council, AMB
• Make progress on applying formulas that reduce the need for obligatory mobility, by applying work mobility strategies that tend to reduce the need for journeys to/for work (conferences calls, home working, etc.).    
  • Barcelona City Council, AMB, BCN PC, Government of Catalonia
• Promote dedicated spaces for goods distribution to increase its efficiency and reduce its impact on GHG emissions. Promote the use of commercial vehicles with low emissions.    
  • Barcelona City Council
• Introduce green taxation measures in order to tax the goods distribution of big tech platforms.    
  • Barcelona City Council, ATM, AMB, Government of Catalonia

Reducing the impact of the port and airport on the effects of climate change

• Draw up plans for reducing the emissions of those infrastructures and incorporate them in the new master plans for Barcelona Airport, considering the aviation sector, and the Port of Barcelona.    
  • Barcelona Airport, Spanish State, Port of Barcelona
• Study the withdrawal of short flights with an alternative by train (under seven hours) and distances under 1,000 km, while boosting the high-speed and long-distance rail network and encouraging the creation of night trains, ensuring affordable prices.    
  • Barcelona Airport, AENA
• Continue with the gradual electrification of land fleets and auxiliary units to minimise the consumption of fossil fuels and, at the same time, reduce the impact of local pollution. A process accompanied by contracting 100% renewable energy.    
  • Barcelona Airport
• Encourage the use of rail transport over the airport and fewer car parks. Promote a fleet of electric buses and taxis to provide a service from the airport and to the cruise ship wharf.     
  • Barcelona Airport, Port of Barcelona
• Install the necessary infrastructure so the Port of Barcelona wharfs, land-based machinery and captive fleets can be electrified.    
  • Port of Barcelona
• Work for a taxation system with a markedly environmental character for vessels in the Port of Barcelona and the aviation sector.    
  • Port de Barcelona, Estat espanyol, Barcelona Airport
• Speed up the construction of rail accesses to the port, including the Mediterranean corridor, to double the transport of goods by train and reduce lorry traffic.    
  • Spanish State, Port of Barcelona
• Begin a process of electrifying the Port of Barcelona (vessels as well as businesses and their activity) accompanied by contracting 100% renewable energy.
  • Port of Barcelona and operators
• Install renewable generation systems in the Port of Barcelona ((42 MWp in 2030) and Barcelona Airport, on building roofs and with pergolas in the car parks (40 MWp in 2030).    
  • Port of Barcelona, Barcelona Airport
• Speed up implementation of emission controls in the Mediterranean area (MedECA) and work to get it declared a sulphur (SECA) and nitrogen (NECA) control area.    
  • Spanish State
• Push for the Port of Barcelona to be a base port for cruise ship lines.    
  • Port of Barcelona
• Withdraw the exemptions on kerosene in the EU for internal flights in member states and in the common air space.
  • Spanish State