
In a statement announced after the weekly cabinet meeting, the government committed to bringing a draft bill "to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the objective of reaching climate neutrality by 2050" -- effectively net-zero carbon emissions.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's leftwing coalition government, which took office on January 13, also committed to updating the national plan for tackling climate change.
The government has decided to ensure that "climate change and the transition is the cornerstone for all (ministerial) departments and governmental action," spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero told reporters.
Environment Minister Teresa Ribera said the government had been inspired by French moves to create a public advisory panel "to generate ideas about responding to climate change in an inclusive, consultative way with a special focus on the youth."
At the end of November, the European Parliament voted to declare a "climate and environment emergency" in a symbolic gesture just ahead of the UN global crisis summit which took place in Madrid last month
The motion urged efforts to ensure the "objective of limiting global warming to under 1.5 degrees C (35.7 degrees Fahrenheit)".
It was followed by similar moves in a number of parliaments across the EU, notably in France, the United Kingdom and in Austria.
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