Don't forget to turn off the lights

NEWSDESK
PUBLIC bodies in the Balearics will have to start thinking about energy saving as the Government prepares a new plan to help fight climate change.
The Minister for the Environment, Miquel Angel Grimalt, yesterday announced details of the initiative that is being prepared by the Interdepartmental Commission he has set up to come up with a Balearic Strategy to Fight Climate Change.

Grimalt said that he was looking for a “rigorous and serious deal, rather than declarations of good intentions”.
He added that the measures being contemplated for the action plan were “very ambitious” and that the administration would lead by example through a total of 91 concrete measures.

He said the plan would apply criteria of sustainability to all new projects carried out by the autonomous government, in areas such as the planning of buildings, renewable energies, water saving, the rehabilitation of spaces for the planting of trees and the creation of bicycle parks.

Grimalt said that official buildings would have to pass environmental audits and improve the management of their resources, such as lighting and heating. Individuals would be charged with making sure these energy saving measures were carried out.

The commission is also looking at introducing measures whereby companies wishing to set up in the Balearics will first have to carry out a study into the environmental impact of its activities.

This would require them to look at the amount of greenhouse gases they generate through transport and energy, as well as how they intend to deal with the generation and treatment of rubbish.

The Government is also intending to create new energy-saving rules for the tourist sector. In future, large-scale developments will be chosen that prioritise using existing urbanised areas as opposed to non-urbanised areas.

Similar measures are envisaged for the transport sector. The Government is currently planning a network of trams that will connect Palma with Arenal to the east and Santa Ponsa to the west. It also intends “clearly” supporting the bicycle use.