Catalonia Sets Its Carbon Budget for 2030

July 31, 2025

Catalonia sets its carbon budget for 2030

Catalonia has presented its first carbon budget, a key tool to limit its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. This move marks a turning point in the region’s climate policy, with implications for governments, businesses, and productive sectors.

What is a carbon budget?

A carbon budget sets the maximum amount of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) that a region, country, or community can emit in order to stay within specific climate targets. In this case, Catalonia aligns with the goal of not exceeding 1.2 °C of global warming, as established in the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal framework.

According to the Catalan Office for Climate Change, the total carbon budget assigned to Catalonia for the 2020–2030 period aims for a 31% reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels. After 2030, annual emissions must drop sharply to achieve climate neutrality before 2050.

How will emissions be distributed?

The carbon budget is broken down by strategic sectors, assigning each one a specific reduction target compared to 1990 levels. This segmentation helps identify which areas require the most urgent and intense action:

Waste management: –57%
Energy: –50%
Services: –45%
Industry: –33%
Agriculture and livestock: –22%
Transport: –19%

Although transportation is currently the sector with the highest emissions, it has been assigned the lowest reduction target—highlighting both the complexity of transforming the sector and the urgent need for more effective policies in sustainable mobility and energy infrastructure.

Access the full carbon budget report (PDF)

Why is this budget important?

The carbon budget helps to:

Define a clear roadmap toward climate neutrality.
Monitor and assess the impact of public policies.
Align climate goals with budgetary decisions.
Ensure a fair distribution of climate efforts across sectors and generations.

It’s also a legal requirement under the Catalan Climate Change Law and consistent with national and European strategies like the PNIEC and the Green Deal.

How does this affect businesses and citizens?

The shift to a low-carbon model requires deep transformations across the economic landscape. Businesses will need to invest in energy efficiency, electrification, renewables, and sustainable production models.

At Wegsco, we’re already supporting industrial and commercial businesses in this transition with solutions like:

Reducing energy use through efficient HVAC and water heating technologies.
Generating potable water from alternative sources like atmospheric humidity, reducing reliance on the grid and transport.
Using sustainable materials, such as Solubag products (water-soluble bags with no toxic residue).
Implementing circular packaging and sector-specific circular economy strategies.

In our article on Catalonia’s renewable energy challenges, we’ve already emphasized the importance of accelerating this transition to avoid falling behind.

More than a plan — A countdown

Catalonia’s carbon budget isn’t just a technical document; it’s a commitment to the future, a tool of accountability, and an opportunity for transformation.

At Wegsco, we believe sustainability is not an option—it’s a future-proof strategy. If your company wants to align with these climate goals and move toward a more circular and resilient model, we can help.