When we talk about climate change, I am in favor of always emphasizing the word “emergency.” The idea that we need to respond to an emergency before it is too late, widely accepted by the scientific community and partly by public opinion, certainly needs to be internalized by public managers. We do not face future challenges or threats, but rather it is a reality that we face today and that shapes our daily lives.

We cannot allow anyone to stop relaxing, playing or enjoying public spaces because of the sun or heat.

For political representatives, especially those of us with government responsibilities in cities, this emergency means we must act and do it quickly. The time for setting big goals is over. We must now act in the short term to adapt the city to the new climate, while at the same time implementing all the necessary policies to mitigate warming in the medium and long term.

In Barcelona, ​​we are accelerating this adaptation by prioritizing climate comfort, especially for the most vulnerable, creating an extensive network of climate shelters and creating neighborhood spaces where people can escape high temperatures. In this regard, one of the priority actions of this mandate is air conditioning in 170 schools across the city to guarantee climate comfort in classrooms.

Of course, we will continue to increase the green infrastructure of the city. Our priority is to increase the presence of Mediterranean greenery, which adapts best to new climatic conditions, placing and using all available spaces, both in the streets and on roofs or party walls. If we agree that greenery is a key element in the global improvement of urban living conditions, then it makes no sense to do without the available space for its development. And in areas where we cannot plant trees, we will use pergolas to create new shaded spaces. We cannot allow anyone to stop relaxing, playing or enjoying public spaces because of the sun or heat.

A third priority, particularly relevant in the current drought environment, is improving our water cycle management infrastructure. Fortunately, in this section we are not starting from scratch. Thanks to investments made over the past 20 years, Barcelona has reduced its per capita water consumption by 20% and consolidated its extensive groundwater supply network. We want to be a benchmark in urban water management policy, and for this same reason, next year an international summit on drought will be held in Barcelona to discuss a roadmap for a structural solution to this problem.

And finally, among the main urgent actions is the protection of our maritime front from the storms from which we are increasingly suffering. The time has come to decide, together with all administrations, which facilities we will redirect to protect and adapt our coastline.

In the medium term, the goal is obviously global decarbonization. With the exception of some dissident governments, few in number and hopefully increasingly isolated, the widespread diagnosis is that we need to reduce emissions and energy consumption. The formula for achieving this goal is shared by the vast majority of local authorities: reducing private vehicle traffic by prioritizing sustainable mobility, large-scale regeneration policies to improve the energy efficiency of the building stock, and investment to increase clean energy generation capacity. In a city like Barcelona, ​​this should essentially lead to a further increase in roof square meters and available space using photovoltaic panels.

To summarize, both the short and medium term require ambition, a broad outlook and the ability to move large budget items. The transformation of cities must be rapid and at the same time structural. And like any radical change, it must occur through dialogue and agreement between all agents. Only in this way can we achieve a socially just transition that will truly have the impact we need in the face of an emergency.

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Laia Bonet He is Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Green Transition, Urban Services and Housing of Barcelona.