Esquerra moves for the government to complement state aid for municipalities affected by freak storms in Catalonia

Esquerra Republicana demands that Catalonia’s president Illa expedite application of the Climate Change Law, and has taken to Parliament to hasten the climate change mitigation and adaptation policies provided for in the Catalan legislative framework the chamber passed in 2017. In the context of a manifest climate emergency, the plenary will vote this week on a motion by Esquerra to “culminate the prosecution of the Climate Change Law” with the aim of “reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants and vulnerability of the population.”

“It is essential, we cannot waste another minute; climate change is already claiming lives in a very obvious way,” said Laura Vilagrà, a member of the Parliament of Catalonia and spokesperson for ecological transition. Esquerra thus calls on all groups to be alert to the need to fight the causes of extreme events and natural disasters, and not just address their consequences. For this reason, Ms Vilagrà insists it is necessary to enact the Law “to all its extent,” including aspects such as fiscal environmentalism. In fact, the Esquerra government had already submitted before Parliament one of the taxes provided for in the law—that of large vessels—and which the Catalan branch of the Spanish Socialists, the PSC, and conservatives Junts threatened to block.

The Esquerra motion also demanded from both the PSC and the Spanish government more ambitious aid for the municipalities affected by the latest floods in the Catalan Countries, which includes Valencia. In this regard, they demand that the Pedro Sánchez government should grant aid to the councils to cover 75% of the cost of repairs and infrastructure rebuilding, and not the 50% envisaged. Esquerra Republicana further requests the government of Catalonia complements the benefits so that the entire outlay is covered.

Esquerra’s proposals come after the member of parliament Albert Salvadó’s questioning the Socialist Government warning of the vulnerability of the Ebro delta, “the ground zero of climate change on the coast of Catalonia.” Esquerra also expects Parliament to safeguard the Delta Strategy, the roadmap that the Aragonès government sanctioned based on the consensus with the territory to preserve this ecosystem and reverse its regression.

Esquerra sees that the actions planned for are under threat after the Spanish government has presented measures behind the territory’s back, contravening the Delta Strategy, including proposed delimitation of land to change its ownership. For this reason, Esquerra asks the Illa government to defend the Delta Strategy in the face of manoeuvring by the Spanish government.