Malaga City plans to combat climate change

MALAGA is set to align itself with environmentally friendly cities such as Quebec and Copenhagen in the war against global warming with a range of proposals designed to reduce greenhouse gases by 40 per cent by 2030.

The city was last year one of the signatories of a policy which brings together local and regional bodies to implement EU targets on energy and climate. Malaga is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with the local climate predicted to rise by four degrees by the end of this century if no steps are taken. 

Proposals to combat environmental change include the implementation of electric motorcycles for police. Within the next several months, a section of the police force’s vehicles will be replaced with electric motorbikes, which are not only healthier for the environment but will also be capable of collecting data on noise and other pollution around the city.

Further measures include the use of ‘green’ roofs in the construction of new buildings. The proposal will see roofs of new buildings insulated with plants that thrive in a Mediterranean environment, such as rosemary, lavender and olivilla. More CO2-absorbing trees will also be planted around the city.

Large companies are also doing their part. For some time, gas from landfill waste has been harnessed by biogas company, Limasa, but only recently has a solution been created that allows gas to be extracted from waste before being sealed in landfill. This alone last year produced 24.4 million kilowatt-hours.

Malaga Town Hall has been working on this new policy since last June and their ultimate goal is to achieve zero emissions by 2050.