When compiling the ranking of countries that prioritize environmental conditions, scientists from Yale and Columbia Universities considered multiple factors, including residential air quality, availability of drinking water sources, government actions for environmental protection, carbon dioxide levels, coastal cleanliness, biodiversity preservation, and other indicators.
Surprisingly, Spain, which significantly lagged behind economically developed European countries in the 1990s, now ranks second, only surpassed by Switzerland, Luxembourg, Australia, Singapore, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
Spain has outperformed more than 170 countries in terms of its comprehensive environmental efforts.
The country continually adopts an increasing number of laws and regulations to protect rare tree and animal species and improve the environmental situation in large industrial cities.
It is worth noting that before the adoption of the Spanish Constitution in 1978, there was no mention of environmental protection. The constitution’s Article 45 was the first reference to environmental concerns.
It not only granted Spaniards the right to utilize the country’s natural resources but also established administrative and criminal liabilities for severe violations of established environmental regulations.
Spain currently has approximately twenty national-level laws dedicated to environmental protection.
The most significant among them is Law 21/2013 of December 9, which mandates autonomous communities and provinces to take appropriate measures, adopt strategic plans, and implement programs at national and local levels.
The country’s biodiversity is safeguarded by Law 33/2015 of September 21, while a Royal Decree enacted twenty years earlier establishes measures to preserve the natural habitats of wild flora and fauna.
These measures include protecting nature reserves, where activities such as hunting, fishing, commercial deforestation, and other environmentally harmful actions are prohibited under Law 30/2014 of December 3.
Invasive species of flora and fauna pose a considerable threat to Spain’s natural resources, and their regulation is addressed by Royal Decree 630/2013 of August 2.
Additional decrees and laws focus on coastal cleanliness, protection of indigenous marine life, conservation of plant and animal diversity in mountain ranges (Law 21/2015 of July 20), and the fight against forest fires (Law 11/2005), which remains one of the most pressing issues in Spanish society.
In recent times, significant attention has been given to the problem of air pollution, particularly in Barcelona and Madrid.
Previously, the Asturian port city of Aviles was among the worst three cities, but local authorities invested resources and efforts to purify the air, successfully resolving the issue within a few years.
The autonomy granted to autonomous communities by Law 34/2007 of November 15 allows Spaniards to progress in an environmental direction.
The Balearic Islands have recently taken advantage of this autonomy by planning to outlaw diesel-powered cars that significantly contribute to air pollution by 2025.
Gasoline-powered vehicles will follow, with the ultimate goal of allowing only electric vehicles on Balearic roads by 2050.
Spain is considered one of the European countries most susceptible to global climate change and the greenhouse effect.
Hence, Law 1/205 of March 9 was adopted to limit gas emissions in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol established in 1997.
Many Spanish cities encourage residents to use public transportation or switch to bicycles, with bicycle rental agencies available in major cities.
Recycling plastic waste, which is challenging to recycle, is a major concern for the Spanish public.
The Spanish authorities have been addressing this issue since 1997, but concrete actions such as banning plastic bags and bottles in shops and supermarkets have only been implemented in recent years.
The Balearic Islands, once again leading the way, have banned the sale of non-recyclable coffee capsules, significantly impacting well-known companies.
The fight against “acoustic pollution” is also a significant aspect addressed in the Noise Law (Ley de ruido), which sets decibel limits during different times of the day, primarily focusing on nighttime in tourist areas where residents suffer from excessive noise disturbances.
For example, in Castellón, late-night noisy revelers are dealt with by banning the sale and consumption of alcohol on open terraces in the city center after midnight.
Violators of the regulations risk legal consequences, including imprisonment, fines up to €300,000, or other penalties. When authorities are inactive, the will of the people takes precedence.
For instance, a dissatisfied resident of Denia, unhappy with loud music from a restaurant, resorted to installing coffins, gravestones, and funeral-related items on the terrace of their house opposite the establishment.
This visual influence was aimed at impacting the restaurant owners. Whether the owners are still in operation is unknown, but such “psychological impact” on violators of accepted behavioral norms is not illegal.