The challenge of producing in a sustainable way for the environment and at the same time being productive is far from being a reality in the Catalan industry. An aspect in which the former presidents of the Generalitat, José Montilla and Artur Mas, agree, who consider that Catalonia “has not done well” the transition to green energy in recent decades. A warning that they have launched during one of the debates organized within the framework of the Industry and Energy 2023 Forum, which is held at the DFactory in Barcelona.
The two former presidents, who have debated the future of Catalan industry and energy, have agreed that the energy transition has lost momentum in the territory. “Catalonia has not done its homework as it had to do,” commented Mas, although he recalled that the community was a pioneer in Spain in the eighties and nineties, but that in recent years it has slowed down. achievement of this objective. In this sense, he maintains that the community has “attributes and assets” to be attractive. “But I don't know if he has the will,” he snapped.
The former Minister of Industry José Montilla has expressed himself along a similar line, commenting that the installation of renewable energies “stopped” coinciding with the beginning of the discourse on degrowth theories. And although he has recognized that certain projects generate social rejection, he has also been convinced that "political courage" is needed to move forward with the energy transition process of the Catalan industry.
For all these reasons, the two former political leaders warn that Catalonia will not be able to achieve the decarbonization objectives set for 2050. “You see what has been done in recent years and, at this pace, it is impossible to achieve,” said Montilla. If this prediction is confirmed, Mas proposes delaying the closure of nuclear power plants, which should not be an obstacle, according to him, to stopping the implementation of renewable energies, while warning that "not having energy sovereignty", as evidenced by the war in Ukraine, can have “a very high price.”
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, was also present at the event, organized with the collaboration of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) and Foment del Treball; the Minister of Business and Labor of the Generalitat, Roger Torrent, the special delegate of the State in the CZFB, Pere Navarro, and the leader of the PSC, Salvador Illa.
The former Minister of Health has stated that “Spain is on the right track” towards the goal of decarbonization. “The path is well laid out and the data certify it,” he said, and asserted that in recent years there has been action with “realism and pragmatism,” for example when defending the country's interests so that the Commission European Union will approve the 'Iberian exception' to cap the price of gas.
However, he has been less optimistic about the energy transition in Catalonia, which in recent years is not going "on the path it should be." Renewable energies represent 15% of the energy mix - a percentage that in Spain exceeds 40% - and the trend is "going downwards". For this reason, he has urged political actors to “assume responsibilities” and “make decisions.”
Illa shared a round table with Ruud Kempener, a member of the EU Energy Commissioner's cabinet, and professor Mariano Marzo, who has asked the EU for more self-criticism regarding its energy policy. "The decarbonization effort that we have to make is so enormous that we cannot afford to disregard technologies because they do not fit with our ideological blinders," he declared. While Kempener has emphasized the role of the industry as an energy consumer and has assured that "there are important changes that can be made" and that will create opportunities.
In another round table that focused on the challenges of the industry, the head of the Strategic Analysis area of the Generalitat, Pere Condom-Vilà, highlighted “the need for a great green transition that calls for a rapid and forceful change in the economy.” ", as well as the lack of "public policies" to implement this transition "here and around the world." He recalled that in Catalonia the reference framework that guides policies is the National Pact for Industry 2022-2026, which provides the investment of more than 3,200 million euros.
A project in which the city of Barcelona will have a key role. Its mayor, Jaume Collboni, has committed to ensuring that there is more industry in the Catalan capital, "also within the city", so he cannot give it up, he added, in areas such as Sagrera, Bon Pastor, La Free Trade Zone or the Prat Vermell Marina. For his part, the Minister of Business and Labor of the Generalitat, Roger Torrent, recalled that the Government intends to increase the weight of renewable energy in the energy mix and electrification, while highlighting that the energy vector is " fundamental" for attracting foreign investment.
