What is Spain's pathway to limit global warming to 1.5°C?
Buildings
While the Spanish buildings sector’s energy emissions intensity declined by 26% from 1990 to 2019, overall emissions increased by 45% over the same period. This broadly reflects changes in the energy mix of the sector: although electrification increased (38% in 1990 to 51% in 2019) and oil decreased (37% in 1990 to 15% in 2019), higher energy demand meant that overall emissions increased despite these improvements in the energy mix. Also, increased reliance on gas (4% in 1990 to 22% in 2019), which replaced oil’s share contributed to emissions. Prioritising renewables over gas could have prevented this emissions increase.
Spain's energy mix in the buildings sector
petajoule per year
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Graph description
Energy mix composition in the buildings sector in consumption (EJ) and shares (%) for the years 2030, 2040 and 2050 based on selected IPCC SR1.5 global least costs pathways.
Methodology
Data References
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Spain’s buildings sector could be decarbonised between 2035-2043 through a combination of higher electrification and lower reliance on fossil fuels, which are almost completely phased out by 2050 in all but the high carbon dioxide removal (CDR) reliance scenario. Half the 1.5°C pathways reflect lower energy demand in 2050 compared to 2019 levels, which can be achieved through widespread renovation of existing building stock and improved efficiency standards in new buildings.
While the Spanish government is broadly achieving its goal of renovating 3% of government building stock by floor area per year, its progress on all building stock nationwide has been slow, amounting to about 0.15% per year, despite policies that help with financing and administering renovations.1
Spain's buildings sector direct CO₂ emissions (of energy demand)
MtCO₂/yr
Direct CO₂ emissions only are considered (see power sector for electricity related emissions, hydrogen and heat emissions are not considered here).
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Graph description
Direct CO₂ emissions of the buildings sector in selected 1.5°C compatible pathways.
Methodology
Data References
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1.5°C compatible buildings sector benchmarks
Direct CO₂ emissions and shares of electricity, heat and hydrogen in the buildings final energy demand from illustrative 1.5°C pathways for Spain
| Indicator |
2019
|
2030
|
2040
|
2050
|
Decarbonised buildings sector by
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Direct CO₂ emissions
MtCO₂/yr
|
23
|
9 to
11
|
2 to
3
|
1 to
1
|
2035 to
2043
|
|
Relative to reference year in %
|
-61 to
-54%
|
-89 to
-86%
|
-98 to
-95%
|
| Indicator |
2019
|
2030
|
2040
|
2050
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Share of electricity
per cent
|
51
|
72 to
73
|
83 to
84
|
89 to
92
|
|
Share of heat
per cent
|
1
|
1 to
1
|
2 to
2
|
2 to
3
|
|
Share of hydrogen
per cent
|
0
|
0 to
5
|
0 to
19
|
0 to
18
|
All values are rounded. Only direct CO₂ emissions are considered (electricity, hydrogen and heat emissions are not considered here; see power sector for emissions from electricity generation). Year of full decarbonisation is based on carbon intenstiy threshold of 5gCO₂/MJ.
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Methodology
Data References
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