The Department of the Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security, and Emergencies of the Island Council of Tenerife and the Association for the Development of Comprehensive Climate Actions (ADACIS) have formulated the inaugural island manual for individuals grappling with the question: How can I take action to combat climate change?
This manual, developed within the MAC-CLIMA Project Framework, is 85% financed through FEDER Funds and its primary aim is to foster the gradual establishment of institutional, scientific, and social network among the cooperative countries to collaboratively work in adapting and mitigating climate change. The Tenerife Island Council is one of the bodies participating in this Canarian initiative Project, alongside the Island Councils of Gran Canaria (leading the Project), Lanzarote, and El Hierro, as well as the TIDES and IOCAG Institutes of the University of Las Palmas from Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands Technological Institute (ITC); the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and the governments of Madeira, Mauritania, Senegal, and Cape Verde.
The island administration endorse this publication with the intention of delivering pertinent information to the residents of its 31 municipalities about the causes and impacts of global warming worldwide, in the Canary Islands, and in Tenerife. Furthermore, it includes a set of straightforward and effective recommendations so that all Tenerife inhabitants can contribute, within their means, to combat climate change.
Human activities have elevated the Earth’s temperature to unprecedented levels in the past 2000 years, and Tenerife and the entire Canary Islands are not only unaffected by this global reality, but they are keenly aware of it and increasingly feel its effects. According to the recent study The perception of climate change in island spaces: the case of Tenerife, from the Department of Geography and History of the University of La Laguna, a vast majority of the island’s residents are cognizant of the existence of climate change (95.3%), surpassing the national and European averages, and are highly concerned about its implications.
Climate change in the Canary Islands
This manual also provides detailed scientific data on how the Canary Islands are adversely contributing to this global climate change. Despite the archipelago’s emissions representing a seemingly small percentage of global emissions (approximately 0.03%), its emission of polluting gases is disproportionately high considering the small size of the territory. As per the 2021 Canary Islands Energy Yearbook (published by the Government of the Canary Islands with data from 2020, even amidst the impact of COVID-19), Tenerife and Gran Canaria are the most polluting islands, housing the majority of the population and activities. Although efforts and advancements are being made in transitioning from fossil to renewable technologies, most of the energy consumed in the Canary Islands is currently derived from burning petroleum products.
In the case of Tenerife, around 80% of electricity is derived from fossil fuels, despite currently being the third island in renewable electrical energy production at 21%, following El Hierro (56.1%) and Gran Canaria (2.3%). Following them are Fuerteventura (18.2%), Lanzarote (10.5%), La Palma (10.3%), and La Gomera (0.2%), although the island of La Palma is currently undergoing an energy revolution towards renewable energy that will alter this scenario in a brief time. However, not all atmospheric pollution in the islands emanates from electricity generation. As a whole, transportation is the sector responsible for the largest proportion of emissions.
International transportation (tourist aviation) alone accounts forAbout a third of the emissions in the Canary Islands are produced, more than the combined emissions from road, maritime, and national air transport, which account for almost another third. With 2,200,000 residents, the Canary Islands is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and received over 14 million tourists in 2022. Tenerife, with a population of over 930,000, received 6 million tourists, leading to a significant demand for energy, water, and other essential resources, resulting in increased greenhouse gas emissions, waste, discharges, and other forms of pollution.
According to the findings compiled in this dissemination project, the Canary Islands would need 27 times its territory to sustain the current consumption and waste absorption. In other words, with a territory of only 7,493 km², it requires an area of over 200,000 km² to maintain its current level of consumption. The impact of Canarian activity is completely disproportionate, living beyond their means and exceeding their capacity to generate and sustain resources.
The Click to Tweet button
The Climate Box brings institutions, companies, and residents together and works to raise awareness on climate change and its impact. It provides practical and effective tools to address this pressing issue and instigates collaboration on both a local and global scale.
All these transformations that the population of Tenerife and all of humanity face require extensive processes of understanding, participation, and social consensus. “The solution is to create a knowledgeable and engaged society when it comes to understanding the challenges of climate change, its causes, and its solutions.”
The Climate Box provides advice on saving and efficiently using energy, reducing the carbon footprint derived from digital pollution, detailed information for users interested in self-consumption or energy, tips for savings, water, and waste management, and suggestions for promoting responsible consumption habits. Similarly, the guide proposes a series of recommendations to cultivate good habits in land, sea, and air transportation. In the case of pollution caused by air traffic, suggestions such as proper planning before traveling or replacing work trips by plane with telematic meetings are offered.
The document emphasizes that “everyone has the right and responsibility to understand and organize themselves to take action on the changes to be made. Access to truthful and rigorous information is essential for this to occur.”
Simply Wall St
