Castilla-La Mancha has committed to reduce CO2 emissions by 3.2 million tonnes by 2012 in a Regional Pact on Climate Change signed today in Toledo by the president of the regional government, José María Barreda.

President Barreda said that this agreement represents the union of the whole society of the region of Castilla-La Mancha in order to adopt concrete and specific measures which allow for a sustainable development of villages and cities in the Region.

The president expressed his gratitude to all the signatories, which include social, political and trade union partners, for their involvement and commitment saying “we have no time to lose in the fight against climate change and its effects”.

The president went on to point out that a slight change in temperature or a decrease in rainfall in such a dry region could have serious economic implications for the community and he encouraged all citizens to do their bit in a combined effort to combat climate change.

“This is not the end but the beginning of the commitments of all of us who have subscribed to the agreement”, stated the president, further adding, “we are all responsible, and through small actions and big decisions from the governments we will avoid a change which will have catastrophic consequences if not stopped”.

One of the agreements chief sponsors has been Nobel Prize winner José Manuel Moreno, Professor of Ecology at the University of Castilla-La Mancha and member of the IPCCC. He said: “there is no room in this match for spectators, only for actors engaged in enabling the planet to once again be governed by its own rules and not under our control.”

Castilla-La Mancha is playing a leading role in the production of clean energy. In 2008, more than 5,000 megawatts of renewable energy sources were created, allowing a decrease in emissions of more than 900,000 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere.

Other initiatives by the regional government include: a Bioclimatic Housing plan; energy audits of government buildings; and the creation of a Climate and Atmosphere Laboratory.