Spring has sprung! There is green, green, green all around. The birch trees no longer slump in their grayish-white suits, their bare spindly arms lowered in a halfhearted attempt at strength. Now, their trunks shine strong and colorful in the brilliant sunshine, branches valiantly reaching toward the sun, adorned in vibrantly green leaves. This year’s spring, the Cordobeses say, is more drawn-out than normal, more temperate. Thanks to the delayed scorching heat that typically would have already struck, the soil has still maintained some of its winter moisture and has not yet succumbed fully to the summer sun. There are more animals, too, I notice. Always, when I come to my sit spot, there are an abundance of birds both visible and invisible. It’s no different now; their tweets fill the air around me, coupling with the slow meander of the river (a flow less loud than in months past, simply because we are no longer in the nonstop torrential downpour of March). A striped brown cat timidly approaches me, not daring to get within arm’s reach; with all the wet misery of months past, I had honestly forgotten that my sit spot is a protected feline habitat. Today, there are also more bugs crawling around, yet another sign of spring. It’s nice to have this peaceful moment of reflection in the midst of what has recently been an endless grind of final exams and projects.

Although I have not learned as much as I would like about how Spain interacts with the environment and climate change on a national scale, I have learned some of the main risks the country faces and regulations it’s put in place. Spain, even more so than many other countries, faces huge risks in regards to climate change because of desertification and water scarcity. Intense farming (because regions like Extremadura and Jaen are big agricultural hubs) and meat consumption are some factors putting Spain in climate danger – Spain produces and consumes jamon (ham) in mass, which requires a lot of water for the cultivation of pigs. Although in my opinion, there is not enough effort being made to address the issue of meat consumption, there are certainly an abundance of important government initiatives and education efforts being taken to address climate change on a more general level. The most important of these initiatives is probably the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, adopted in May 2021, which sets the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and includes various targets for 2030 as well. It particularly promotes renewable energy sources, one of Spain’s stronger sectors. In addition, there is a mandate that by 2040, all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles must be emission-free. The law also promotes electric charging infrastructure and low-emission zones in cities. But efforts to combat climate change do not only exist on a governmental level; to promote environmental conscientiousness, the country has adopted a curriculum in schools that includes climate change education and, in various careers, professional training in low-carbon skills and technologies.