Spanish Climate Change Office (OECC)

The Spanish Climate Change Office (in Spanish, Oficina Española de Cambio Climático, OECC) is the public body attached to Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).

Its main role is to design, coordinate and help implement national climate policy, in line with Spain's European and international commitments to tackle climate change.

Background and legal framework

The OECC operates within the framework set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the subsequent body of EU and Spanish legislation. Its main legal foundations include:

• Climate Change and Energy Transition Law 7/2021: sets emission reduction targets and concrete measures for decarbonisation.
• Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC): defines goals for renewable energy, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas cuts.

Main functions

1. Developing climate strategies: contributes to the PNIEC, national adaptation plans and the long-term decarbonisation strategy.
2. Institutional coordination: works with regional and local administrations to ensure coherent climate policies.
3. International participation: represents Spain in UNFCCC negotiations, the European Union and other international forums.
4. Outreach and awareness: runs communication campaigns and training programmes.
5. Managing funding: coordinates European and national funds for mitigation and adaptation projects.

Areas of action

• Emissions mitigation: includes maintaining the National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and promoting renewable energy.
• Adaptation: supports resilience projects against droughts, floods and heatwaves, especially in key sectors such as agriculture and tourism.
• Energy transition: drives efficiency and the electrification of transport, buildings and industry.
• Circular economy: contributes to plans to reduce waste, make better use of resources and advance the circular economy.

Climate policy instruments

• Carbon markets: the OECC oversees the national application of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
• Green taxation: proposes incentives and levies to steer behaviour towards low-carbon options.
• Sectoral regulation: supports the integration of a climate perspective into agriculture, transport and urban-planning rules.

Notable programmes

• Coastal adaptation: protection of coastal areas against sea-level rise.
• MOVES Plan: support for electric mobility and charging infrastructure.
• Building energy retrofits: better insulation and heating or cooling systems to cut energy use.

Current challenges

1. Accelerated decarbonisation: meeting the European goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
2. Regional integration: harmonising the climate strategies of Spain's autonomous communities.
3. Funding: securing the resources needed for large-scale projects, especially in vulnerable regions.
4. Social engagement: fostering a cultural shift that encourages participation by citizens and businesses.

Why the OECC matters for climate action

By providing regulatory coherence, the OECC helps avoid overlaps and contradictions across energy, transport and industrial policy. It supports innovation in clean technologies in cooperation with the private sector and keeps a long-term view so that today's measures point towards a low-emission future. As the hub of Spain's climate policy, it coordinates efforts ranging from international negotiation to public education in pursuit of a fair and ambitious decarbonisation.

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