Policies, measures and actions on climate change and
environmental protection in the context of COVID-19 recovery.
Spain
Last update
30 Aug. 2021
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Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge
Teresa Ribera
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Categories
- Response
- Emergency measures in the short term (a few months to one year) to address concerns that have directly emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and may include forced action.
- Recovery
- Socioeconomic measures in the medium term (one to a few years) with an environmental and climate focus to “build back better” from COVID-19, and usually involves planned, intentional action.
- Redesign
- Paradigm shifts and measures in the long term (more than a few years to a few decades) toward redesigning current socioeconomic and sociocultural systems to be sustainable and resilient.
1.Climate mitigation measures
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Transition to renewable energy
RedesignSpanish National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030 (NECP): This Plan has been elaborated to comply with the EU Regulation on the governance of the energy union and climate action (EU)2018/1999. To meet the EU’s energy and climate targets for 2030, EU countries need to establish these 10-year integrated national energy and climate plans, addressing: energy efficiency; renewables; greenhouse gas emissions reductions; interconnections; and research and innovation. This approach requires a coordination of purpose across all government departments and it provides a level of planning that will ease public and private investment.
The NECP includes a set of policies and measures (78) to achieve the Spanish objectives related to the energy transition. Specifically, PAMs included in the NECP will make it possible to reach the following results by 2030:
23% GHG emissions reduction (vs. 1990)
42% of renewable energy over final energy demand
39,5% energy efficiency improvement
74% of renewable energy in the power sector
The PAMs are classified into five categories according to the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, security of supply, the internal energy market, energy efficiency, decarbonization and research, innovation and competitiveness. The PAMs inludes an increasing of renewable energy in both the power sector and final energy uses, enhancing the energy efficiency in all sectors, remove barriers to increase competitivity of energy markets, and transversal measures such as research and innovation.Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Response Recovery RedesignEU ETS: The EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) is a cornerstone of the EU's policy to combat climate change in the following sectors power and heat generation; energy-intensive industry sectors including oil refineries, steel works and production of iron, aluminium, metals, cement, lime, glass, ceramics, pulp, paper, cardboard, acids and bulk organic chemicals; commercial aviation; industrial production of nitric, adipic and glyoxylic acids and glyoxal; and aluminium productionReference https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/cambio-climatico/temas/comercio-de-derechos-de-emision/
Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Land sector
Response Recovery RedesignMeasures focusing on agriculture and livestock sectors, as part of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (Detailed information on page 119 of PNIEC's draft). Measures such as: Promoting arable crop rotation on unirrigated land; Adjusting the application of nitrogen to the needs of the crop; Frequent emptying of slurry from pig housing; Covering slurry ponds; Solid-liquid separation of slurry; Production of compost from the slurry solid fractionReference https://www.miteco.gob.es/images/es/pnieccompleto_tcm30-508410.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/es_final_necp_main_en.pdf
Contact Ministry of Agriculture, fisheries and food -
Others
Response Recovery RedesignMeasures focusing on waste management, as part of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (Detailed information on page 121 of PNIEC's draft). Measures such as: Domestic or community composting; Separate collection of bio-waste for composting; Reduction of food waste; Increase in the separate collection of paper at municipal level; Increase in the separate collection of household used cooking oil; Increase in the separate collection of textiles; Management of biogas leaks from enclosed landfill; Use of woody pruning waste as biomassReference https://www.miteco.gob.es/images/es/pnieccompleto_tcm30-508410.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/es_final_necp_main_en.pdf
Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Industry sector
Response Recovery RedesignMeasures focusing on Flurinated gases, as part of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (Detailed information on page 124 of NECP's draft). Measures such as: Replacement of facilities that use fluorinated gases that have a high Global Warming Potential (GWP) with other facilities that use gases that have a low or no GWP; Reduction of HFC emissions through measures at existing HFC facilities; Promoting the use of mildly flammable refrigerants with a low GWPReference https://www.miteco.gob.es/images/es/pnieccompleto_tcm30-508410.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/es_final_necp_main_en.pdf
Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Land sector
Response Recovery RedesignMeasures focusing on increasing Forest sinks, as part of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (Detailed information on page 127 of NECP's draft). Measures such as: Regeneration of silvo-pastoral systems; Promoting poplars as replacements for agricultural crops in flood-prone areas; Creation of forest areas; Forestry activities to prevent forest fires; Forestry activities to prevent forest fires; Promoting sustainable coniferous forest management, application of thinning schemes to increase carbon removals; Hydrological-forest restoration in areas at high risk of erosion.Reference https://www.miteco.gob.es/images/es/pnieccompleto_tcm30-508410.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/es_final_necp_main_en.pdf
Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Land sector
Response Recovery RedesignMeasures focusing on increasing Agricultural sinks, as part of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (Detailed information on page 130 of NECP's draft). Measures such as: Promoting conservation agriculture (direct sowing); Maintenance of plant cover and the incorporation of pruning waste into the soil for woody crops;Reference https://www.miteco.gob.es/images/es/pnieccompleto_tcm30-508410.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/es_final_necp_main_en.pdf
Contact Ministry of Agriculture, fisheries and food -
Building sector
RedesignLong Term Renovation Strategy
This plan set the path to achieve a building renovation, in completely coherence with the NECP. It includes the PAMs to be implemented up to 2050 in the building sector to increase the energy efficiency and promote energy savings, by enhancing the retrofiting rate of buildings in Spain.Contact Ministry of Transportation, movility and Urban Agenda -
Transition to renewable energy
RedesignLong Term Strategy 2050
The long term estrategy includes a path to achieve the climate neutrality in Spain by 2050. Starting from the objective scenario set in the NECP, includes the transformation of all the sectors in the economy up to 2050, describing a feasible scenario in the track to the climate neutrality.
The draft of the Strategy is currently published and subject to public consultation.Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignEnergy Storage Strategy
Currently under development, this strategy identifies the barriers and challenges for an effective deployment of energy storage in all sectors, including specific measures to fill the existent gaps in the regulation and other aspects. The deployment of energy storage is one of the enablers to achieve a high penetration of renewable energies into the energy sector.Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignHydrogen Roadmap
Recently, the draft of the hydrogen roadmap has been ellaborated, and currently is submitted for public consultation. Hydrogen is one of the energy carriers fundamental for the decarbonization of some of the sectors in the path to climate neutrality.
The Roadmap includes an assessment of the state of the Hydrogen development, in order to define the policies and measures required to achieve an effective deployment of this energy carrier, and setting minimum objectives for the deployment.Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignSelf- Consumption Strategy
Curently in development, the Self- Consumption Strategy carries out the definition of PAMS to the deployment of Self -Comsumption in the energy sector, in coherence with the objectives set in the NECP.Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignBiogas Roadmap
Both NECP and Long Term strategy increases the use of renewable fuels. This Roadmap will asses the state of biogas detecting the challenges and barriers, to further set the necessary PAMs for an effective production and use of this fuel, in order to replace the fossil fuels use and reduce the external energy dependency.
Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignMarine Wind Power and Marine Energy Roadmap
In order to increase the participation of renewable technologies in the energy sector, it is necessary to develop the less mature technologies. Along the same lines, the Marine Energy Roadmap, currently in development, will set the PAMs to effectively develop these technologies, as well as ensure their deployment in the Spanish energy sector.Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response RedesignElectricity transmission grid infrastructure planning 2021-2026.
(Final stage, public consultation) Energy planning which, among other aspects, defines the medium and long-term objectives for the integration of renewable energies, reduction of emissions and security of supply in the electricity system at the minimum cost to the consumer.Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignRegulatory sandboxes in the electricity sector
Currently in development, Royal Decree on regulatory innovation in the electricity sector, the aim of which will be to promote R&D&I through pilot projects developed under a call for proposals and subject to special rules. In these regulatory test, projects may be carried out with exceptions to the general legislation, in order to test their performance and efficiency without altering the operation or the economic and financial sustainability of the electricity system.
Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignRoyal Decree Law 23/2020 on the approval of measures on energy and other matters for the economic recovery
The objective of the regulation is take advantage of the potential of renewable energies in terms of employement creation and energy activity, to promote the economic recovery afte the COVID19 crisis.
This recently approved regulation identifies and removes administrative barriers for the effective development of renewable energies in the power sector, including a new procedure for the permits of connection to the grid of the electricity generation technologies that simplifies the precedent one. It aims to create the framework for an accelerated deployment of renewable energies, in order to leverage the investments in these technologies.
The regulation also includes the definition of storage, aggregators and renewable energy communities into the Spanish legislation, and measures to boost the deployment of fast chagers for the electric vehicles, among other measures.Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignRoyal Decree 960/2020, of November 3, which regulates the economic regime of renewable energies for electricity production facilities.
It establishes an auction system for renewable energies that contemplates and primes energy storage (through manageability) and increasing the market exposition. It includes an schedule for the annual launch of auctions through the period 2021-2025 in line with the NECP objectives.Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge -
Transition to renewable energy
Response Recovery RedesignRecovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan: Energy Transition
Plan for the development of a decarbonized, competitive and efficient energy sector allows mobilizing significant private investment, providing certainty and a predictable regulatory framework, taking advantage of the enormous renewable potential of our country and the existing value chains to strengthen competitiveness in domestic and export markets.
It also allows for strategic positioning in fast-growing sectors at a global level in which our country can lead. It includes the following components:
Component 7: Deployment and integration of renewable energies.
Component 8: Electric infrastructures, promotion of smart grids and deployment of flexibility and storage.
Component 9: Renewable hydrogen roadmap and its sectoral integration
Component 10: Just Transition Strategy
Reference https://planderecuperacion.gob.es/politicas-y-componentes/transicion-energetica-justa-e-inclusiva
Contact Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic challenge
2.Climate adaptation measures
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Adaptation planning
National Adaptation Plan 2021-2030-PNACC: basic planning instrument to promote coordinated and coherent action against the effects of climate change in Spain in order to avoid or reduce present and future damages from climate change and to build a more resilient economy and society. The PNACC defines 18 areas of work, specifying objectives for each of them. These areas of work include climate and climate scenarios, health, water and water resources, biodiversity and protected areas, agriculture, livestock, fisheries and food, oceans and coasts, and forestry and desertification, cities, urban planning and housing, cultural heritage, energy, mobility and transport, industry and services, tourism, the financial system and insurance, disaster risk reduction, research and innovation, education and peace, security and social cohesion.Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Health
National Plan on Health and Environment (under elaboration), as part of the National Climate Emergency DeclarationContact Ministry of Health -
Human settlements
Climate risks in urban planning, as part of the Draft Climate Change and Energy Transition Bill and the new National Adaptation PlanReference https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/05/21/pdfs/BOE-A-2021-8447.pdf
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/cambio-climatico/temas/impactos-vulnerabilidad-y-adaptacion/pnacc-2021-2030_tcm30-512163.pdf
Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Water
Measures focusing on reinforcing climate change adaptation in water management plans, as part of the Draft Climate Change and Energy Transition Bill and the new National Adaptation PlanReference https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/05/21/pdfs/BOE-A-2021-8447.pdf
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/cambio-climatico/temas/impactos-vulnerabilidad-y-adaptacion/pnacc-2021-2030_tcm30-512163.pdf
Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Others
Adaptation measures in the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain and related areas, as part of the Draft Climate Change and Energy Transition Bill and the new National Adaptation PlanReference https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/05/21/pdfs/BOE-A-2021-8447.pdf
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/cambio-climatico/temas/impactos-vulnerabilidad-y-adaptacion/pnacc-2021-2030_tcm30-512163.pdf
Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Water
Measures to prevent flood risks considering climate change, as part of new flood management plansContact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Others
The Environmental Promotion Plans for Adaptation, under generic name PIMA ADAPTA, aim to set up innovative and demonstration projects with a focus on nature based solutions and the objective of reducing the effects of climate change and improving resilience in several sectors (water, coasts, terrestrial ecosystems, national parks, urban areas, etc.) as well as fostering R&D and innovation for the benefit of adaptation strategies inspired and supported by nature, providing environmental, social and economic benefits and improving resilience.
Some examples of projects developed under this measure are:
• Hydrological connection and improvement of habitats in river ecosystems
• Nature based solutions in urban environments
• Restoration and protection of marshes and wetlands
• Dune system stabilization with bioengineering techniques
• Restoration and creation of habitats for amphibians
• Elaboration of forest management plans with an adaptative foresight.Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge
3.Cross-cutting measures
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Response Recovery RedesignClimate Change and Energy Transition Law. Introduces in the institutional framework quantified objectives and planning to transform the country and consolidate its recovery, towards a carbon-neutral model, in line with the EU.
Ensures the compliance with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. It is a law to transform the productive, energy and consumption model. The law facilitates the stability and predictability necessary to establish a new model of socioeconomic development. Set quantified goals and develop short and long-term planning. Among its principles is the protection of the environment, the preservation of biodiversity, and the application of the "polluter pays" principle. It establishes the regulatory framework for Spain to move towards the goal of climate neutrality by mid-century. It includes the necessary institutional cooperation instruments; assessment and learning tools; and a framework facilitating energy transition with channels for integrating the different sectors. It includes a set of targets which can only be revised upwards: It determines by law, for the first time, that Spain should achieve climate neutrality no later than 2050. By mid-century, Spain's electricity system must be 100% renewable. To this end, by 2030 emissions from the Spanish economy as a whole must be reduced by at least 23% compared with 1990. By the end of the next decade, at least 42% of final energy consumption should be from renewable sources. In the case of the electricity system, at least 74% must be renewable by 2030. Energy efficiency measures will have to reduce primary energy consumption by at least 39,5%. .Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Response Recovery RedesignJust Transition Strategy. It aims to be the main tool to maximise the employment and activity opportunities in transitioning towards a climate neutral economy, while accompanying the most vulnerable regions and workers. The main objectives of this Strategy are: To help make the most of the opportunities for employment generated by the transition to a green economy, improving competitiveness and social cohesion; to guarantee the harnessing of equal opportunities: gender, vulnerable groups, rural areas; to provide observation capacity on the status and trends of the labour market with regard to the Ecological Transition; to promote participatory sectoral forums; to produce sectoral plans in key economic sectors, analysing challenges, opportunities and threats, and designing the necessary measures to transform them; to evaluate and improve the existing business-support instruments of the Central State Administration (RDI support, financing, loans, guarantees, safeguards, training, etc.); to put forward adequate support policies (industrial, RDI, the promotion of economic activity, employment and occupational training, etc.) so that the Central State Administration, Autonomous Communities, Local Governments and social partners can work in a coordinated fashion; to minimize the negative impact on vulnerable areas by means of Just Transition Agreements and provide technical and financial support for their implementation, as in the Urgent Action Plan for Coal-mining Regions and Power Plant ClosuresContact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge
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Urban/rural development (energy access etc.)
Response Recovery RedesignNational Strategy against Energy Poverty 2019-2024 . This policy instrument offers -for the first time- an official definition of energy poverty; it establishes indicators for its monitoring and targets for its reduction (a minimum reduction target of 25% by 2025 and a goal of reaching a 50% reduction).
To meet the objectives set, among other measures, the Strategy fixes the lines of the social energy bonus for vulnerable consummers, which must be automatic and cover all sources of supply. Actions are proposed in the short, medium and long term for the energy rehabilitation of homes and replacement of old appliances and equipment by efficient appliances.
4.Other environmental measures
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Waste management and Circular economy / sustainable production and consumption
"España Circular 2030" is the new Strategy for Circular Economy in Spain until 2030. It contains circular economy objectives and a series of strategic orientations for the period 2020-2030, including; a 30% reduction in the national consumption of resources and a 15% reduction in waste generation (as compared to 2010). The Strategy contributes to Spain's efforts to transition to a sustainable, decarbonized, resource-efficient and competitive economy and it will takes the shape of successive three-year action plans providing for concrete measures to deliver on circular economy. Although it is cross-cutting by nature, the Strategy focuses on six economic sectors: construction, agribusiness, fisheries & forestry, industrial production, tourism and garnment.Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Waste management and Circular economy / sustainable production and consumption
Circular Economy Action Plan 2021-2023, with an estimated budget of 1,529 million euros and a set of 116 measures to be carried out throughout the three-year period in support to the development of a circular and decarbonised economic model, as well as implementation of reforms and investments within the green Recovery Plan.These measures are articulated around 8 action shafts that will allow the implementation of actions in the circular economy: production, consumption, waste management, secondary raw materials and water reuse. Cross-cutting measures include awareness raising and participation, research, innovation and competitiveness, and employment and training.Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Measures related to ecosystem services / biodiversity / land use / agriculture
The future National Strategy on Green Infrastructure, Ecological Connectivity and Restoration (under elaboration) seeks to set the guidelines for the identification and conservation of green infrastructure in Spain's ecosystem-base (terrestrial and maritime) so that land use and sectoral planning of public administrations can ensure the connectivity and functionality of ecologicla services, climate adaptation and mitigation, combat the defragmentation of strategic zones for biodiversity protection and promote restoration of degraded ecosystems.Contact Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge -
Others
The future Law for Sustainable Mobility and urban transport financing (under elaboration) is expected to provide a regulatory framework for the future Strategy on Sustainable Mobility (under elaboration) that will define infrastructure policy for the next decades.Contact Ministry of Transportation, movility and Urban Agenda
5.International Cooperation
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Response Recovery RedesignThe "V Spanish Cooperation Master Plan (SCMP) 2018-2021 ", the main planning document for guiding the Spanish development actions, integrates the new holistic vision inherent to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement as core elements of the Spanish Development Cooperation. Furthermore, Spain approved in 2020 the “Strategy for the common response of the Spanish Cooperation to the COVID-19 Crisis”, a renewed Spanish cooperation strategy focused on the response to the COVID-19 crisis, and other global challenges such as climate change.
Furthermore Spain´s climate change support for developing countries is articulated through financial contributions and through different types of instruments from several departments/ministries (including regional and local administration) and other entities and organizations supporting activities in developing countries. This support includes contributions to the main climate change funds (GCF, GEV, AF) and capacity building and technology transfer activities (both, on adaptation and mitigation sectors). The reported Spanish public climate support for the year 2019 (last data available) amounted to EUR 740 million. This support is aligned with the needs and priorities of developing countries as reflected in their Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement and will consider updated needs considering the COVID-19 Crisis. Latest information on the Spanish international climate finance can be found in the UNFCCC Biennial Reports and,at the EU level, through EIONET.Reference https://www.cooperacionespanola.es/es/v-plan-director-2018-2021
http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/SalaDePrensa/Multimedia/Publicaciones/Documents/Estrategia_de_respuesta.pdf
https://unfccc.int/documents/204837
https://www.eionet.europa.eu/
Contact Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation -Strategy for the common response of the Spanish Cooperation to the COVID-19 Crisis
International Climate finance - Several Ministries (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation; Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation; Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge) and other entities and organizations supporting activities in developing countries.
Other countries
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Afghanistan
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Andorra
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Armenia
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Australia
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Austria
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Azerbaijan
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Bangladesh
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Benin
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Bhutan
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Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Brazil
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Bulgaria
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Burkina Faso
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Cambodia
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Canada
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Chile
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China
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Colombia
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Costa Rica
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Cyprus
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Denmark
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Ecuador
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El Salvador
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Estonia
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Eswatini
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The European Commission
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Finland
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France
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Gabon
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Gambia
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Germany
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Greece
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Guatemala
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Guinea
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Indonesia
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Iran
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Ireland
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Israel
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Italy
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Japan
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Laos
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Latvia
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Lithuania
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Luxembourg
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The Marshall Islands
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Mauritania
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Mauritius
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Mexico
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Mongolia
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Morocco
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Mozambique
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Myanmar
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Namibia
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Nepal
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The Netherlands
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New Zealand
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Nicaragua
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North Macedonia
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Norway
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Pakistan
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Palestine
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Panama
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Peru
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The Philippines
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Poland
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Republic of Korea
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Romania
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Russia
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San Marino
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Sao Tome and Principe
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Singapore
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Slovakia
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Slovenia
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Sweden
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Switzerland
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Thailand
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Ukraine
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The United Kingdom
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Zimbabwe
