Barcelona is stepping up its climate adaptation plans as city leaders warn that extreme heat will become a growing challenge for residents. At the Barcelona for Climate conference at Ca l'Alier on Friday, Mayor Jaume Collboni said climate policy must have a clear social component and protect people’s right to remain in the city.
Collboni said Barcelona must accelerate urban policies to adapt to the climate crisis and protect citizens. He pointed to measures already under way, including the network of climate shelters, the Shade Plan and the School Climate Plan.
The event also featured Sara Aagesen, Spain’s Third Vice-President and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, and Laia Bonet, Barcelona’s First Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Climate Action, Mobility, Neighbourhood Plan and Urban Services. Bonet closed the conference by stressing the need to prepare Barcelona for increasingly extreme heat.
Aagesen announced the new 2026 to 2030 Work Programme for the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The programme includes 176 measures aimed at reducing climate impacts across health, water, biodiversity, agriculture, coasts, energy, mobility, tourism and urban planning. She called for a pact involving political forces, civil society, academia and business to address the climate emergency. For more on local coverage, see our news page.
Bonet said the city is planning a simulation for Barcelona at 50 degrees Celsius to test the response of urban services, the energy system, public health and institutional coordination before such conditions arrive. She said solutions to the climate emergency will come from cities.
The Barcelona for Climate conference ran from 11 to 12 June at Ca l'Alier and marked World Environment Day as part of Barcelona’s role as World Capital of Architecture 2026. The programme included discussion of health management during extreme heat, joint responses to housing and climate crises, international city case studies and the presentation of the 4th Barcelona + Sustainable 2030 Agenda Awards.