Bonn (Germany), Nov 16 (EFE). - Spain, Germany and Poland are the only countries in Western Europe that have been left out of the "Global Alliance to Eliminate Coal" presented in the Climate Summit (COP23), but Spanish government sources told Efe that they will study "all" the implications of joining the initiative.

To the alliance, promoted by Canada and the United Kingdom United so that countries that commit to a gradual closure of their coal plants have already joined Angola, Austria, Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland, plus a dozen North American regions.

Sources of the official Spanish delegation at the summit of Bonn told Efe that "everyone" has made a commitment to decarbonize. companies and that families do not involve an effort beyond the necessary, "they added.

In the case of Spain," coal is a backup energy, there is only 8% of coal in the energy mix, much less than other European countries, "said the same source.

" Spain will always meet its environmental objectives. orderly energy transition that allows us to fulfill our environmental commitments, taking into account the socioeconomic aspects and the supply guarantee, "he added.

Crowd of organizations present at the Bonn summit have criticized the absence of Spain on this platform, agreeing that it has been "isolated" in Europe, together with countries that are very coal such as Poland or Germany (where 40% of its energy comes from this fossil fuel), compared to those that have proposed a gradual closure of their power plants.

The lack of presence of Spain in this platform is also produced in a week in which the Ministry of Energy has not received the permit requested by Iberdrola to close the two remaining plants in Spain, in Lada (Asturias) and Velilla (Palencia), committing to relocate its workers.

The argument for the closure given by the president of the power company, Ignacio Sánchez Galán, in an interview with Efe, is the same one contributed by the countries that have joined the "Global Alliance to Eliminate Coal": that this fossil fuel is the one that contributes the most to climate change and that its burning prevents the decarbonisation agreed by the Paris Agreement.

In addition, the World Health Organization considers that the emissions of the plants of coal very badly harm the health of people, and are responsible for the premature death of one million people annually.

Asked by Efe on this issue, the commissioner European Climate Action, Miguel Arias Cañete, said that it does not enter "into the energy policy decisions taken by national governments." "that meet the emissions reduction targets that have been committed" in Paris.

"We wonder when Spain will join the wave of countries that are really doing his duties to comply with the Paris Agreement, and will leave behind the coal and other dirty energies, betting on renewables and efficiency, "said Efe the MEP Equo's Spanish, Florent Marcellesi.

And he launched a criticism: "while the countries of our environment have made a courageous decision regarding coal at COP23, the minister (of Energy) Álvaro Nadal is preparing a royal decree to prevent the closure of coal plants in Spain, even if companies like Iberdrola or Endesa ask for it. "

Marcellesi stressed that "Spain has enormous potential to lead a fair energy transition, and must take advantage of it and join the leading countries in this matter in Europe and in the world."

For its part, Asunción Sea, responsible for Climate and Energy WWF Spain, lamented "the lack of vision of Minister Nadal, who instead of betting decidedly for renewable energy, of which Our country has abundant resources, it continues to support the electric production with coal and preventing a true just transition in the mining regions. "