Update, 28th October 2026: La Vanguardia reported that the 102 climate practices were developed by 57 companies, and highlighted Mango's circular fashion project, The Post Fiber, which marketed nearly 53,000 garments made from post-consumer recycled fabric.

Business and Government to Streamline Climate Action

Barcelona Global and the Directorate General for the Environment of the Generalitat have announced a joint initiative to accelerate the approval process for environmental projects in the city. The plan, presented on Wednesday 28th October 2026, includes establishing a dialogue table aimed at simplifying administrative procedures and moving towards a one-stop shop for businesses. This collaboration is one of several outcomes from the 'Chapter Clima' project, a year-long effort involving 109 companies and institutions working to identify common challenges and best practices in addressing climate change in the Barcelona metropolitan area.

102 Verified Practices Identified

The project has documented 102 "good practices" already implemented across sectors. These include:

  • 38 in the service sector
  • 22 in building and construction
  • 13 in mobility
  • 11 in the pharmaceutical industry
  • 10 in food
  • 8 in retail

Specific examples highlighted include Sorigué’s production of a new type of Barcelona paving stone with 47% lower emissions and 40% recycled aggregate, BSM car parks converted into hubs with around 600 electric vehicle charging points, and surplus fruit from Mercabarna being redirected to social organisations. Other notable initiatives include Vueling’s Optipath project, which analysed 230,000 flight paths to estimate potential carbon dioxide savings of 132,000 tonnes, and Almirall’s 22% reduction in direct carbon footprint.

Barcelona's competitiveness and its capacity to face climate change must go hand in hand.

Josep Lluis Sanfeliu, president of Barcelona Global, said during the presentation that climate action directly affects how the city produces, moves, and builds, and also represents an opportunity to generate economic activity.

Next Steps and Broader Initiatives

Beyond the one-stop shop proposal, the project recommends:

  • Using data and artificial intelligence to anticipate climate risks
  • Developing a financing guide for housing rehabilitation
  • Creating a sustainable mobility working group
  • Launching a citizen awareness agenda
  • Transferring best practices to small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

Barcelona Global, which counts nearly 1,300 members including businesses, research centres, universities, and institutions, will use this platform to scale climate solutions across the region.

Sources: Europa Press, Ara.