Catalan school climate adaptation efforts

Barcelona has initiated a structural policy to adapt its public schools to climate change, allocating 100 million euros to upgrade 170 institutions by 2029. The plan aims to improve resilience for over 55,000 students through enhancements in air conditioning, ventilation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy, utilizing reinvested tourism tax revenue to fund the project.

In Catalonia, the implementation of heat mitigation measures has faced criticism. The Federation of Installers Guilds of Catalonia (Fegicat) has characterized the use of fans as an ‘emergency measure’ rather than a permanent solution, advocating instead for energy diagnostics, insulation, and solar protection.

Local opposition has emerged in Reus, where the Parents' Association of General Prim School described a municipal project to install 61 wall fans as ‘totally insufficient’ and a ‘waste of money.’ The association noted that classroom temperatures have previously exceeded 34 degrees Celsius, rendering fans ineffective for learning. Approximately 1,200 of the 2,500 school buildings in Catalonia are currently reported as not adapted to present climate conditions.