MADRID, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chilean and Spanish governments are working to ensure that the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid is totally carbon neutral and produces the lowest possible amount of greenhouse gases.
The official COP25 website explains the measures which have been taken in Madrid, which range from the purchase of offsets to projects in the local areas.
One of those initiatives will see over 1,000 trees planted in the town of Las Rozas to the northwest of Madrid on Dec. 8 in the presence of Chilean Minister for the Environment and COP25 President Carolina Schmidt, and the UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa.
In order to try and assure carbon free travel, delegates to COP25 have been given free public transport passes by the Regional Government of Madrid, while Spanish railway operator Renfe has given a 35 percent discount on tickets for COP25 participants.
The event organizers are also looking to drastically reduce the use of paper and printer inks with all official documents available for download digitally and the daily agenda available only in digital form.
If there is no option other than to photocopy something, sessions at the photocopy machines are limited with double sided printing set as the default option.
All of the people attending COP25 were given a complimentary glass bottle which is meant to be filled and refilled at the numerous water fountains stationed around the 113,000 meters of floor space dedicated to the conference at the IFEMA exhibition center, thus avoiding the need for disposable paper cups. And the cups supplied are biodegradable.
Meanwhile, all waste bins are clearly marked with different color codes for packaging, card and paper, organic, glass and any other waste for recycling and composting wherever possible.
Even the pavilions are made out of recyclable materials, with the Spain pavilion made with wood offcuts which will later be converted into biofuel.
Around 30,000 people are attending COP25, which started on Dec. 2 and concludes on Dec. 13.
