The President of the Government of Spain has unveiled the National Network of Climate Shelters and has announced the approval of further funding of 10 million euros to finance new shelters, including educational centres.

Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during the presentation of the Climate Shelter Network (Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during the presentation of the Climate Shelter Network (Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, today unveiled the National Network of Climate Shelters, in accordance with the State Pact on the Climate Emergency, with new funding of 10 million euros to finance shelters, including educational centres, as well as a further 9 million in funding to prepare towns and citizens for the ecological transition, and the approval, by the Council of Ministers, of the Agreement establishing the Scientific Panel on Climate Change Action.

He made this point during the closing ceremony of the launch event for the Climate Shelters Network, which included the inauguration of the shelter at the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, at which the Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, also spoke. Also in attendance were the Minister for Health, Mónica García, and the Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and Government Spokesperson, Elma Saiz.

Pedro Sánchez began his speech by addressing "the evacuated families, those who remain in lockdown, and the professionals risking their lives on the ground", reiterating that "they should have no doubt whatsoever: the full force of the State is behind them", in the face of "the most painful manifestation of a climate emergency that is making sixth-generation wildfires more devastating, heatwaves more frequent and our country more vulnerable".

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, together with the Third Vice-President, Sara Aagesen, and the ministers Elma Saiz and Mónica García at the presentation of the Climate Shelter Network| Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

"It is no longer an exception: it is the rule itself. Summers are becoming increasingly difficult, destructive and deadly," lamented Pedro Sánchez, who pointed out that, so far in 2026, fires have already ravaged around 150,000 hectares in Spain, 13 people have lost their lives and the death toll from heat-related causes in Spain stands at more than 3,800. "The evidence is clear: the climate emergency kills. That is why it is not enough simply to deal with the consequences. We must tackle the root causes, anticipate the consequences and better prepare our country to protect people's lives," he argued.

In line with the State Pact on the Climate Emergency launched in September last year, Pedro Sánchez has explained that the national network of climate shelters is being promoted "resolutely", with the approval of new funding of 10 million euros to finance new shelters, including educational centres. He has encouraged local entities, regional governments and provincial administrations to make public infrastructure available for these shelters. As he explained, the roll-out of the network is being carried out in accordance with vulnerability criteria, to "ensure that age, financial resources or a lack of green spaces do not act as a barrier in the face of the climate crisis".

"Spain is well aware of the value of adapting to the climate," he added, referring to the "wisdom" derived from the "simple and clever solutions" devised by towns and their residents to protect us from the heat: thick walls that kept the cool in, narrow streets that provided shade, courtyards that encouraged ventilation, white façades that reflected the sun, and our cherished shutters and awnings; a wisdom that "can help us build the future". "We want to bring this to today's cities and towns, combining it with innovation, knowledge and new urban solutions," he said, and so he announced additional funding of 9 million euros aimed at the development and consolidation of green infrastructure, an investment that "will enable progress to be made on urban renaturalisation and will strengthen our cities' preparedness for the green transition".

Furthermore, in line with the mandate of the State Pact on the Climate Emergency, he has announced that the Agreement establishing the Scientific Panel on Climate Change Action will be put before the Council of Ministers. It is an advisory body made up of some of Spain's leading researchers, and its role will be to help anticipate risks, evaluate public policies and guide decisions "with rigour, independence and expertise", as he has stated. "In the face of an emergency of this magnitude, improvisation, prejudice and denial are of no use. "Data, evidence and science are what count," he added.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during the presentation of the Climate Shelter Network| Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

Pedro Sánchez has pointed out that the Government has been working over the last eight years "to speed up the energy transition, to adapt the country to the new reality and to protect the population". "Spain in 2026 is more committed to the fight against climate change than Spain was in 2018. It is better prepared, and the vast majority of our society is far more aware of the scale of the challenge that lies ahead," he said. Despite the progress made, he has emphasised the importance of "continuing to redouble our efforts" in the face of the growing scale and scope of the threat, bearing in mind that "the climate crisis hits those who are most vulnerable the hardest". In this regard, he pointed out that "in a classroom where the temperature is over 30 degrees, it is impossible to study or learn normally, and when temperatures continue to rise, it is not even safe to stay there".

In the face of the extreme heat, "the duty of the institutions cannot be to look for excuses, but rather to adapt the facilities and protect the children," he argued, explaining that this is why the Government of Spain has allocated more than 1 billion euros from the NextGenerationEU funds under the Recovery Plan to refurbish public buildings. In addition, the Government announced last month that 200 million euros would be allocated from the National Energy Efficiency Fund to refurbish and install heating and air-conditioning systems in schools. "When we work to reduce electricity bills, we do so to ensure that no family is afraid to switch on the air conditioning for fear of the cost. "When we renovate homes and improve their energy efficiency, we do so to ensure that the home is a refuge rather than a trap in the heat," he emphasised.

At the end of his speech, he stated that "climate shelters, such as the one opened at the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, which are open to all members of the public, are a necessary measure, but not sufficient", as "the situation we are facing requires strategies that tackle the problem at a structural level." "Solutions that will help build a safer, more liveable Spain, one that is prepared for the challenges of the future."

He has reiterated that this requires a "lasting commitment such as that embodied in the State Pact on the Climate Emergency" presented in 2025, and has called on political parties to rally behind it "because this is indeed a national priority that concerns us all, and because future generations will judge us by what we do now". "In the face of extreme weather events, a State Pact. In the face of inequality, a State Pact. "In the face of denial and inaction, we need a State Pact, because this battle will not be won by a Government acting alone; it will be won by a united country, aware of what is at stake and determined to protect its territory, its future and the lives of its people," he concluded.

The Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, has explained that the General State Administration makes 180 shelters available to the public throughout the country, open to all citizens every summer between 15 May and 30 September, and has announced the launch of the refuge guide, a public map showing their locations, which includes 1,100 climate refuges. Aagesen warned that climate change is the "greatest challenge of our time", in the face of an emergency that "is accelerating, with more extreme and prolonged events", and has therefore urged us to continue taking action. In this regard, she recalled that, since the Government declared a climate emergency in 2020, the Health and Climate Change Observatory was launched in 2023, which has spearheaded numerous initiatives, such as Meteosalud and the adaptation work programme, comprising 176 measures, alongside the launch of the State Pact, a "national pact with nearly 4,000 contributions and 1,300 stakeholders involved".