The environmental costs of whatever model Europe chooses for future growth need to be factored in, the Spanish environment minister says.

Elena Espinosa, the minister of Environment, Agriculture and Marine Affairs, said that environmental protection has to be incorporated in all political and economic initiatives aimed at lifting Europe out of the current crisis.

Espinosa spoke following the release of Roadmap 2050, a report outlining steps for the EU to achieve a low-carbon economy.

"It is impossible to conceive of either a future model or a way of emerging from the current crisis in the short term without incorporating environmental protection as a cross-cutting factor in decision-making," she said.

The roadmap shows the EU's dedication to fighting climate change, the minister said.

It also "shows us that the reduction challenge is achievable, both in terms of technology and cost, with various possible combinations of energy technologies," Espinosa said.

Roadmap 2050 was drafted by the European Climate Foundation, a charity organization dedicated to reducing carbon emission in Europe.

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