An attempt by Madrid to ban heaters in outdoor areas was thwarted last year after a local court ruled that the city council had failed to provide evidence that they contributed to global warming.
Heated outdoor seating areas are already banned in France, where energy conservation groups calculate that their use in a 75 m2 terrace during the winter months emitted as much CO2 as a car circling the globe three times.
Tourists left out in the cold as Barcelona finally brings in restaurant ban The ban came in on January 1.
That’s because visitors in December enjoyed the last days of gas-powered patio heaters before their use was banned in 2025 due to their carbon emissions.
The measure was first introduced in 2018, but the city council allowed for a gradual phasing out, to give time for the hospitality sector to adapt.
