ACCIONA marks World Environment Day

Today, June 5th, we mark World Environment Day, established by the United Nations General Assembly. This year, the theme is "Green Economy: Does it include you?" ACCIONA wants to join in the celebrations by making its environment commitment known to one and all.

The green economy comes as a result of improving human wellbeing and social equality, leading in turn to a significant reduction in environmental risk and ecological damage, as defined by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNAP). In its most simple terms, the green economy can be defined as a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive economy.

Environmental respect is one of the fundamental pillars of ACCIONA's strategy. Subsequently, our Company has placed its bets on low carbon business models capable of satisfying infrastructure, energy and water demands the world over.

Similarly, ACCIONA goes to great lengths, in economic terms, to protect the environment by taking a preventive approach, keeping impacts down to a minimum and providing compensation for those impacts that it cannot avoid. So much so that in 2011 the Company spent more than 69 million euro on this kind of activity, a figure that represents 30% of our pre-tax profit.

Apart from this significant fact, did you know that …?

• … ACCIONA has its own Natural Environment and Biodiversity Unit, a pioneer in this field in the business community.
• … More than a third (35%) of ACCIONA's revenues and 77% of EBITDA represent green business; in fact, the Company leads the way in Europe.
• ... In 2011, by producing renewable energy, we avoided more than 11 million metric tons of carbon emissions, and we only generated 0.8 million as a result of our activities.  
• … Moreover, we reduced our emissions by 19% compared with 2010.