SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?

Sustainability is development that satisfies the needs of the present without compromising the capacity of future generations, guaranteeing the balance between economic growth, care for the environment and social well-being.

Sustainable development is a concept that appeared for the first time in 1987 with the publication of the Brundtland Report, warning of the negative environmental consequences of economic growth and globalization, which tried to find possible solutions to the problems caused by industrialization and population growth.

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ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

At the environmental level, sustainability prevents nature from being used as an inexhaustible source of resources and ensures its protection and rational use.

Aspects such as environmental conservation, investment in renewable energies, saving water, supporting sustainable mobility, and innovation in sustainable construction and architecture, contribute to achieving this environmental sustainability on several fronts.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

At the social level, sustainability can foster the development of people, communities and cultures to help achieve reasonable and fairly-distributed quality of life, healthcare and education across the globe.

The fight for gender equality, especially in developing countries, is another aspect which in coming years will form the basis of social sustainability.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability focusses on equal economic growth, that generates wealth for all, without harming the environment.

Investment and an equal distribution of the economic resources will strengthen the other pillars of sustainability for a complete development.

Many of the challenges facing humankind, such as climate change, water scarcity, inequality and hunger, can only be resolved at a global level and by promoting sustainable development.

WHAT ARE THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS?

As a part of a new sustainable development roadmap, the United Nations approved the 2030 Agenda, which contains the Sustainable Development Goals, a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and guarantee the global well-being of people.

Ratified by all member states, this roadmap seeks to:

• Eradicate poverty and hunger, guaranteeing a healthy life
• Universalize access to basic services such as water, sanitation and sustainable energy
• Support the generation of development opportunities through inclusive education and decent work
• Foster innovation and resilient infrastructure, creating communities and cities able to produce and consume sustainably
• Reduce inequality in the world, especially that concerning gender
• Care for the environment combating climate change and protecting the oceans and land ecosystems
• Promote collaboration between different social agents to create an environment of peace and sustainable development.

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WHAT IS ACCIONA DOING IN THE AREA OF SUSTAINABILITY?

ACCIONA’s sustainability strategy is applied through its Sustainability Master Plan (SMP). ACCIONA’s commitment to sustainability can be understood as the support for social progress, environmental equilibrium and economic growth, and is reflected in our contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These common objectives, defined by the United Nations, need the active involvement of companies, as well as many other agents.

Find out what the Company did in 2016: Sustainability in ACCIONA.