2010 – 2015 Acciona´s achievements on its first sustainability master plan

By Juan Ramón Silva Ferrada (Acciona), Acciona
03:01 PM, July 13, 2016

Six years ago, with a view to the medium and long term, ACCIONA planned and structured the initiatives related to sustainability in the form of a roadmap that has helped us stand out, become more competitive, contribute to sustainable development, and consolidate our position as leaders in sustainable practices. That was ACCIONA’s first Sustainability Master Plan 2010 – 2015.

Since then, the company’s sustainability actions have been led and supervised by the Board of Directors through its Sustainability Committee. As a result, the company’s sustainability initiatives and objectives are discussed at its highest level of governance.

Sustainability was integrated into the business areas through the creation, in 2012, of Sustainability Committees in the divisions; working in cooperation with the Sustainability Department, they promote and monitor the divisions’ specific sustainability initiatives. There are committees in the Energy, Construction,
Water, Service, and Industrial divisions, and meetings are held periodically to address sustainability with Real Estate and Bestinver.

Additionally, matters regarding sustainability have been brought to the attention of the shareholders’ meeting. Since 2012, ACCIONA has presented its Sustainability Report for review and approval by the shareholders’ meeting, and it was one of the first companies to do so (the 2015 Sustainability Report was approved with
a favorable vote of 99.99 percent of those in attendance at the 2016 shareholders’ meeting).
 
We maintain our commitment to workplace health and safety, as reflected in the zero fatal accidents among company employees between 2012 and 2015, combined with a notable improvement in the workplace accident frequency index of 31.57 percent, as compared to 2011. A percentage of variable remuneration is
linked to achievement of sustainability objectives for 97 percent of executives, 90 percent of structural managers, and some of the technical and support staff.

Contributions to the development of the communities where ACCIONA operates were enhanced by implementing a methodology for assessing and managing the social impact of our projects: In 2015, it was applied in 47 projects in 18 countries.

In the last three years, more than 2,400 corporate volunteers have contributed more than 23,000 hours of work to the community. Also, through the ACCIONA Microenergy Foundation, ACCIONA continues to provide basic electricity supply to isolated rural communities in developing countries: more than 30,000 beneficiaries in Peru and Mexico.

ACCIONA’s long-term values – focused particularly on our bonds with people and society – have been reinforced by the steady implementation of improvements in corporate governance, including:a new program to prevent crime and corruption, an exhaustive analysis of our risks in the area of human rights, and the
creation of a Compliance Department.

Those practices are also reflected in our Policies Book, approved by the Board’s Sustainability Committee, which reflects the financial, social, and environmental commitments and principles of action that apply to the company’s businesses.

The company sought to improve supply chain performance in terms of sustainability through the approval in 2011 of the Ethical Principles for Suppliers,  Subcontractors, and Collaborators; the inclusion, since then, of ethics clauses in tenders, orders, and contracts; the creation of a supply chain risk map each year since 2012; an Audit Program for these activities; and training of more than 2,500 suppliers in sustainability issues through six training courses.

ACCIONA avoided the emission of 85.7 million tons of CO2 between 2010 and 2015. Since 2010, we have reduced our direct and indirect CO2 emissions (Scopes 1 & 2) by 43.1 percent.

ACCIONA has measured the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the activity of its 28,000 suppliers and begun to work with them to implement joint measures to reduce their environmental footprints. Additionally, the water consumption associated with the activities of the 28,000 suppliers in 75 countries was measured,
and the 500 suppliers – accounting for 70 percent of the supply chain’s total consumption – were identified.

Our firm commitment to innovation is evidenced in the € 876 million spent in 2010–2015, that is, far more than the € 500 million earmarked in the 2015 Sustainability Master Plan.

Since 2012, we have saved € 86.8 million through improvements to innovation processes.

ACCIONA has expanded its active presence in international organizations such as the Steering Committees of the United Nations Global Compact LEAD and Caring for Climate initiatives; the World Business Council for Sustainable Development; and the Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change. We are cochairs
of the Renewable Energy Committee of the Advisory Board for the Sustainable Energy for All initiative
organized by the UN and the World Bank.

We are present in the leading sustainability indices, such as the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (for the 9th consecutive year in 2015); FTSE4Good; the CDP Global Climate Change Report 2015 and CDP Climate Change Report 2015 Iberia Edition; and the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index.

To conclude, the Sustainability Master Plan 2015 and the forthcoming Sustainability Master through 2020 evidence our commitment to sustainability and responsible stewardship and enhance our position as leaders in sustainable practices.

About the Authors
Silva Ferrada, Juan Ramón

 Juan Ramón Silva Ferrada is Area General Manager Sustainability at ACCIONA.

 
Acciona
 
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect CSR Manager's editorial policy.
 
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