#nature

Sand is, after water, the most sought after natural resource. It is an essential component in the manufacture of electronic devices and glass, and it is also used in bulk in construction. Rapid population growth and the mass development of cities have turned this material into a scarce commodity and a very lucrative business has emerged in trading sand. The theft of sand is a real threat to the environment.

Man's direct action and global warming are accelerating the extinction of species. While the necessary transition is made towards an environmentally friendly decarbonised economy, it is ever more important to protect the planet's diversity and the natural ecosystems.

World Environment Day 2024, which is celebrated annually on 5 June, is part of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global initiative to prevent, stop and repair damage to degraded ecosystems all over the world. Totally aligned with this objective, Iberdrola Group is working to conserve healthy ecosystems in all its areas of influence.

Global biodiversity has declined alarmingly in half a century: more than 42,100 species are at a risk of extinction with climate change being responsible for many of these situations.

In 2022 alone, climate disasters caused nearly 32 million internal displacements worldwide, according to a report by the International Displacement Monitoring Centre. The figure shows a very worrying trend, representing an increase of nearly 43% over the previous year's levels.

They are not on the maps, but in our oceans there are five floating plastic islands that threaten to eradicate much of the marine life and contribute to climate change. Some of these garbage patches — such as the North Pacific one — are equivalent in size to France, Spain and Germany put together.