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Iberdrola has awarded today in the Palencia town of Paredes de Nava the best initiatives of environmental, agricultural and social coexistence with clean energy, highlighting eight projects that exemplify the advantages of the energy transition for the rural world and its positive impact on job creation and development. 

The Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, highlighted the benefits of green energy for rural areas. "Today we recognise courageous commitments to the energy transition. We advocate boosting industry, employment and the future to create a fairer, more fraternal and sustainable society". 
"Iberdrola has a spirit of service that guides, from the outset, all the projects we undertake, from the largest to the smallest. We know that harmony with local administrations and the communities in which we are present is essential to achieve more objectives and to make this energy transition more tangible and fair", added the chairman of the electricity company. 

In this second edition of the Convive Awards, Iberdrola has recognised, in collaboration with the Centre for Innovation in Technology for Human Development of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (itdUPM), the following companies: 

• In the category of Innovative Solutions and Research: Spanish Network for Sustainable Development (REDS-SDSN) and Ocean Ecoestructures.
• In Social and business entrepreneurship: Técnicas e Instalaciones Eléctricas Salamanca (Tecinsa).
• In Communication and Awareness: Prensa Ibérica
• In the Youth category: Patricia Rebollo, shepherdess at the photovoltaic plant in Ceclavín in the province of Cáceres.
• In the Local Entities and Citizen Participation category: Paredes de Nava Town Council (Palencia) and La Serna Town Council (Palencia).
• Finally, the Special Biodiversity Award went to the Biodiversity and Global Change Research Centre of the Autonomous University of Madrid (CIBC-UAM).

The event was also attended by the President of the Regional Government of Castilla y León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco; the Mayor of Paredes de Nava, Luis Antonio Calderón; the President of the Provincial Council of Palencia, Ángeles Armisén; the CEO of Iberdrola España, Mario Ruiz-Tagle, and the Minister of Economy of the Regional Government of Castilla y León, Carlos Fernández Carriedo, among other authorities.

An independent jury formed by Carlos Mataix, director of the Centre for Technological Innovation for Human Development (itdUPM); María García de la Fuente, president of the Association of Environmental Information Journalists (APIA); José Carlos Díez, director of the Responsible Renewables Chair at the University of Alcalá; Víctor Viñuales, executive director of the Ecology and Development Foundation (ECODES); Elena Pita, director of the Biodiversity Foundation; Ana Barreira, director of the International Institute of Law and Environment (IIDMA) and Juan José Álvarez, secretary of ASAJA, was responsible for choosing the winners, who will become part of the repository of winners, receiving special recognition and other elements of visibility for their project.

Living in harmony with the environment

Iberdrola's Convive Programme was created with the aim of facilitating the acceleration of the development of clean energy in Spain, improving its contribution to the territories, society, biodiversity and the rural world. 

This initiative has two objectives: on the one hand, to promote continuous improvement and best available practices in the integration of renewables, electricity grids and energy storage in the environment, and on the other hand, to contribute positively to local development and biodiversity conservation through collaboration and partnerships. 

These actions help to establish long-term relationships with the environment, maximising the positive impact of each Iberdrola project and contributing to mutual understanding by working hand in hand with the public, institutions, government and the third sector at all times.

This programme is structured around three lines of action: 

1. Contribute to socio-economic development: Initiatives that enable projects to contribute to economic and social development at local as well as national level. 
2. Protect and enhance biodiversity: Actions that contribute to the integration of facilities into the territory and landscape by improving their contribution to biodiversity and their environmental impact. 
3. Learning from experts: Improving the impact and social acceptance of the energy transition through collaboration with third parties.

Some examples of these initiatives are the integration of livestock and agricultural activities around the facilities, the development of beekeeping activities and new developments in agrovoltaics; support for local suppliers; the creation of energy communities and help for municipalities to implement development plans; participation in alliances to define best practices in projects or the generation of new industrial activity and innovation.