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Ignacio Galán, the Executive Chairman of Iberdrola, and Chairman of its U.S. subsidiary AVANGRID, was today (13th April) presented with the prestigious Medal of Honour by the World Jurist Association, at an event held at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Mr Galán was recognised for the leadership he has shown in the promotion of clean energy and ESG+F (Socially responsible management: ESG - IberdrolaEnvironmental, Social, & Governance + Financial Performance) principles. The award was presented by Dr. Ernest Moniz, the 13th United States Secretary of Energy. He served in post between 2013 and 2017 and was credited with advancing American leadership in science and clean energy technology innovation.

Introducing Mr Galán, Dr Moniz noted that, as an engineer, Mr Galán set out to change the electricity industry and that the strong commitment Iberdrola made to renewables more than two decades ago showed vision and commitment.

He stated that the award recognised a pioneer in the renewable energy revolution, describing Mr Galán as a “planetary and corporate hero”.

Accepting the award, Ignacio Galán, said: “As an engineer, I am honoured to receive this prestigious award from such a distinguished law institution. For more than two decades, Iberdrola has been focused on delivering a cleaner, more secure, and efficient energy system. Our strategy is based on transparency, teamwork, responsibility, and professionalism, with ESG+F principles as our foundation.

“The successful transition to a cleaner energy model will require the active participation of all administrations, institutions, companies, and civil society. Iberdrola will remain fully committed to helping to deliver the energy transition, to creating value for all, and to ensuring best practices in corporate governance and rule of law.”

Other Medal of Honor recipients included Stephen Breyer, Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who was introduced by Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States. Previous recipients of awards from the WJA include King Felipe VI of Spain, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank.

The World Jurist Association, founded in 1963, is a non-governmental organization with special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The organization is dedicated to pursuing “a world ruled by law, not force” and works closely with governments, non-governmental organizations and international associations to foster a cooperative dialogue on world peace.

Iberdrola’s focus on renewable energy and smart grid networks has placed it at the forefront of the energy transition. In the last two decades, the company has grown from the 20th largest electricity utility in the world, to the second largest by market cap, at the same time as leading the industry in climate ambition with a focus on the creation of a social dividend for all stakeholders.

The company has invested over €140 billion during Mr Galán’s tenure, closing all of its 17 coal and fuel oil capacity across the world and establishing an industry leading renewable energy capacity of 40,000 megawatts (MW).

The €47 billion of investments planned between 2023 and 2025 will underpin the company’s ambitious Climate Action Plan. Iberdrola aims to achieve carbon neutrality for scopes 1 and 2 by 2030 and net-zero emissions before 2040 for all scopes.