1. Integrated Report / February 2020
  2. [4]Our Assets
  3. [4.5]Natural Capital

[4.5] Natural Capital

  Management approach Principal activities 2019
Protect the environment and stop the loss of biodiversity
  • Conserve and recover the ecosystems associated with our activities, coordinating the biodiversity plans of the businesses in affected areas.
  • Improve the compatibility of Iberdrola’s infrastructure with protection of the environment.
  • Avoid discharges and pollution of water and soil, all in line with Iberdrola’s Biodiversity Policy and Environmental Policy.
  • Iberdrola commits to continuously improve biodiversity protection standards in order to reach a net positive balance at all new generation infrastructure that it deploys by 2030, applying mitigation hierarchy principles and avoiding the construction thereof in protected areas.
  • Acquisition of ISO-TS 14072 Certificate for Corporate Environmental Footprint (CEF) 2018.
  • Climate Change Adaptation Report for activities in Spain.
  • Sustainable 2019 General Shareholders’ Meeting: ISO 20121 certification as a sustainable event for fourth consecutive year.
  • Renewal of all certificates updating to the new ISO 14001:2015 standard.
  • Participation in Natural Capital’s working group with companies in the industry.
  • Biodiversity Action Plans.
Combat climate change and its effects
  • Prevent pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) through practices that reduce or eliminate the production of pollutants at source.
  • Reduce the emissions of non-GHGs into the air.
  • Gradually replace equipment using substances that reduce the ozone layer.
  • Promotion of awareness-raising campaigns regarding air quality.
  • New GHG emissions-free facilities (renewable, wind, hydroelectric, etc.).
  • Emissions in Spain were 94 gr CO2 / kWh.
  • Approval of SBTi Targets regarding the group’s emissions.
  • Commitment to reduce specific emissions, and very active participation in the Madrid Climate Change Conference (Spain).
  • Sustainable Mobility Plan.
Guarantee sustainable modes of production and consumption
  • Continuous improvement in operational performance.
  • Implementation of actions to increase energy efficiency.
  • Decrease in consumption of natural resources.
  • Inclusion of environmental variable in the design of infrastructure (Eco-design).
  • Improvement in control and management of waste generated.
  • Innovative activities in environmental management and control.
  • Assurance of quality in environmental management.
  • Efficient management of water consumption.
  • Improvement in withdrawal and consumption of inland water at all generation facilities.
  • Reuse and recycling of water.
  • Awareness campaign on use of plastic.
  • Improvement in reuse and recycling of waste.
  • Active awareness-raising on the circular economy.
Revitalise alliances with Stakeholders for sustainable development
  • Strengthen transparent dialogue with Stakeholders in order to work together in seeking solutions to environmental problems.
  • Manage environmental compliance by suppliers.
  • Transparently report on environmental results and activities.
  • Optimisation of and innovation in environmental management systems.
  • Make or provide information for the various reports relating to this capital (Sustainability Report, Corporate Environmental Footprint Report, etc.).
  • Public-private cooperation with the Basque Government on environmental issues.
  • SDG Acceleration Day at the San Agustín de Guadalix Campus in partnership with REDS, IS Global and ITD-UPM.

The environmental dimension is a key factor in the concept of sustainability

Specific CO2 emissions from facilities in Europe

-65,5 % vs European average

European carbon factor 2018: 296 g CO2 /kWh1 Source: “Facteur carbone européen Comparaison des émissions de CO2 des principaux électriciens européens” PwC France. Dec. 2019.

(1) The 102 g CO2 in this chart refers to emissions from Iberdrola’s facilities in Europe during 2018. The other companies only include the European space.

Intensity of emissions in Spain (g CO2/kWh)

Overall intensity of the group’s emissions (g CO2/KWh)1

1 Calculated on total own production.

Volume of recovered, reused or recycled waste (t)

(*) Increase as a result of the reuse of construction land at facilities in the United States.

Key Figures

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