Aqualia presents its 2023 Strategic Plan focused on sustainability, consumption reduction, partnerships, and technology, after a COP26 that was not very ambitious with regard to water

Aqualia presents its 2021-2023 Strategic Plan, in which sustainability is integrated as a cross-cutting and underlying aspect. Therefore, the company addresses its commitment to sustainability through measurable and quantifiable objectives that allow us to be aware of its contribution to the 2030 Agenda, after a COP26 in which commitments regarding water were conspicuous by their absence.

For Felix Parra, CEO of Aqualia, "The approval of the 2021-2023 Strategic Plan is a milestone that allows us to outline and measure our performance in relation to the SDGs, with short, medium and long-term goals to be met, set in agreement with our stakeholders". 

This new roadmap, approved by the Managing Committee and the ESG Committee for the next three years, has been drawn up together with the teams involved and includes the perspective of all stakeholders, who were consulted beforehand in an active listening process involving 18,000 people.

The Plan defines the climate emergency, people, technology, social impact, and ethics as priority areas and emphasises the importance of communication that is in line with performance.
 
•    The climate emergency and environmental care axis, which is central to the Plan, is aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change, with projects focusing on: the reduction of water consumption, energy optimisation and emissions reduction, ecosystem protection and recovery, and the transfer of R&D&I projects.  

In this regard, several commitments stand out, such as ensuring, by 2030, that 50% of the energy used comes from renewable sources from investments and facilities managed by the company and achieving the ecological transition of 100% of its vehicle fleet. 

In relation to the climate emergency, as part of the most prominent group of measures, the company plans to launch two R&D projects per year, including the development of innovative solutions to combat climate change and five biodiversity protection projects.

•    The strategic line Technology for integrated management prioritises the efficient use and management of resources, through the implementation of innovative tools that streamline processes and the development of Aqualia Life, a self-developed technology platform that pursues the global digitisation of the end-to-end water cycle using the latest technologies for efficient water management and to provide a better service to citizens. Through this platform, the company has pledged to increase the number of digital meters for remote reading by 50% per year. 

•    People management is the strategic line that drives the company's contribution to health and well-being, equality and diversity, dignified and healthy employment. In this area, the company intends to enhance, through training programmes such as Be Aqualia, the well-being of its employees and to increase the promotion of women to management positions, in accordance with the third Equality Plan. 

•    In the plan presented, there is a strong commitment to making progress in terms of measures relating to ethics and compliance, with the aim of conveying Aqualia's culture and values to both the members of the company and the supply chain. In addition, there remains in place a strong commitment to social impact and to ensuring access to water and strengthening ties with local communities.

•    Lastly, in its new roadmap, the company emphasises strategic partnerships, which it deems essential to continue making progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda. 

According to Juan Pablo Merino Guerra, the Company's Director of Communication and CSR: “The document reaffirms Aqualia's commitment to the 2030 Agenda by linking its results to the SDG targets, in contrast to the recent Climate Summit, which was "dehydrated" in terms of its agreements regarding water management".  

The 2021-2023 Strategic Plan highlights the integrated vision with which Aqualia manages its activity. A 360º perspective that encompasses sustainability, governance, and social impact, reaffirming the company's purpose: to ensure the well-being of people and the communities in which it operates through the sustainable provision of services linked to the end-to-end water cycle and by guaranteeing with pride and commitment the universal and global right to this natural resource.