MITERD recognises Aqualia's progress in reducing its carbon footprint with the "Reduzco" seal

Aqualia's environmental commitment is not restricted to responsible water management. The company is working on new policies and initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint and protect biodiversity in the areas where it operates. As a result, the Spanish Office for Climate Change in Spain (OECC) has once again recognised Aqualia's carbon footprint register. For the first time, the organisation, linked to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITERD), has granted the company the reduction seal, as a result of the data provided in the last four years.

For Aqualia, reducing the impact of its operations on the environment is a priority. In 2014, it became the first company in the sector in Spain to calculate the carbon footprint of its entire activity and register it with the OECC. Since then, it has carried out countless initiatives to move towards a sustainable and low-carbon economy. The company has been certified in Energy Efficiency since 2010.

"This activity, coordinated throughout the organisation and carried out in the company in recent years, has allowed us to reduce our carbon footprint for the first time in 2020", says Enrique Hernández, Director of Management Systems, Sustainability and Risks. "Due to a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions in the 2017-2019 period, and included in the 2020-2022 GHG Reduction Plan, both approved by the Managing Committee and whose main milestones are the acquisition of electric vehicles, the reduction in the use of electrical energy acquired, energy recovery in desalination plants, biogas production by anaerobic digestion in treatment plants and our participation in the climate project", points out the director of Aqualia.

Obtaining the OECC seal represents a reinforcement of Aqualia's firm commitment to the fight against climate change. "The seal distinguishes three levels: calculate, reduce and offset. Aqualia has accessed the second level and is in a good position to obtain the third: offset", highlights Hernández.

Towards a green and decarbonised economy

Climate change is a global challenge that threatens the future of our planet, and Aqualia is aware that it must be part of the solution, harnessing innovation and technology to offer viable solutions in energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction of processes and services. 

The company recently presented its 2023 Strategic plan, where sustainability is integrated as a cross-cutting aspect. The company is tackling its commitment to sustainability through measurable and quantifiable objectives that make it possible to determine its contribution to the 2030 Agenda. One of the Plan's strategic lines is the climate emergency and care for the environment. In this area, the company is focused on mitigating and adapting to climate change and has projects focused on reducing water consumption, optimising energy and reducing emissions, protecting and recovering the ecosystem, and transferring R&D+i projects.  

Managing the end-to-end water cycle has an impact on the environment, due to the very nature of this activity. Goal 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Climate Action, encourages us to adopt measures against climate change, making urban water service operating companies liable for considering viable solutions for sustainable and respectful management of the environment.
 

Image: Félix Parra, Aqualia’s CEO, at the presentation of the 100% electric vehicles acquired by the company to gradually renew the fleets of the municipalities where it operates.